The 2025 Undergraduate Young Trustee finalists discussed their ideas for Duke as it faces challenges ranging from artificial intelligence in education to potential federal funding cuts at an open forum Tuesday.
The three finalists, seniors Danica Bajaj, Jax Nalley and Gabriela Pereda, answered questions at a panel moderated by sophomore Jack Sabo, chair of the Undergraduate Young Trustee nominating committee.
Following the forum, attendees were able to provide feedback on the finalists to the office of Margaret Epps, secretary to the Board of Trustees and chief of staff to the president. The nominating committee will consult these responses to recommend one undergraduate and one professional/graduate student to President Vincent Price.
Opening remarks
“Duke is where personal moments and collective purpose meet,” Bajaj said. “… We rise to the moment: on the court, in the labs and in our communities, and we do everything boldly.”
Bajaj discussed how she met “Duke’s boldness with [her] own” by earning a $250,000 grant to start a mobile syringe service for HIV prevention in rural North Carolina. She also highlighted her work to help organize the Central Campus tent, where student groups have hosted large-scale social events this year.
Nalley noted his experience growing up in rural Arkansas, “where institutions like Duke oftentimes felt totally distant and out of reach.” Consequently, Nalley shared that the University must take proactive steps to ensure that communities like his own feel less “alienated” and “disconnected” from its mission.
Pereda expressed that being a daughter of immigrants from Venezuela “shaped how [she] view[s] and approach[es] the world.” She shared that her efforts leading Humans of Duke, a project interviewing community members, has prepared her well to serve as a Young Trustee, as she has been able to “live Duke through the lens of others.”
Q: What is a Duke tradition or experience that has shaped your connection to the University that you believe exemplifies Duke’s values?
For Bajaj, Awaaz — a dance celebration of South Asian culture and the University’s largest student-run production — stood out as unique to Duke. As a member of Duke Dhamaka, a competitive bhangra team, Bajaj helped choreograph this year’s senior performance.
Nalley discussed his role as a Chapel Scholar, where each spring, the Chapel invites members of the Durham community to worship and discuss important topics. In these meetings, he said engaging in conversations with local residents about issues like gun violence is a very special experience in bridging the two communities.
Pereda reflected on former Dean of Students John Blackshear, who opened his apartment every Sunday to students for donuts and coffee as a Trinity faculty-in-residence.
“It showed me that Duke is truly a place that treats everybody like its family,” she said. “It's the reason why I came to Duke. It's the reason why I stayed at Duke.”
Q: If AI can analyze literature, create art and write code, some may argue that a liberal arts education is becoming obsolete. What steps should universities take to redefine the value of a liberal arts education in an AI-driven world?
Bajaj stated that artificial intelligence “may be protecting the liberal arts education” through projects such as a collaboration between Duke Health and Abridge to “bring back the joy of being a doctor.” Yet, she noted that ethics must be prioritized when incorporating AI into the Duke's curriculum, particularly in computer science and engineering.
Nalley felt the University must prepare students to “challenge the consensus that AI is going to build, because universities are, at their core, supposed to be change makers.” He noted that what distinguishes a liberal education is that it provides “the ability to argue truth and values, because those are the things that AI is not necessarily designed to do.”
Pereda responded that artificial intelligence can play a significant role in a student's education and that the University should consider ways to ethically incorporate it into its curriculum, noting that “it’s not AI that’s going to replace our jobs; it’s people [who] know how to use AI better than us.”
Q: With the current shifts in government funding, Duke is considering how to further its missions in research, in education and in clinical care. In what ways can Duke maintain its excellence in its missions in this environment of uncertainty?
Bajaj expressed that the “Made for This” campaign has come at a “perfect time” to continue to drive funding. She also acknowledged student concerns about the recent increase in tuition, saying “it's really important that we're communicating why tuition is going up.”
Nalley believes that “it is very likely that funding cuts are going to have to happen,” given the amount of research funding the University receives from the federal government. However, he expressed that cuts should not target financial aid, “so that we're not perpetuating narratives of who belongs here and who doesn't.”
Pereda pointed out that recently proposed cuts to federal funding have been blocked by federal judges. Still, she stated that the University should “get really creative” about managing its finances to ensure it does not “stall all advancements we've made in different fields of medicine” as a result of the funding cuts.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Q: Imagine you are in a Board of Trustees meeting where a decision is being made that you disagree with. How would you navigate that conversation?
Nalley cited his experience serving in administrative roles, such as the Board of Trustees’ Undergraduate Education Committee, where he has disagreed with others but sought to approach conversations in a way that “build[s] consensus” and centers respect and collaboration.
Pereda stressed the value of disagreement as enabling people to consider different perspectives.
“You'd rather be in a room with people that you disagree with than people you agree with because it forces you to rethink what your position is, what your beliefs are, and it forces you to think if you might want to change your mind,” she said.
Bajaj shared that through her experience serving on the Duke Student Conduct Board, she learned to put aside her personal biases to decide “what’s best for the whole community,” a skill she believes is important for a Young Trustee. She hopes to build on her existing relationships with members of the Board of Trustees, which she developed while working as a Duke Presidential Ambassador.
“It’s really not us against each other,” Bajaj said. “It’s us on the same team, and that’s team Duke.”
Dylan Halper is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.