Duke Graduate School

“Throughout my career, I have been captivated by the application of science. In other words, how do we apply quality scientific research to solve challenges facing our society today? In context of human and environmental health, I bring together stakeholders from academia, industry, government, nonprofits, and research institutes to work on solutions that benefit public health and our environment.”

As founder and president of Sagely, Lesley Curtis transforms workplace culture through the power of stories.

"It’s a huge opportunity to have an insider view of the many ideas that the university’s phenomenal researchers, students and faculty are pursuing. Given my love of research, this bird’s-eye view from the Provost’s position is an even more exciting vantage point to observe the pursuit of knowledge."

"If you have any skills that you are not comfortable with, focus on developing them."

"I think the most important task is developing the skill of listening and understanding what it means to be humble. You know, I have a Ph.D., yet one thing I learned early on in my work with indigenous and local communities was that they could do or knew things that I would never be able to do or know. So, you have to respect and use the local knowledge."