Service-Learning at Duke University

Loving this post and photo from Duke Global Duke Global Health Institute - DGHI 😍😍😍

After decades of teaching, mentoring, and global service, Dr. Dennis Clements is retiring—leaving behind a legacy rooted in curiosity, compassion, and community engagement.

From early experiences in Okinawa and Uganda to building a clinic in Honduras and co-teaching global health capstone service-learning courses at Duke, Dennis has helped generations of students connect classroom learning with real-world impact.

"I've always loved doing medicine as a way to find out about people—how people live and who they are," he once shared. "I came to appreciate that people were the same all over the world except for the fact that they were born in a different place."

Thank you, Dennis, for reminding us that to teach well is to care deeply—and to build reciprocal relationships wherever we go.

📖 Read the full story: https://servicelearning.duke.edu/news/heart-students-vision-world-honoring-dr-dennis-clements

Community Partner Spotlight: Bonnie Wang
Mandarin Teacher & Assistant Director of DEE, Durham Academy
2025 Alden Community Partner Award Recipient

For over a decade, Bonnie Wang has been a joyful and justice-centered partner to Duke’s Chinese program, co-creating projects that build bridges between language, culture, and sustainability.

Professor Yan Liu wrote:
“Bonnie has a gift for helping students feel at ease while challenging them to think bigger—about justice, identity, and how we show up for one another. Whether she’s co-leading conversations on anti-Asian racism or building a sustainability dialogue between Durham and Taiwan, Bonnie creates learning spaces that are both brave and deeply welcoming.”

Read more about Bonnie and her decade-long partnership with Duke: https://servicelearning.duke.edu/news/decade-connection-learning-language-and-community

Thank you, Bonnie, for showing us how to lead with courage, creativity, and care.