A $5 million gift from Caryn Seidman-Becker will establish the Becker Government Leadership Initiative at the Sanford School of Public Policy to encourage and support Duke student interest in public service, especially at the federal level. The gift will create a six-year pilot program designed to identify, recruit, inspire, and support exceptional undergraduate students from their first year through graduation as they prepare for careers in federal service and leadership in public service.

“I am deeply grateful to Caryn for her vision and generosity in making this initiative possible,” said Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “The Becker Government Leadership Initiative reflects our enduring commitment to educating leaders who serve the public good. By providing sustained preparation, advising, and transitional support, it will enable Duke graduates to pursue meaningful careers in public service.”

The initiative responds to a critical national challenge: federal agencies face growing demands for professionals with strong analytical skills, expertise, and the capacity to operate effectively across complex intergovernmental systems. The initiative seeks to renew and strengthen the pipeline of talent into the federal workforce at this moment of significant institutional strain and transition.

“Caryn’s gift will open new pathways to public service for our brightest students,” said JR DeShazo, Joel L. Fleishman Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy. “We’re deeply grateful for her commitment to training public policy students to tackle the challenges facing the world today and nurturing their interests in pursuing government service. We owe a debt of gratitude to our outgoing interim dean, Manoj Mohanan, for guiding the creation of this project in partnership with Caryn.”

The Becker Initiative will focus on three core policy areas of national importance: national security, health, and education. While the primary emphasis is on preparing students for careers in the federal sector, the program will also incorporate select state-level opportunities that serve as meaningful pathways into federal service. In limited cases, the initiative will also recognize relevant nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations as part of the broader federal policy ecosystem, where such experiences provide clear preparation for federal service in the three focus areas.

“I’m thrilled to support this initiative that will make a huge difference for students who want to serve in government and similar nonprofit roles,” said Seidman-Becker, who is the parent of two Duke undergraduates and chairs the Duke Parents Committee. “The federal government needs the long-term leadership, resilience, and intellect that Duke graduates can provide. The initiative will lower barriers to entry through targeted financial support, mentoring, and graduate education opportunities. I believe that the impact of the initiative will be to pave a path to government work as a purposeful, exciting, and rewarding career trajectory for Duke students.”

The Becker Government Leadership Initiative will be housed within POLIS: The Center for Politics at Duke University and led by the center’s director. POLIS has a long-established history of engaging undergraduates from across the university in civic and political life, making it a natural home for this initiative.

Recent data suggest strong undergraduate interest in government careers at the internship stage, including federal and state roles—but a far more limited transition into full-time public sector employment immediately after graduation. By pairing experiential learning with mentoring, targeted financial support, and dedicated career services, the initiative seeks to address many of the barriers facing students looking to enter public service.

The initiative maintains a clear focus on cultivating long-term federal leadership, while acknowledging that effective pathways into federal service are rarely linear, particularly for undergraduates. Many federal leaders begin their careers in state government, intergovernmental agencies, or other public and private sector institutions, where they gain firsthand experience in policy implementation, service delivery, and cross-sector collaboration before entering federal roles. In today’s federal hiring environment, such pathways are essential on-ramps — not alternatives—to federal service.