2012 Dean’s Award: Anne-Marie Angelo

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Anne-Marie Angelo, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History, received a B.A. in American Studies with High Distinction from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from Duke University. She studies the twentieth-century United States from a transnational perspective and is interested in foreign perceptions of the U.S. during the twentieth century, with specific emphasis on the civil rights movement and its interactions with global racial formations. Her dissertation examines the Black Panther Parties of Israel and the United Kingdom, with reference to the Black Panthers in the United States.

Nominators for Anne-Marie share their strong sense that she has a true passion for seeing students succeed and is always available to be sure that they do. One student notes that Anne-Marie "always puts her students first, including them in all aspects of her life," making herself available by phone, e-mail, and in person, such that "there was never a time when I felt I couldn't depend on her to guide me to a right decision."  This availability extends to guidance in a multitude of areas, including academic, career-related, and personal:  "She has spent countless hours discussing different educational paths and career paths with me. From the beginning, she gave me advice on choosing a field of study and thinking about entering the workforce or continuing education. She also gave me perspective and pertinent issues in every new student's life—relationships with new peers, with professors, with new organizations and reconciling with old friends and high school life at home." Anne-Marie is, says this student, "a dependable and genuine person who any student would be lucky to know."

Anne-Marie creates this trust, according to another student, because she "strikes an excellent balance as a mentor in encouraging reflection and rigorous thought while at the same time conscientiously building personal relationships with each of the undergraduate students she mentors." In her role as On-the-Ground Coordinator for Duke Engage Belfast, even after its close, she "kept in touch with each of the students in the remaining weeks of summer, and upon our return to campus, welcomed us to her apartment to catch up and spend time together."

Faculty are equally  impressed with Anne-Marie's dedication, insight, welcoming personality, and leadership abilities, one expressing "I have rarely come across a student as energetic, bright, dedicated, and resourceful as Anne-Marie. She combines all of the qualities that make an effective and innovative mentor and teacher: a highly developed set of personal and intellectual skills, and eagerness to engage with students at their level, but with clear expectations, flexibility, and a sense of purpose and fun. As is clear from her resume, she is a Renaissance woman who excels in whatever pursuit she embraces."