United in Spirit
Our spirit is in the roar of crowds, in breakthrough moments in the lab, and in standing side by side with the local community.
A video of montage of Duke Spirit. Students at events on campus cheering. A researcher giving a high-five to a toddler. Graduates singing the alma mater at commencement.
What Spirit Means to Us
At Duke, passion fuels discovery and service; spirit shows up in what we wear; progress happens through teamwork; belief strengthens resilience.
Our Passions
At Duke, students channel their energy into research, innovation and service: They launch their own nonprofits; they build rockets that push the boundaries of engineering.
Community Mentorship
Student-Athletes Rise to the Challenge
Three student-athletes turn passion into purpose, channeling their athletic know-how into a mission to empower high schoolers.
student opportunity
For This Space Club, It’s Rocket Science
Duke AERO is more than just a club — it’s a launchpad for future engineers, scientists and innovators, as well as an opportunity for students from other disciplines to learn more about rocketry.
Fabric of Community
Divinity Alumni Connect with Durham
Duke Divinity alumni are deeply rooted in Durham, channeling their faith into community service, justice
work and bridging congregations.
major decisions
The Excitement Behind A Major
Undergraduates show spirit in their studies during an annual event.
partnership
King’s Singers Inspire Kids to Give It a Go
The classic British a capella group’s work with a local school during a Duke Arts event focuses on expression and confidence.
Video: A Duke Motorsports student drives a black Duke Motorsports race car quickly around an empty parking lot at dusk, wearing a white helmet.
Hands-On Learning
Engineering Students Become Car Junkies
Duke students work year-round to design, build and test an open-wheel formula-style race car.
Entrepreneurial spirit
What Sparks New Ventures?
A Fuqua professor talks about how we shape each other’s enterprises.
sustainable landscape
A First-Hand Look into Energy Transition
Powering up AI. Improving grid resilience. Pursuing financial strategies for a sustainable landscape. These were just a few of the topics on the table at the annual Energy Week at Duke.
Spirit Is Stitched to Our Attire
At Duke, uniforms are more than sports jerseys — they’re symbols of identity across campus.
Belonging
The Threads that Tie Us Together
At Duke, where work ranges from hospital care, research, dining and more, uniforms inspire pride, trust and a sense of unity.
Next Steps
Med Students Hope Their School Swipes Right
Match Day is a spirited milestone when medical students learn where they will train as residents. This transition is filled with anticipation, celebration and sometimes tears, as envelopes reveal their futures.
Air Force Heritage
ROTC Spirit
Duke’s Air Force ROTC program prepares students to become leaders by blending academic study with hands-on military training.
patient connections
The Flashy Suits of the ALS Champion
Dr. Richard Bedlack is known for wearing outrageous outfits to lift patients’ spirits at the Duke ALS Clinic.
Leadership Lessons
Different Uniforms,
Same Tenacity
After 35 years in the Army Reserve, Derrick Glymph retired from the military, carrying forward lessons in resilience, adaptability and leadership to inspire the next generation
of health care professionals.
It Takes a Team
Duke’s faculty and students work across traditional boundaries to tackle complex societal challenges, blending expertise from diverse fields such as medicine, engineering, public policy and the humanities.
Nature-Inspired Solutions
Students Tackle Plastic Pollution
A project combines expertise from across campus to understand microplastics’ effects on our health and to develop nature-inspired solutions.
Sports and Sustainability
Showing Spirit for Sports and Sustainability
An initiative is aimed at advancing sustainability and climate action across campus and beyond.
history lessons
Tracing the Past to Shape the Future
Why are trunks of dead trees rising silver and bare from dark waters? A road trip through the Albermarle-Pamlico Peninsula allowed student teams from across campus to connect not just with its changing environment, but also with its spirited people, their history and their stories.
How We Prevail
Perseverance
We Never, Ever, Ever Give Up
Duke Law’s Wrongful Convictions Clinic works tirelessly to free innocent people imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit.
Emergency Medicine
As the Drone Flies, It Can Save Lives
Duke Health researchers – working with community partners – have launched the first U.S. study where drones deliver automated external defibrillators during real 911 calls.
A Lifesaving Startup
A Breathing Therapy for the Sickest of Patients
What happens when a patient’s heart or lungs are failing? A group of researchers developed a catheter that can oxygenate safely within the bloodstream.
Belief
Belief fuels resilience in the face of challenges. It encourages us to take risks, explore new ideas, and learn from mistakes.
Faith
From Court to Chapel: Coach K Reflects on Values That Last
Former Duke basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski, known as Coach K, reflected on how his Catholic upbringing shaped his values, emphasizing that faith means “you are never alone.”
Powerful Storytelling
Indigenous Superheroes Get a Voice
An exhibit highlighted comic books that told the stories of Indigenous superheroes and everyday American Indians rooted in their own cultural identities.
Transcending Differences
Amid Conflict, Finding
the Humanity in Medicine
Dr. David Hasan, a Palestinian neurosurgeon, traveled to Gaza with a team of physicians to provide lifesaving care, while Dr. Seth Cohen, a Jewish otolaryngologist, went to Israel to support health care teams and witness the aftermath of violence.
The Wellness APP
How Duke Helps Students with Wellness from Day One
Duke is helping first-year students integrate strong health practices to help them get through times of stress: care kits, wellness programs and now the one-stop shop Schmoody wellness app.
Connecting Past and Present
Tight cohorts create bonds that last a lifetime.
Blue Chair Conversations
How Teams Work in Surgery and on the Court
Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jon Scheyer and Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Joseph Turek discuss what makes a team great and how their friendship influenced their journeys.
Formative Experience
How Service Becomes a Calling
Sanford Alumna Senator Angela Alsobrooks talks about how she found joy, friendship and community at Duke.
Choosing Optimism
A Partnership to Save Lives
The work of the late Paul Farmer, a Duke alumnus, shows us the possibilities when caring for the health of the world’s poorest citizens.
Alumni Memories
A 50-Year Friendship
Duke relationships last for decades — just ask a group of alumni from the class of 1975 who show their spirit by maintaining their ties.
*Many thanks to Jordan Wood ’27 for initiating the “United in Spirit” theme. Jordan plays on Duke’s Women’s Basketball team and was a 2025 intern in the Office of Marketing, Communications, and Public Affairs.