As a first-year student at the University of Toronto, Mia Xie didn’t plan on becoming a philosophy major. She had her sights set on studying the intersection between economics and international relations, drawn to the complexities of diplomacy and how countries make decisions — but one class changed everything.“I absolutely fell in love with my intro to philosophy course,” she confesses.That moment set her on a new path, one that eventually brought her to Duke.Now weeks away from graduating with majors in Philosophy and… read more about Mia Xie '26: Curiosity Led the Way »
Eight honorees, including two Trinity College of Arts & Sciences students, received Climate Commitment Leadership Awards at the annual Duke Climate Commitment Celebration event Thursday, April 9.The awards recognize students, staff, and faculty who demonstrate leadership in climate and sustainability efforts in support of Duke’s Climate Commitment and who embody its vision. This year’s group came from across Duke, demonstrating how the Climate Commitment is being advanced through education, research, community… read more about Two Trinity Students Honored at Climate Commitment Awards »
Two Duke Seniors, Annabel Miller and Mia Xie, were selected among only 18 winners nationwide for the competitive James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This marks an institutional first: two Duke students earning the fellowship in a single year. Miller and Xie will each spend a year at the Carnegie Endowment supporting the work of senior scholars at the forefront of domestic and international policy.“We are so proud of Annabel Miller and Mia Xie for earning the James C.… read more about Two Trinity Seniors Win Gaither Junior Fellowship at Carnegie Endowment »
Throughout a series of economic shocks that pushed up consumer prices in the past five years, Americans maintained faith that the Federal Reserve would eventually get inflation under control.They did not waver as inflation soared to a four-decade high in the aftermath of the pandemic, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended energy markets and as President Trump’s tariffs heaped higher costs on consumers. Surveys of consumer sentiment showed that Americans were angry about high prices and pessimistic about the economy. But… read more about Duke Economist Ellen Meade Explains Why Inflation Expectations Still Matter »
Duke student Jasper Svenson started exploring AI agents in the fall of 2025, focusing primarily on their real-world business applications. And with a background in restaurant-focused investment banking—as well as parents who spent their careers in the restaurant industry—he kept coming back to one space: the drive-thru.“After some conversations, I fell onto the drive-thru, which is a spot that I think is going to be very automated over time,” Svenson said.With that in mind, he brought on his classmate Carlos Penzini, a math… read more about Duke Students Build Startup Bringing AI Personalization to Drive-Thrus »
The defining narrative for the U.S. economy over the past several years has been one of remarkable resilience in the face of inflation, tariffs and all manner of uncertainty. For individual Americans, however, the same period has often been defined by frustration, insecurity and, in many cases, real hardship.The war with Iran looks set to repeat that pattern. “I doubt we’ll see a big recession coming for the U.S. economy — in that sense it may not look like that big an impact,” said Matthias Kehrig, a Duke University… read more about Duke Economist Warns High Oil Prices Will Hit Americans Hardest »
The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and Chair Jerome Powell highlighted the increasingly uncertain outlook for the U.S. economy and inflation in the wake of the Iran war, suggesting the Fed could stand pat for an extended period. Connel Fullenkamp, Duke University Professor of Economics, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest economic outlook. read more about Duke Economist Connel Fullenkamp Discusses the Fed Keeping Key Rate Unchanged »
Fresh inflation data released Wednesday shows wholesale prices climbed 3.4% last month compared to the same time last year. It's the biggest jump in more than a year, and economists warn that American families should expect continued financial pressure in the months ahead."If the war continues, but the oil tankers are allowed to flow through the Strait of Hormuz, then everything can go more or less back to normal. The question is when is that going to happen," said Duke University economist and professor Connel Fullenkamp. read more about Connel Fullenkamp Talks Wholesale Prices and The Rise of Grocery Cost »
