2025 Reflections and Optimism

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Thanksgiving is behind us, and we are looking ahead to a season of festive gatherings, “Best Of” lists, and delicious holiday treats.  It’s also a time for reflection.  2025 has been full of trials.  Shifts in federal research funding and evolving policies around international education created real uncertainty for students, scholars, and the institutions that support them. Many of us felt that up close. 

But 2025 also gave us a chance to respond to these challenges, and in that response, I see resilience and commitment to our core values from our faculty, staff, and alumni.

I also see the amazing things that we have accomplished together at Sanford over the past 12 months.  We successfully launched the Master of Public Affairs program; welcomed three amazing new faculty members whose scholarship and teaching strengthen our community; and explored how to bring our programs and expertise to even more people and policymakers.  We celebrated remarkable faculty awards and collaborated in new, productive ways with our colleagues across Duke in areas such as tech policy and civil discourse. We are surrounded by brilliant and engaging students at all points in their academic journey including:

• 333 undergraduate public policy majors
• 327 master’s students
• 50 PhD students

Sanford, through the generous support from our alumni and friends, hosted distinguished speakers on timely topics such as public service, artificial intelligence, national security, and building community.  Our remarkable centers continue to attract inspirational practitioners and lecturers, expanding and deepening our scholarship on current public policy topics. We’ve held insightful conversations at events in Duke in DC as well as with many alumni and friends around the world.

Looking ahead, I am optimistic about 2026 and that the coming years hold new ways of accomplishing our goals and realizing “Outrageous Ambitions.”  I am excited for new global programs, more interesting internships and client projects, and cutting-edge research that crosses disciplines to inform better policy decisions. I expect spirited policy debates that model civil discourse, and deep engagement from our alumni who continue to generously open doors for our students and amplify our work.  There is so much good ahead for Sanford, and I can see that path ahead. 

Yes, 2025 was a time of change, and in many ways, the world looks a lot different. But the beacon that our founder, Terry Sanford provided us, guides us in moments like this:  

“We will not flinch from change. We will lead it; we will not turn away from challenge. We will welcome it.”  

Best wishes and Happy Holidays,

Manoj Mohanan, Interim Dean