Concerned alumni for the arts

Dear President Price and Provost Kornbluth,

We, Duke Alumni, are writing to share our concerns about the alarming state of the arts and the entire arts ecosystem at our alma mater, Duke University.

The big picture: In the last two years, there has been an unexplained exodus of vital staff of Duke Arts and Duke Performances, with 11 of 15 staff exiting essential roles from programming, marketing, administration, and engagement. These departures leave an immeasurable loss to the arts ecosystem across the University.

Why it matters: As alumni, we have benefited immensely from Duke Arts’ life-changing programs, including DEMAN (Duke Entertainment, Media & Arts Network), Duke Performances, and DukeCreate. We believe that these programs, executed by these former staff members, are indispensable to us and the next generation of Blue Devils. For many of us, these programs provide unique opportunities for us to engage with the University in meaningful ways.

We are concerned that you have made no communication about this multitude of staff departures, no announcement of their successors, and no indication of whether the programs will continue. We have lost our enduring touch-points with the University.

Next steps: We are asking you, President Price, and Provost Kornbluth, to conduct an urgent, independent review of Duke Arts and Duke Performances, including talking with past staff so their institutional knowledge can be carried forward. As alumni, we appreciate your conducting of this review and look forward to receiving the report findings this fall. Your next steps will help ensure our investment in our alma mater.

Signed,

Concerned Alumni for the Arts

Grace Oathout
Duke B.A. 16
Co Producer
Los Angeles, CA

Abhi Shah
Trinity ‘16
Director of Live Services, 2K
Seattle, WA

Ryan White
2004
Filmmaker
Los Angeles, CA 

Dave Karger
A.B. ‘95
TCM host
Los Angeles, CA 

Katie Jane Fernelius
B.A., '16
New Orleans, LA

Ashley Alman
B.A. '13
Marketing, Netflix
Los Angeles, CA 

Guilbert Francois
B.S. ‘17
New York, NY

Jaylyn B.A.rbee
B.S. ‘21
Software Engineer
Seattle, WA

Jair Froome
B.A. ’19
Portfolio & Risk Analyst
New York, NY

Madeleine Pron
B.A. ‘16
Screenwriter
Los Angeles, CA

Bryce Cracknell
Trinity '18
Los Angeles, CA

Daniel Kim
B.A. ‘21
Los Angeles, CA

Ava Changnon
B.A. ‘22
New York, NY

Maddie Stambler
Trinity '17
MFA|EDA '23
Director/Producer
Durham, NC

Jade Richard-Craven
B.A. '15
TV & Film Writer/Development Executive
Los Angeles, CA

Ilana Wolpert
B.A. 2015
Television Writer
Los Angeles

Kennedy Ware
B.A. '20
Production Coordinator, Sony Pictures
Los Angeles, CA

Bianca Umeakuana
Pubpol, Theater, & VMS 20’
Project Manager @ Warner Studios
Atlanta, GA

Heather Robinson
B.A. ‘22
Los Angeles, CA

Jillian Apel
B.A. '18
Los Angeles, CA

Keely MacDonald
MB.A. ‘12
TV writer
Los Angeles, CA

Naomi Lilly
B.A. ‘20
CEO Brij App
Brooklyn, NYC 

Glynn Chatmon
B.S. ‘16
Medical Student
Nashville, TN

Justin Sapp
B.S. ‘18
Durham, NC

Tatum Riley
B.A. ‘22
Consultant
Phoenix, AZ

Tobi Akinyelu
B.S. ‘21
Charlotte, NC

Dori Alvarez
B.S. 2003
Miami, Fl

Gabrielle Sawyer
Public Policy ‘16
Hyattsville, MD

Quinten Sansosti
B.A. ‘20
Director/Writer
Los Angeles, CA

Madeleine Lambert
B.A. ‘04
Chicago, IL

Emma D. Miller
B.A. ‘12
Owner/Filmmaker, Marcona Media
Los Angeles, CA

Christie Mitchell
B.A. '10
Executive Director
San Diego, CA 

Drew Crevello
B.A. Public Policy Studies '96
Showrunner
Los Angeles, CA

Amy Unell
T '03
Emmy-nominated Producer/Director
Durham, NC 

Sequoia Maner
B.A. ‘08
Assistant Professor of English, Spelman College
Atlanta, GA

Summer Dunsmore NawA.B.i
MFA ‘18
Storyteller/Educator
Los Angeles, CA

Sannan Saleh
B.A. ‘22
Digital Coordinator
Los Angeles, CA

Danielle Smith
MFA | EDA ‘19
Sparks, NV

Rachel Michelle Charlesworth
B.A. ‘92
Anchor/Reporter WA.B.C-TV New York
Maplewood, NJ

