Kaitlyn Williams selected to be 2025-26 DUU president, Jaden Rodriguez as EVP

<p>Kaitlyn Williams (left) will serve as DUU president and Jaden Rodriguez (right) as executive vice president in the 2025-26 academic year.</p>

Kaitlyn Williams (left) will serve as DUU president and Jaden Rodriguez (right) as executive vice president in the 2025-26 academic year.

Junior Kaitlyn Williams was elected Tuesday to be Duke University Union president and junior Jaden Rodriguez to be DUU executive vice president. The two will assume their roles beginning April 23, the last day of classes for the spring semester.

DUU is the largest programming and media organization at the University. Its 17 committees collectively organize over 150 campus-wide events each year, including the Last Day of Classes (LDOC) concert and programming. Committees include Duke Student Broadcasting, Small Town Records and the Coffeehouse.

Each year, the president and EVP are selected via an internal application process. This cycle, all applications were reviewed by current President Mahika Jammula and EVP Michelle Igbinadolor, both seniors. In the final round of the selection process, all four applicants gave presentations on their platform to the DUU Executive Board, who then hosted an open forum discussion and cast votes for the candidates.

Williams currently serves as the vice president of recurring events, overseeing five committees: Duke@Nite, Freewater Presentations, Coffeehouse, Jazz@ and VisArts. During her sophomore year, she served as the co-chair of Duke@Nite and the year prior worked as a first-year intern on the committee.

The president-elect’s vision for the organization includes increasing environmental sustainability efforts and strengthening the University’s relationship with Durham.

“I’m beyond excited for Kaitlyn to bring her vision of DUU to life, the same one that she has been working for long before I met her,” said DUU Duke@Nite Chair Catherine Kong. “… I’m confident that under her leadership, DUU will reach new corners of campus, push countless limits and continue towards its fullest potential.”

Similarly to Igbinadolor’s path to EVP, Rodriguez will assume his position after completing his current term as vice president of media, where he oversees Duke Student Broadcasting, Freewater Productions, Small Town Records and WXDU. Throughout his time in DUU, he also served as the chair of Freewater Presentations and as a first-year intern for Duke Student Broadcasting.

Rodriguez’s platform highlights improving transparency throughout the organization’s internal operations and “transforming the way DUU approaches storage space.”

“Jaden’s enthusiasm for DUU is contagious to everyone he works with, and I have no doubt that he will thrive as executive vice president,” said DUU Duke Student Broadcasting Chair Anna Rebello, a senior. “His devoted, people-first leadership style has made my experience in DUU all the better, and it will positively impact the entire executive board — and the broader Duke community — in the coming year.”

Editor’s note: Anna Rebello is a Recess managing editor for The Chronicle's 120th volume.


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Abby Spiller | Editor-in-Chief

Abby Spiller is a Trinity junior and editor-in-chief of The Chronicle's 120th volume.

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