Sanford School Establishes the Joel L. Fleishman Deanship

Fleishman, who passed away in 2024, was the founding architect of public policy at Duke. After joining the university in the early 1970s, he created the interdisciplinary model that helped define the modern public policy curriculum nationwide. He later led the Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs, the Sanford School’s precursor, and went on to build several of the school’s most influential centers, including the Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Center for Ethics, Public Policy, and the Professions and the Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society. A gifted teacher, institution builder, and national leader in the study of philanthropy, Joel shaped generations of students and helped position Sanford as one of the country’s premier schools of public policy.

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The new endowed deanship reflects Joel’s extraordinary impact on Duke and the field. The effort began several years ago with a campaign to establish the Joel L. Fleishman Professorship of Public Policy, launched under former Dean Judith Kelley. With the successful completion of fundraising in 2025, the professorship now transitions to an endowed deanship bearing Joel’s name.

Sanford’s next dean—expected to be announced later this academic year—will serve as the inaugural Joel L. Fleishman Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, ensuring that Joel’s vision, values, and commitment to public purpose remain central to the school’s leadership and mission.

“Joel built the foundation on which Sanford stands today. Naming the deanship in his honor is a fitting tribute to his extraordinary legacy,” said Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan. “We are grateful to all who helped make this possible.”

The Fleishman Deanship will strengthen Sanford’s ability to attract and support exceptional leadership for decades to come, continuing the work Joel began more than fifty years ago to advance ethical, evidence-based public policy in service to society.