Duke Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

Congratulations to Akhil Sharma, Duke University Adele Schiff Professor of the Practice of English, whose writing was chosen for The Best American Short Stories 2026. Sharma's story “Ritu” — originally published in The New Yorker — was selected for the honor. Alongside his award-winning short stories, Sharma is the author of two novels. He has won the PEN Hemingway, the International Dublin Literary Award and a Guggenheim.

Duke University was recognized by The Fulbright Program again for being one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.  Twenty-two Duke students, including many in Trinity, were selected for Fulbright awards for the 2025-26 academic year. They will teach English, pursue graduate study and conduct independent research projects across 15 different countries on four continents. Fulbright’s recognition underscores the quality of Duke student scholarship and the university’s commitment to building global networks. https://duke.is/v/a3q5  

After six decades of stories, English professor Victor Strandberg is closing out his chapter at Duke University. Strandberg started at Duke in 1966 and says he’s proud to have introduced a class dedicated to William Faulkner to the curriculum. “I've been here 60 years, and I've witnessed the rise of Duke from a very fine southern university to a world-class university,” he said. Hi students — current and former — say Strandberg has inspired generations of Blue Devils with his knowledge and his passion.    📝 📸 The Chronicle https://duke.is/4/zumz

Congratulations to Duke University seniors Annabel Miller and Mia X., who were among only 18 nationwide recipients of the competitive James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This is the first time two Duke students have earned the fellowship in a single year. Miller is a double major in French and public policy, and Xie double majors in economics and philosophy. They will each spend a year at the Carnegie Endowment supporting the work of senior scholars at the forefront of domestic and international policy.

Congratulations to Duke University computer scientist Jian Pei, who received the 2026 PAKDD Distinguished Research Contributions Award. The award, presented by the The Pacific-Asia Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining, recognizes an individual who has made significant research contributions to the advancement of knowledge discovery and data mining areas. Pei’s research in computer science is focused on discovering meaningful patterns, assessing data quality and developing trustworthy data-driven methods. https://duke.is/j/4ba9  

It’s Reunion Weekend at Duke University, and we can’t wait to welcome our Trinity alumni home. No matter how long you’ve been away, it’s great to have you back, Blue Devils. 💙 

Duke University alumna and The New York Times bestselling novelist Annabel Monaghan (T ’91) is the first to share that her path as an author didn’t go as planned. After graduating with an English degree, Monaghan moved to New York with hopes to balance her day job in finance with nights spent writing. It wasn’t a perfect fit. “I was not a good investment banker,” she said. “I think all the people I worked with would tell you that’s true.” So, in her late 30s, Monaghan left finance and got down to writing in earnest. What came next was a series of contemporary romance hits, including “Nora Goes Off Script,” “It’s a Love Story” and “Same Time Next Summer.”   https://duke.is/r/wbwp  

A defining chapter of the Trinity experience. On April 8, Duke University sophomores officially declared their majors, marking the halfway point of their undergraduate journeys. 💙 Here’s to their next steps at Trinity!

Duke University English professor Amin Ahmad is celebrating the April 7 release of his new novel, “A Killer in the Family.” The drama, inspired in part by Ahmad’s longtime admiration for “The Great Gatsby,” is set among New York City’s Indian elite and asks: what happens when an outsider marries into a family built big secrets? “I’m lucky to be in Durham," Ahmad said of his writing community. “Not only do I get to teach at Duke, but I’m also part of a writing group, some of whom are Duke-affiliated. Having a community of smart writers has been key.” https://duke.is/b/6ade