The Sanford School’s mission is to improve lives by researching the most pressing public policy issues and preparing students for lives of leadership, civic engagement and public service.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are among the school’s core values.
Our Vision
Our vibrant and diverse community of faculty, students and staff shares a commitment to the mission of the Sanford School. It is the nature of public policy that we draw strength from our different disciplines, perspectives and personal backgrounds, and we pride ourselves on collaboration and a strong sense of community. Moreover, we live in a diverse world, and to produce great research that matters and to empower and inspire future leaders, we embrace diversity. Each member of the Sanford community is committed to upholding these values and to ensuring that all are welcome here.
Our Commitment to Collective Action
While diversity, equity and inclusion have long been among the school’s set of core values, the Sanford School has developed a collective action plan to fight social bias, discrimination and racism. Developed in 2020, the action plan organizes our school-wide efforts and commitments and lays out metrics and timelines for implementation and transparent reporting for each commitment to fight social bias, discrimination and racism. The goal of the 2020 Collective Action Plan is to create a community that embraces all its members and educates leaders who are prepared to engage policy problems in ways that include the perspective of structural racism and inequality.
Leadership
ASSOCIATE DEAN OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Jay A. Pearson is the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Associate Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, Associate Research Professor of Global Health, Faculty Research Scholar of DuPRI's Population Research Center, Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, and Affiliate Faculty Member of Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy.
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Cassandra Boyd directs Sanford’s DEI efforts.
“I hope to pinpoint opportunities for others to embrace radical hope and healing, encourage others to be seen authentically —as well as see beyond themselves, see beyond the training from people who loved and nurtured them, see beyond the data, and see the light shining on everything and everyone,” she says
Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
In 2015, we founded the Sanford School’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CDEI), made of faculty and staff of the school who connect with the wider Sanford community to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
co-chairs, interim
Mallory SoRelle and Jon Abels
members
Abdullah Antepli, Laronda Blessing, Stephen Buckley, Nick Carnes, Sumetrice Porter
Advancing Racial Equity at Duke
"We are committed today and throughout the future of Duke to addressing systemic racism on our campus and setting an example for our nation and the world. Our efforts will need to be focused and sustained, with clear goals and transparency as we work toward them." - Duke President Vincent Price
World Hijab Day Celebration
In recognition of World Hijab Day, Mennah El-Gammal MPP‘23 and Jaelyn Nixon PhD'25 worked with Sanford's Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CDEI) to host a pop-up event on February 1, 2022. They showed fellow students how to wear a hijab, talked about why it holds religious significance to many Muslim women, and why it's important to understand the hijab. Learn more by reading the event handout.