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Sanford alumni serve in a variety of ways. You are invited to support Sanford and our global alumni community in critical roles that will contribute to the growth, leadership and future of our program. Join us as a regional leader working with other alumni or assisting with a variety of student needs. Share your expertise as a career panelist, hire a student intern, host a regional event, serve as a fundraising ambassador, or share your story.
Regional
ALUMNI EVENT HOST
Are you interested in helping to host an alumni event in your region? You will collaborate with the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement to bring valuable networking and relevant content to alumni, as well as partner in coordinating event logistics. Potential events could include faculty on the road events, Welcome to the Sanford Alumni Network for recent graduates, Sanford Social, Networking & Business Breakfast, Game Watch, service projects, and more.
DUKE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (DAA) SANFORD CHAPTER BOARD REPRESENTATIVE
This position is instrumental in serving as a voice for alumni of the school on the Duke Alumni Association chapter board. You will encourage the DAA Chapter board to pursue programming that engages a broad cross-section of the alumni populations, beyond the traditional undergraduate experience. You will serve as a voice and liaison of the Sanford School, gathering information of areas and programming of interest in the region and sharing that feedback with Sanford's Director of Alumni Engagement. You will receive information of upcoming Sanford programming, events and opportunities and share that information with the chapter board and Sanford alumni in the region. In addition to attending DAA chapter regional board meetings, you may also be asked to host (or identify an appropriate venue) a Sanford Alumni event in your area. For more information on DAA responsibilities, click here.
Sanford Graduate Alumni Council
The mission of the council will be to sustain an active partnership with the Sanford School of Public Policy by fostering opportunities for MPP, MIDP, MNSP, and MPA alumni to serve as trusted advisors, advocates, and ambassadors. The Council will promote a spirit of collaboration to advance the School’s priorities and mission.
The responsibilities of the council, the commitments, and structure of the council are outlined within the council website. As you explore this opportunity, please reach out to Maggie Stroud should you have any questions.
Student Engagement
Assist our Career Services Team
Sanford alumni are invited to partner with the Sanford Career Services team in the following ways:
- Hire an intern or a graduate
- Attend a recruiting event or a career fair
- Practice interviewing skills with students
- Speak on career panels and in career workshops
- Serve as a job market resource to the team
For more information, contact Dr. Nadia Chamberlin: nadia.chamberlin@duke.edu
Sanford Mentoring Program
Sanford MPP, MIDP, and PPS alumni can apply to be a mentor at the start of the each Fall semester. If you are interested in potentially becoming a mentor to one of our current Sanford master-level students, please take time to complete this 5-minute survey. You can find program participation information below.
Program participation:
- Attend the program’s virtual orientation
- Communicate with your mentee at least three times during the program cycle. Meetings can take place in person or via phone/Zoom
- Receive periodic communications from the Mentoring Leadership Team to check in, exchange resources, and share updates
Additional information can be found on the Sanford Mentoring Program site. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at sanford-mentoring@duke.edu.
Sanford Student Organizations
There are many active student groups that allow Sanford students the opportunity to get involved in the community of Sanford.
If you are interested in learning more about a specific group and possible volunteer opportunities associated with these groups, contact Maggie Stroud: maggie.stroud@duke.edu
Sanford Board Leadership Initiative
SBLI places Duke Masters of Public Policy students as non-voting members on local (triangle area) nonprofit leadership boards for one calendar year (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill). Sanford alumni who work for a local non-profit organization, or who serve on a local non-profit board may apply for their organization to participate in SBLI.
Expectations of organizations:
- Integrate the student into the board as a non-voting member (not an intern or consultant)
- Provide students with an orientation to the board and any relevant documents (board handbook, annual report, etc.)
