Each year, Duke University recognizes a cadre of graduating students from across campus who embody the “Forever Duke” spirit. This year, Brianna Elliott MEM’17 and Diego Calderon-Arrieta MEM’17 have been selected for the Forever Duke Student Leadership Award for being strong advocates for the university community and leaving Duke a better place than they found it.
- With career interests that lie at the intersection of law and science – in particular, the conservation and protection of endangered sea turtles – Brianna has helped bring the Nicholas School and the School of Law into closer contact and deeper interaction. Through the Duke Environmental Law Clinic, she has worked on a project examining the efficacy of North Carolina’s current management plan to address the bycatch of sea turtles in summer flounder gill net fishing.
- As co-founder and vice president of the Nicholas School’s student group DICE (Diverse and Inclusive Community for the Environment), co-chair of the Black and Latino Club, and the school’s representative on Duke’s Graduate & Professional Student Council, Diego has contributed significantly to making Nicholas and Duke more inclusive and open to those from all walks of life. His time at Nicholas has prepared him for a career advancing sustainable stewardship of natural resources for underrepresented populations.
The duo received their Forever Duke awards at a special ceremony on April 20, 2017.
“We are proud to see Diego and Brianna recognized by the greater Duke community in this well-deserved manner,” said Glenda Lee, assistant director of alumni engagement & programs. “Both have contributed to Duke and Nicholas in ways that will be felt well beyond their time on campus.”
Please join us in congratulating these two rising stars on this honor!
