Young Trustee Application
The Young Trustee Nominating Committees are now accepting applications. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
Undergraduate Young Trustee Application
The student nominated for the undergraduate student position will serve a two-year term on the board, beginning July 1, 2026—one year as an observer and one year as a voting member. Juniors and seniors in the undergraduate student body are eligible for the Young Trustee position. Eligible seniors include those designated as December graduates of the senior class.
Graduate/Professional Young Trustee Application
The student nominated for the graduate/professional student position will serve a two-year term on the board, beginning July 1, 2026—one year as an observer and one year as a voting member. Current graduate and professional students, as well as students who have graduated in the spring or summer terms of 2025, are eligible. In addition, international students as well as students who will live outside the U.S. upon graduation are eligible.
Young Trustee Information Session
If you were unable to attend the Information Session on December 4, view a recording of the session here.
What is a Young Trustee?
- A Young Trustee is a fiduciary of the university, charged with ensuring the long-term health of Duke University. A Young Trustee is not an advocate or representative for any group. All members of the Board of Trustees understand that when issues come before the board, it's their job to consider what is best for the whole university, not a particular constituency.
- Young Trustees, like other trustees, must demonstrate an ability to think broadly about the university, understand the role of the university in society, be curious about institutional issues facing Duke, and respect how universities are administered and governed.
- Young Trustees are independent and collegial and are visible representatives of Duke University. They should embody the values that define Duke—respect, trust, inclusion, discovery and excellence.
- Young Trustees are not “Student Trustees.” The Young Trustee position was created to ensure that the board included individuals who are closer to the experience of today’s Duke—not to have students on the board to advocate for student issues.
- Every year, one individual from the undergraduate student body and one individual from the graduate and professional student body are elected as Young Trustees. They each serve their first year as an observer, which means they attend meetings but do not have a vote. The Office of the Secretary does cover the cost of travel and hotel accommodations for Young Trustees to attend the four full board meetings each year.
What is the process for selection?
Nominating Committee
The secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president will lead a process to select members of the nominating committee. This committee will oversee the nomination process for undergraduate students. The nominating committee for undergraduate students will consist of the following:
- One Current Young Trustee
- Two Undergraduate Students Serving on a Standing Committee or Participating in the Strategic Engagement Program with the Board of Trustees
- Duke Student Government (DSG) President or their Designee
- Up to Six At-Large Student Body Positions
- Up to Five Duke Student Group Representatives*
- Director of Board Operations in the Office of the Secretary (committee secretary, non-voting)
*The Office of the Secretary will solicit nominations from the student groups. Each student group may nominate one student each.
The committee will elect one member as chair by consensus or, if necessary, ranked choice vote.
2025-2026 Nominating Committee Roster
- Ismael Alvarez
- Damilola Awofisayo
- Daya Brown
- Trevor Darr
- Luz Fontana-Mansilla
- Drew Greene
- Riya Jain
- Cecily Lipton
- Ian McPherson
- Varun Mukund
- Sivan Nemirof
- Tara Singh
- Lucas Wagner
- Abbey Varju, Director of Board Operations, Office of the Secretary (Committee
Secretary, non-voting)
Application Process
Once the nominating committee is seated and the application created by the committee, the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president will send an email to undergraduate juniors and seniors. The message will remind students about the Young Trustee position, the selection process, inform them of the members of the nominating committee, and invite interested students to submit applications to serve as a Young Trustee. (For academic year 2025-2026, juniors and seniors in the undergraduate student body are eligible for the Young Trustee position. Eligible seniors include those designated as December graduates of the senior class. Immediate family members of current trustees are not eligible.)
An information session will be held in early December for all interested students to attend, hosted by the Office of the Secretary, where students can learn about the Young Trustee position, hear from current Young Trustees, and ask questions.
Selection of Nominees
Application Review: Early in the spring semester, the nominating committee will convene to review the Young Trustee applications and select semi-finalists. (Prior to this, all nominating committee members will have completed bias and conflict of interest training. Additionally, nominating committee members are to recuse themselves when considering candidates where a conflict of interest is present.)