- Place a student on a year-long project where they can create a deliverable based upon their policy skillset
- Match students with a board mentor
- Commitment of working with the student for 10-12 hours a month during an entire program cycle (January-December)
For more information, please contact Mackenzie Phillips, Student Wellness & Engagement Coordinator
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A seat at the table
"Before participating in the Sanford Board Leadership Initiative, I never had any experience with non-profits. Being able to sit on the board allows me to see how decisions are made, how a board works, and how an organization plans for future. Also, I am learning new skills such as grant writing. It's great to work with a local non-profit and give back to the Durham community in a small way.
- Madeleine Fox MPP'25 serves on the board of SwingPals which teaches mindfulness and emotional regulation to Durham kids through golf.
MPP ADMISSIONS
Engagement with MPP alumni makes a huge impression on prospective MPP applicants. The impact of speaking to alumni and learning about their professional and lived experiences allows prospective MPP students to better envision their time at Sanford and their own professional trajectory in public policy. Admissions is also grateful for alumni expertise in the form of referrals and application review.
Opportunities to volunteer your time with MPP Admissions:
- Refer prospective students/applicants to the MPP Admissions office.
- Speak directly with prospective students/applicants about your own experiences.
- Serve as a panelist or alumni ambassador at an MPP Admissions event.
- Join MPP Admissions as an alumni ambassador at a recruitment fair.
- Serve on the MPP Admissions application review committee.
- Serve as our point of contact for a site visit/recruitment event with your current employer, as a professional development opportunity for employees considering an MPP degree.
Please feel free to contact Melissa McGinnis, Director of MPP Admissions, to express interest.
MIDP Applications Reader
As an MIDP Applications reader, you will work closely with MIDP staff to review and provide feedback on MIDP applications. An interview is required before being selected to serve as a reader with the MIDP staff. Please contact Olivia Anderson (olivia.anderson@duke.edu), MIDP Director of Admissions, to express interest.
MIDP Admissions Event Ambassador
As an MIDP Admissions Event Ambassador, you will represent the MIDP program during a recruitment event or college fair. In working with the MIDP staff liaison, you will be provided with content and information to share with prospective students. You will be responsible for answering prospective students’ questions and sharing your experience as a positive role model for the program and school.
Duke reader project
This project offers alumni an opportunity to help and support current Duke students with their writing assignments in Public Policy courses. Alumni get the opportunity to work with one student and give authentic feedback on their class writing project as professionals with relevant experience. This feedback helps students learn to anticipate the needs and expectations of readers, and to revise their writing to make it more effective for the intended audience. For more information please visit the Duke Reader Project website.
We would be grateful for the opportunity to provide research to support your important work and hope that you will submit questions/topics for students to investigate this term.
For more information about volunteer opportunities, please reach out:
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Maggie Stroud
Associate Director, Alumni Relations
Maggie joined the Sanford School in May 2023 and works on the Sanford Development and Alumni Relations Team. She serves as the primary point of contact to the Sanford alumni population, playing a critical role in developing the alumni relations strategy and is primarily responsible for programming implementation and day to day operations of the Alumni Program at Duke Sanford. Her role centers around building and maintaining collaborative relationships with alumni, faculty and administrators, graduate, professional, and undergraduate students, school-wide development and alumni relations staff, volunteers, and donors.
Maggie holds a B.S. in Interior Design from Meredith College. She has held roles at iS design, pa, Meredith College, and Leadership North Carolina – roles that focused on project management, program development, alumni relations, and community facilitation. In her personal time, she serves as a Board Member of the Wake County Community Foundation, is a longtime volunteer leader with Edenton Street United Methodist Church and enjoys spending time with her family at their beloved Atlantic Beach. When she is not soaking up the sun, you can find her with a book in hand, perfecting making homemade ice cream, and walking the greenways with her pup Polly in their hometown of Raleigh.
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Tap into the Network
As a Sanford alum, you can participate in Ask A Blue Devil, a simple and smart tool to help you pay it forward – or get the help you need! With a community of more than 185,000 alumni, Ask A Blue Devil will connect you with the best Duke alumni experts who can help you with advice and introductions.