Undergraduate Young Trustee finalist Danica Bajaj hopes to give back to the Duke community by promoting institutional equity and accessibility, driven by her passion to build connections with people from diverse backgrounds.
Bajaj, who hails from Princeton, New Jersey, is a senior majoring in computer science with a minor in philosophy and a Robertson Scholar. Informed by her identity as a second-generation immigrant, Bajaj has been motivated to “[step foot] into many … different pools of Duke” throughout the past four years.
Her commitment to bridge diverse communities is further reflected in her extensive involvement on campus, including roles on the Student Conduct Board, as a Duke Presidential Ambassador, as an orientation leader for both Project Herd and Duke Kunshan University Orientation and as a part of the leadership team for Duke Dhamaka, the University’s premier Bhangra dance group. In particular, she is invested in reforming Duke’s social scene to be more accessible to those across different backgrounds.
“[As a second-generation immigrant], I didn't see many more people like me in the scene that I was in, and I wondered if bringing social life back to campus could make a change to that,” Bajaj said.
This observation culminated in a collaborative effort between Bajaj and Student Affairs to revitalize social life on Central Campus. In particular, Bajaj helped organize the Central Campus tent, where student groups can host large-scale social events without concerns over safety and access to health and safety resources. The initiative came amid uncertainties regarding the future development plans of Central Campus, which has been abandoned by the University since 2019.
In a summer project funded by the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, Bajaj explored the psychological and social aspects of wellness across workplaces. To engage fellow undergraduates on the science and practice of gratitude, she founded and currently teaches the house course The Gratitude Equation: Adding Joy to Life at Duke. The course encourages students to cultivate gratitude in their everyday lives.
To Bajaj, gratitude means “seeing the abundance that we have in our lives is more than enough.”
Bajaj is also a strong advocate for the University's goals of climate action and sustainability through the Climate Commitment. She aims to support the Duke Hospital system in taking steps to achieve carbon neutrality while making health resources and services more inclusive and accessible.
Senior Sophia Lehrman, who has been a teaching assistant for Bajaj’s house course over the past three semesters, noted her strong sense of taking initiative.
Shruti Desai, associate vice president of student affairs for student engagement, worked alongside Bajaj on bringing social life back to Central Campus. She described Bajaj as “a strong ambassador between students and administrators,” highlighting her ability to build trust and relationships across differences.
“Danica thinks about all students, not just the student groups or communities she is in,” Desai wrote in an email to The Chronicle. “Her ability to put the term ‘belonging’ into action is remarkable.”
Andrew Lakis, executive director of the Robertson Scholars program, echoed Desai’s sentiments, sharing that Bajaj engages all community members with “open arms and a big heart.” He believes that Bajaj is “naturally gifted” at bringing people together and making sure others feel included as part of the community.
For Bajaj, serving on the Board of Trustees would offer her the opportunity to “return the favor to Duke in any way that [she] can.” She envisions Duke as “a place that people feel so proud to attend that long after they leave, they still want to be involved.”
“The amazing thing is that anyone involved with Duke has an incredible personality, and they'll be willing to work with you,” Bajaj said. “Go in and be bold and trust yourself, and you'll be amazed by the results you can achieve.”
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Lucas Lin is a Trinity sophomore and a university news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.