An ambitious anti-poverty experiment in Michigan that provides expecting and new parents a jolt of cash assistance for the first several months of their child’s life has expanded statewide — with two recent studies analyzing whether the benefits also decreased calls to CPS. The program, known as Rx Kids, gives applicants a one-time, $1,500 payment during pregnancy and then monthly payments of $500 for up to a year after a baby’s birth. Detroit’s Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield describes the initiative as “setting a new… read more about Duke Economist Jason Baron Discusses Impact of Michigan Cash Aid Program »
People will feel the effects of higher diesel prices at the grocery store and while shopping online. On Wednesday, the average price of diesel is $5.07 a gallon, up from $3.90 at the beginning of March.“Just about everything that we get shipped to us is coming either on a diesel burning truck or on a diesel burning locomotive,” Duke economist Connel Fullenkamp said. If it costs more for businesses to ship and manufacture, the prices you pay will likely go up - leading to higher inflation.“Those fuel surcharges and… read more about Connel Fullenkamp Weighs In on Higher Diesel Prices Expected to Increase Cost of Grocery Bills »
War in the Persian Gulf will contribute to higher inflation and more unemployment in 2026 than the Federal Reserve started the year expecting, and there’s little the U.S. central bank can do about it, according to a recent survey of former Fed officials and staff. Former central bank officials projected 3% inflation this year, higher than the Fed’s official 2% target, and higher than the 2.4% inflation rate that the central bank projected for 2026 back in December. Former officials also projected a jobless rate of 4.6… read more about New Survey Finds Former Federal Reserve Insiders Projecting Higher Inflation, Unemployment »
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences proudly celebrates the appointment of Roberto Lagos (M.A. Economics ’16) as the new President of the Central Bank of Honduras.Lagos earned his Master of Arts in Economics from Duke University in 2016. The program is designed to provide students with a rigorous, quantitative approach to economics while offering the flexibility to tailor the degree to their future goals. Through comprehensive training in economic analysis and quantitative methods, graduates are well… read more about Duke Economics Masters Alum Roberto Lagos Appointed President of the Central Bank of Honduras »
President Donald Trump has made housing affordability a centerpiece of his economic agenda, repeatedly emphasizing his desire to see mortgage rates fall.But Trump's choice to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, has spent years criticizing the central bank's enormous bond portfolio. Any push to significantly shrink the Fed's $6.6 trillion balance sheet of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities could push mortgage rates higher, working against the president's goals.The tension between those two goals highlights a… read more about Jon Hilsenrath on How Policy Changes Could Affect Cost of Living »
Donald Trump’s selection to replace Jerome Powell as the chair of the Federal Reserve has a history that leads many observers to believe the president is not going to like what comes next after his Senate confirmation, according to the Washington Post.Trump has prioritized lowering interest rates throughout his criticism of Powell's tenure. However, Trump also campaigned on making housing more affordable — goals that may conflict with nominee Kevin Warsh's policy priorities.Jon Hilsenrath, visiting scholar at Duke… read more about Duke Economist Examines Political Pressure on the Fed and Market Risks »
President Donald Trump has made housing affordability a centerpiece of his economic agenda, repeatedly emphasizing his desire to see mortgage rates fall.But Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, has spent years criticizing the central bank’s enormous bond portfolio. Any push to significantly shrink the Fed’s $6.6 trillion balance sheet of Treasury bonds and mortgage-backed securities could push mortgage rates higher, working against the president’s goals.The tension between those two goals highlights a… read more about Duke Economist Jon Hilsenrath on Tensions in Fed and Mortgage Rates »
World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s crypto start-up, reached a major landmark last month. The total circulation of the company’s signature digital coin hit $5 billion, cementing its place as one of the world’s top cryptocurrencies. … read more about Duke lecturer Lee Reiners Talks About Binance, Trump and The future of Crypto »
Kevin Warsh's nomination to lead the Federal Reserve earned cautious approval in a survey of more than two dozen former Federal Reserve officials and staff. Roughly two-thirds of individuals surveyed said they approved of the choice, citing Warsh’s experience at the Fed during the 2008 financial crisis and his institutional knowledge, while another third either didn’t approve or hadn’t yet formed an opinion. A former colleague at the Fed called him "thoughtful and measured" during policy discussions while others… read more about Former Fed Officials Express Cautious Approval of Kevin Warsh as next Central Bank Chairman »
