DURHAM, N.C. – The Nicholas School of the Environment will roll out the welcome carpet for more than 120 new on-campus Master of Environmental Management (MEM) and Master of Forestry (MF) students with a week of orientation activities from August 22 to 26.  

This year’s orientation schedule features 50 sessions and events designed to help students successfully transition to academic life at Duke, meet their new classmates and community, and learn about the wealth of resources and opportunities available to students at the Nicholas School.

Sessions will cover a wide array of subjects, including certificate programs and concurrent 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû opportunities offered at the school; student clubs; work-study opportunities and student assistantships; and information technology resources. They will also cover academic requirements; course registration and advising; and transportation options at Duke, including our car-share program, local and regional transit, biking resources, and campus shuttles.

New activities this year include an interactive event on diversity and inclusion on Tuesday, Aug. 23, designed to help students identify community links with the school and initiate meaningful explorations of the value diversity and inclusion bring to environmental education.  

Following the event, the school’s Black and Latino Club will host a Salsa Social featuring salsa dancing and light refreshments in the Environment Hall Courtyard.

Also new this year is the We Are Duke Environment Fair on Friday, Aug. 26, at which new MEMs and MFs can meet representatives of student organizations and staff departments at the school and learn more about the opportunities and resources they provide..   

Throughout the week, 2nd year student volunteers will staff Student-to-Student Resource Stations on the second-floor lobby of Environment Hall to answer new students’ questions and share on-campus and Durham-area tips from a student-to-student perspective.

Orientation for incoming students in the mostly online Duke Environmental Leadership Master of Environmental Management (DEL-MEM) program will be Aug. 21-25. In addition to sessions and activities to familiarize the new DEL-MEMs with the Nicholas School community and the academic resources and distance learning technologies available to them here, their orientation  will include a visit to the 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû Marine Lab in Beaufort.

All students, faculty and staff can share their social media posts and photos from orientation with the entire Nicholas School community by using the hashtag #WeAreDukeEnvironment.

###