Bass Connections bridges the classroom and the world, giving students a chance to roll up their sleeves and tackle complex societal problems alongside faculty and other students with different types of expertise.
Emily’s Bass Connections project team, led by faculty members Deborah Hicks (Social Science Research Institute) and Robert Korstad (Sanford School of Public Policy) researched the educational challenges and opportunities in the region and launched the pilot program, Education and Rural Entrepreneurship in Appalachia (EREA).
What if we could detect mental health and developmental problems in very young children, treat them early, and improve their chances of developing to their full potential and prospering in society?
Michael Rhodes B.S.E.’87 witnesses the impact of big data every day at financial services company TD Bank Group. “I think the emergence of information and big data will be as transformational for our economy as the Industrial Revolution was during its time,” said Rhodes.
In this problem-focused, campus-wide initiative, students are gaining a rich, multifaceted understanding of global issues through innovative courses and other cross-disciplinary learning opportunities that represent the best of Duke. This enhances their work in project teams, the keystone of Bass Connections. In these small teams, students of all levels—from undergraduates to postdoctoral fellows—are working with faculty and outside experts to conduct cutting-edge research and create outcomes that make a difference in the world.
Anne and Robert Bass are the visionary philanthropists who launched Bass Connections through a $50 million gift, including a generous $25 million matching gift challenge to encourage other Duke friends and alumni to help shape this transformational program.
Bass Connections is fast becoming a cornerstone of the Duke experience. In the first six years of the program, more than 2,750 faculty, students and postdocs have participated in Bass Connections, and the program now receives about two times more applications from students than it can support at its current scale. In the next decade, we aspire to expand the capacity of Bass Connections to ensure that at least 30 percent of the undergraduate student body has the opportunity to conduct research through Bass Connections.
Your investment will help Duke educate a new generation of versatile leaders who are adept at working in diverse teams to solve today’s—and tomorrow’s—global problems.
Explore the many ways Duke students are making a difference locally and globally through Bass Connections.
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Your expendable or endowed gift of $100,000 or more for a Bass Connections Project Team Fund can help teams solve real-world problems.
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