In Minna Ng’s “Neuroscience Service Learning” course, students create hands-on brain activities for after-school camps run by the Durham Children’s Initiative and the Downtown Durham YMCA.“One of my students got recruited to be a counselor for their summer camp to work with the kids and train other counselors,” says Ng, who is assistant professor of the practice of psychology and neuroscience. “She took the activities we created, made them better and reported back to me, saying ‘This doesn’t work, this works really well,… read more about How Two Trinity Faculty Members Are Bringing Coursework Into the Community »
Why did the Trump administration launch a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell?Theories abound. One leading explanation is the subpoenas were aimed at pressuring Powell to leave the Fed in a few months. Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in May, but he can choose to stay on as a Fed governor until 2028. read more about Ellen Meade Weighs In on Powell's Lasting Legacy »
The 2025–2026 academic year marks the fifteenth anniversary of The Goodner Equity Project (ECON 472S).What began as an experiment between Emma Rasiel, Richard Y. Li. Professor of the Practice of Economics, and hedge fund manager and Duke alumnus Blake Goodner (T ’96) has become one of the most distinctive learning experiences in the Department of Economics.The course grew out of the Duke Financial Economics Center (DFE), founded in 2010 under Rasiel’s direction to give undergraduates structured opportunities to apply… read more about Investing in Duke’s Future: The Goodner Equity Project Turns 15 »
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences has invited its faculty to submit proposals for the creation of new research initiatives on campus.Following the successful launches of the SPACE Initiative and the Society-Centered AI Initiative, the Trinity Research Initiative will support new directions for interdisciplinary research through seed funding for nascent research collaborations, community-building, and complementary educational and outreach activities.Open to all areas of research and… read more about Trinity College of Arts & Sciences Invites Proposals for New Research Initiatives »
Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to reduce the central bank’s target short-term interest rate at their Dec. 9-10 policy meeting, though a new survey of former Fed officials and staff points to doubt about whether an interest rate cut is the right decision. Many of the former officials surveyed said the U.S. central bank should keep interest rates steady for now, according to the survey conducted Dec. 1-5. Among the 32 former Federal Reserve governors, regional Fed bank presidents and staff who responded to… read more about New Survey of Former Federal Reserve Insiders Shows Doubt about Looming Interest Rate Decision »
In recognition of his outstanding scholarly achievement, Peter S. Arcidiacono was invested as a member of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters at an annual ceremony on November 12 in Washington, DC.Arcidiacono is the William Henry Glasson Distinguished Professor of Economics. He specializes in applied microeconomics, applied economics and labor economics, with particular focus on education and discrimination. His work, which has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver… read more about Economics Scholar Honored by American Academy of Sciences and Letters »
On North Carolina’s low-lying coast, where trunks of dead trees rise silver and bare from dark waters, a team of storytellers trace how the past continues to shape the future. Through the Bass Connections project, Ghost (Forest) Stories: Unearthing History and Climate Change, they bring together science, history and art to reveal how centuries of human activity have transformed the Albemarle–Pamlico Peninsula, while uncovering what it all means in an era of rising sea levels and intensifying hurricanes… read more about Ghost (Forest) Stories: Uncovering the Past to Understand a Changing Coast »
I walked into Penn Pavilion with the plan to stop by one or two tables for a quick chat. I left hours later with a bag full of free goodies and a newfound understanding of what being a student at Duke can look like.The seemingly endless aisles of tables featuring academic departments, certificate programs and student resources felt like a maze of different opportunities and possibilities. Each table was decorated to be its own vibrant universe. While I may have stopped by a few tables for their bowls full of treats or the… read more about A First-Year Student’s Perspective on the Majors Fair »
