Seniors Drew Flanagan, Sydney Hunt and Effie Mehbod are this year's selected undergraduate finalists.
Young Trustees are current students selected to be on the Board of Trustees for two or three years that must “demonstrate an ability to think broadly about the university.” There were 19 total undergraduate applicants this year, according to Margaret Epps, secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the Duke president.
The open meeting for undergraduates to meet their respective Young Trustee finalists is scheduled for March 21 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m in the Holsti-Anderson Family Assembly Room in Rubenstein Library. Ahead of the meeting, The Chronicle interviewed each of the finalists about their background and what they hope to bring to the role.
Drew Flanagan
Flanagan, a senior, hopes to elevate diverse perspectives in the Duke community, drawing on his work at the student level to inform strategic decisions.
Sydney Hunt
Hunt, a senior, hopes to increase accessibility to resources within Duke, address the impacts of technological evolution on the University and ultimately give back to the school that has provided so much for her.
Effie Mehbod
Mehbod, a senior, believes her love for Duke, her realistic mindset and her campus involvement make her a good fit to serve as a Young Trustee.
Young Trustee selection process
The nominating committee for the Young Trustee is selected by the secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the Duke president, currently Margaret Epps. This practice started in 2021.
In prior Young Trustee election cycles, the YTNC membership was chosen by the University secretary and the DSG president. Any undergraduate student other than the DSG president was able to apply to be on the YTNC.
Both the Undergraduate and Graduate/Professional Young Trustee selection process underwent very similar revisions in 2021 in order to “increase awareness and understanding of the Young Trustee position, enhance transparency to ensure fairness and inclusion, and align with best practices in board governance for private universities,” Epps told The Chronicle in 2021.
The Chronicle previously broke down these changes and the details of the new selection process.
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