Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke

08/24/2026

Happy first day of classes! We look forward to seeing what the Nicholas School community will learn, discover and achieve this year.

A special welcome to all our newest professional master's and doctoral students, who recently took part in a great week of orientation.

08/19/2026

Cell phones, electric vehicles, aircrafts — to function, all require elements mined from the earth called critical minerals. As economies increasingly rely on technologies that depend on critical minerals, demand for these natural resources is growing.

For Nicholas School geochemist Avner Vengosh, that demand raises important questions about the effects of critical mineral mining and processing on the environment and communities.

Vengosh describes his research in Duke's latest installment of "Why Do You Study That?”

Tracing the Journey of Critical Minerals Published August 17, 2026 Credits video by Véronique Koch, University Marketing & Communications; story by Julie Leibach, Nicholas School of the Environment Tags Duke Research Saves Lives Schools Nicholas School of the Environment Scholars Avner Vengosh Nich...

08/18/2026

08/13/2026

What do infants, people over 65, outdoor workers, people from low-income households and those with a chronic illness have in common? They are among those most at risk from extreme heat.

Nishad Jayasundara, Juli Plant Grainger Assistant Professor of Global Environmental Health, joined a panel of Duke scholars for a virtual briefing for journalists that discussed how certain populations can be hit hard by heat-related illnesses and provided advice on how to prevent and mitigate heat-associated risks.

Jayasundara on the long-term effects of heat exposure: "Exposure that can happen for a couple of hours can affect the kidney in a way that makes that kidney more susceptible or makes it more at risk of developing future kidney disease or chronic kidney disease. We already see this is taking place in certain parts of the world where tropical farming communities are showing increased rates of chronic kidney failure at very young ages, and we see that heat stress is a major factor that contributes to that.”

News You Can Use: Heat and Vulnerable Populations Three Duke experts discuss heat impacts to older adults, outdoor workers and more – plus, how to mitigate these risks Image Published August 12, 2026 Credits Story by Susan Miller; Graphic by Isabel Nunez University Communications and Marketing Tag...

08/11/2026

08/07/2026

This summer, MEM student Fafa Van Ha was part of the Vanilla Agriculture and One Health in Rural Madagascar Duke Bass Connections project team, co-led by Randall Kramer, which conducted fieldwork to better understand diseases affecting vanilla orchids, their impacts on farmers and the biodiversity of the agroforestry systems where vanilla is grown.

The fieldwork team, made up of Duke undergraduates, Duke and N.C. State graduate students and longtime Malagasy partners, conducted research with vanilla farmers in the village of Mandena, located in the northeast SAVA Region of Madagascar, just at the border of Marojejy National Park.

Days in the field included vanilla sampling, setting up bioacoustics equipment, testing vanilla plants for viruses and supporting farm surveys.

For Van Ha, contributing to a project where vanilla farmers’ knowledge and time were valued and meaningfully integrated into the research goals, questions and fieldwork in real time was particularly impactful.

📸: Fafa Van Ha

08/05/2026

08/05/2026

As Master of Environmental Management students, Amelia McDonald and Diandre’ Richie joined a Duke Bass Connections project team exploring the impacts of climate change on farmed and wild oysters.

Their research examined how environmental variability influences oyster growth, body condition and survival across aquaculture sites in North Carolina.

Richie reflected, “What excited me most about being part of this Bass Connections team was experiencing the entire research process from start to finish. I was able to collect data in the field, analyze samples in the lab, work with data in R and ultimately create a poster that told a clear scientific story. This team offered a truly comprehensive research experience while allowing me to collaborate with others at the Duke University Marine Lab and on Duke’s main campus.”

Bass Connections project teams bring together faculty, students and external partners to tackle complex societal challenges, giving students opportunities to gain hands-on research experience and build relationships across Duke.

Amelia McDonald and Diandre’ Richie, Master of Environmental Management students, were part of the Duke Bass Connections team "Climate Change Impacts on Farmed and Wild Oysters"

08/03/2026

Just like on land, the ocean environment can experience heatwaves, with potentially severe ecological and economic consequences.

Researchers from the Nicholas School have identified a connection between marine heatwaves and moving bands of moisture in the air, called atmospheric rivers.

Their study, funded by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, could potentially lead to improved predictions of marine heatwaves and a better understanding of how climate change factors in.

The effect depends on the season and the region.

07/29/2026

Hayley Navarro, a senior marine science & conservation and biology double major, has discovered a passion for marine science research during her time at Duke, including this summer at the Duke University Marine Lab as a Bonaventura Fellow. Her research has included studying bioacoustics, entanglement and spatial ecology using drone imagery.

Navarro says, “One of my favorite parts of being a student at Duke has been the opportunity to get involved in marine science research. The Marine Lab is incredibly supportive of students who want to pursue their own projects, build new skills and explore their interests. The research community is amazing, and it’s opened the door to meaningful connections with faculty, graduate students and other researchers.”

Whale activities conducted under permit #28217