Semi-Finalist Interviews: Candidates selected as semi-finalists will be invited to participate in an interview with members of the nominating committee. Additionally, the Office of the Secretary will have academic and conduct records reviewed to ensure semi-finalists are in good standing. Following semi-finalist interviews, two to three finalists will be selected by the committee. The young trustee nominating committee will then share their finalist recommendations and a brief report on the finalists with the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president.
Finalist Interviews: Once the finalists have been selected, an interview committee consisting of the Board of Trustees Governance Committee chair (or her/his designate that is a member of the Governance Committee), some or all of the current Young Trustees, and the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president will conduct final interviews with all finalists and nominate one individual to the president.
The report on the finalists and recommendation from the interview committee will be forwarded to the president.
Election of Young Trustee
The president will consider the report and the recommendation and will put forward one individual for election by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has the final authority to elect the Young Trustee.
Nominating Committee
The secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president will lead a process to select members of the nominating committee. This committee will oversee the nomination process for graduate and professional students. The nominating committee for graduate/professional students will consist of the following:
- One Current Young Trustee
- Two Graduate/Professional Students Serving on a Standing Committee or Participating in the Strategic Engagement Program with the Board of Trustees
- Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) President or their Designee
- Up to Six At-Large Student Body Positions (all to be from different schools)
- Up to Five Duke Student Group Representatives*
- Director of Board Operations in the Office of the Secretary (committee secretary, non-voting)
*The Office of the Secretary will solicit nominations from the student groups. Each student group may nominate one student each.
Once the above committee members have been seated, the Office of the Secretary will assess the committee to determine if all schools are represented. If any school is not represented, the Office of the Secretary will extend an invitation to that school’s dean to nominate three students. From that pool, one student from each unrepresented school will to be invited to serve.
The committee will elect one member as chair by consensus or, if necessary, ranked choice vote.
2025-2026 Nominating Committee Roster
- Raj Bajgain
- Sheilla Faith Bosire
- Anvita Kulshrestha
- Chaim Moore
- Siobhan O'Muircheartaigh
- Di Qin
- Courtney Rau
- Rich Stureborg
- Catherine Suttah
- Kartik Tyagi
- Terry Uranbold
- Adam Witt
- Abbey Varju, Director of Board Operations, Office of the Secretary (Committee
Secretary, non-voting)
Application Process
Once the nominating committee is seated and the application created by the committee, the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president will send an email to all graduate and professional students. The message will remind students about the Young Trustee position, the selection process, inform them of the members of the nominating committee, and invite interested students to submit applications to serve as a Young Trustee. (For academic year 2025-2026, current graduate and professional students, as well as students who have graduated in the spring or summer terms of 2025, are eligible. In addition, international students as well as students who will live outside of the U.S. upon graduation are eligible. Immediate family members of current trustees are not eligible.)
An information session will be held in early December for all interested students to attend, hosted by the Office of the Secretary, where students can learn about the Young Trustee position, hear from current Young Trustees, and ask questions.
Selection of Nominees
Application Review: Early in the spring semester, the nominating committee will convene to review the Young Trustee applications and select semi-finalists. (Prior to this, all nominating committee members will have completed bias and conflict of interest training. Additionally, nominating committee members are to recuse themselves when considering candidates where a conflict of interest is present.)
Semi-Finalist Interviews: Candidates selected as semi-finalists will be invited to participate in an interview with members of the nominating committee. Additionally, the Office of the Secretary will have academic and conduct records reviewed to ensure semi-finalists are in good standing. Following semi-finalist interviews, two to three finalists will be selected by the committee. The young trustee nominating committee will then share their finalist recommendations and a brief report on the finalists with the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president.
Finalist Interviews: Once the finalists have been selected, an interview committee consisting of the Board of Trustees Governance Committee chair (or her/his designate that is a member of the Governance Committee), some or all of the current Young Trustees, and the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president will conduct final interviews with all finalists and nominate one individual to the president.
The report on the finalists and recommendation from the interview committee will be forwarded to the president.
Election of Young Trustee
The president will consider the report and the recommendation and will put forward one individual for election by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees has the final authority to elect the Young Trustee.
What is the timeline?
The recommendations for Young Trustee will be submitted to the president in April, and the Young Trustee nominations will go to the board for approval at its meeting in May.