Claire O'Dea
PhD Ecology ‘10
Arlington, VA 

Emily Sloss
B.A. '10
Hillsborough, NC 

Xiating Chen
B.S.E '17
Minneapolis, MN 

Jonathan Aisenberg
B.A. ‘17
New York, NY

Serges Himbaza
B.S. '17
Managing Partner
Dallas, TX

Jon-Sesrie Goff
MFA ‘16
Filmmaker & Philanthropist
New York, NY 

Dillon Fernando
B.S. '18
Senior Researcher
New York, NY

Chelsea Giegerich
B.A. ‘09
Writer
Black Mountain, NC 

Lauren Henschel
Trinity '15
MFA 20
Professor
Durham, NC 

Alex Garinger
B.A. '04
Producer
Los Angeles, CA

Arlene Arevalo
B.A. ‘21
Producer
Brooklyn, NY

Maria Carrasco
B.A. '18
EA
Los Angeles, CA

Kalif Jeremiah
B.A. '19
Los Angeles, CA

Lee Barnes
T ‘17
Marketing Manager
New York, New York

Wyatt Smith
B.S. ‘16
New Orleans, LA 

Usman Mahmood
Econ ‘17
New York, NY 

Emerson Lovell
B.A. ‘16
Attorney
New York, NY

Justin Elliott
B.S Econ ‘17
VP/Finance
New York, NY 

Marcus Montaño
B.A. ‘16
Tucson, AZ 

Jake Palmer
B.S.E '03
Durham, NC 

Elliott Golden
B.A. ‘18
Brooklyn, NY 

Michael Seaberg
B.S. ‘17
Music Mixing Engineer
Studio City, CA 

Dan Nolan
B.A. ‘14
MBA ‘22
New York, NY 

Ethan Udell
B.A. ‘20
Marketing Manager @ Sony Music
New York, NY

Pamela Lina
B.A. '01
J.D. '25
Senior Counsel - Warner Bros. Discovery
Atlanta, Georgia

Michael Witte
CS ‘21
Software Engineer
Raleigh, NC

Noah Karpel
B.A. ‘21
San Francisco, CA

Anthony Melita
B.S. ‘20
New York, NY

Lauren Menkes
A.B. '83
Entertainment Contracts attorney - Senior Counsel for Boyarski Fritz LLP
Bethesda, MD

Benjamin Feder
B.S. ‘19
New York, NY

Chidi Okonya
B.A. ‘19
Consultant
Charlotte, NC

Sam Elliott
B.A. ‘20
Law Student
Iowa City, Iowa

Nick Berray
Program 2 ‘20
Los Angeles, CA 

Nell Jones
B.S. '20
Senior Producer
New York, NY 

Karen King
B.A. '03
Founder & CEO
Stamford, CT 

Zach Litzinger
B.S. ‘21
New York, NY

Alex Elliott
A.B. ‘16
Film executive
Los Angeles, CA

Judner Attys
B.A. '16
Norfolk, VA 

Simon Shore
B.A. ‘20
New York, NY

Annika Pergament
B.A. ‘91
Television news anchor
Westport, CT

Christine Delp
B.A. ‘15
Director/Producer
Minneapolis, MN

Ilhan Gokhan
B.S.E '17
New Haven, CT 

Bradley Howard
B.S.E. ‘21
Engineer
San Jose, CA 

Julie Williams
B.A. ‘19
Singer-Songwriter
Nashville, TN

Ethan Miller
B.A. 2019
Attorney
San Francisco, CA

Hania Poole
B.A., 1996
SVP, Digital, Turner Sports
Atlanta, GA

Brandi Fowler
B.A. ‘04
Durham, NC

Robbyn Footlick
B.A. ‘85
Content Strategy Consultant
Westport, CT 

Winston Lindqwister
B.S.E ‘20
MS ‘22
Durham, NC 

Kristel Black
B.A. ‘19
Medical Student
Chapel Hill. NC 

Delaney King
B.A. '17
Cambridge, MA 

Symphony Webber
VMS '19
Cert. Cinematic Arts (Arts of the Moving Image)
Reporter/Photographer
Charlotte, NC 

Reed Margolis
B.A. CulAnth ‘21
ESL Teacher
Raleigh, NC

Robert Yeoman
B.A. '73
Santa Monica 

Robb Chavis
A.B. '98
Los Angeles, CA 

Jenny Changnon
B.A. '18
Los Angeles, CA 

Keith Ewell
B.A.
Los Angeles, CA 

Rachel Whitney
B.S.E ‘14
Actor/Writer/Producer
Los Angeles, CA 

Kay Niuyue Zhang
B.A. 17
Director, Producer
Los Angeles, CA

Brandon Choi
B.S. ‘17
New York, NY

J. Bailey Parks
B.A. '13
Writer/Actress
Los Angeles, CA 

Uzoma Ayogu
Pratt '17
Lagos, Lagos State

Laura Valk
B.A. ‘13
Producer
Nashville, TN

Katherine Devine
B.A. '01
J.D. '10, A.M. '10, PhD '17
Attorney (Art Law)
Asheville, NC

Regina Lee
A.B. ‘99
Los Angeles, CA 

Elizabeth Janssen
B.A. ‘07
Seattle, WA

Jenny Lynn
A.B., ‘96
Writer/Producer
Los Angeles, CA