Vanessa Curlee, PhD student, was recently honored for her contributions to Duke and Durham during Duke’s Black Graduate and Professional Student Association and Black Student Alliance annual Julian Abele Awards ceremony at the Hope Valley Country Club.

At the ceremony, she was honored as "School of Nursing Student of the Year."

First held in 1989, these awards are given annually to honor the significant achievements of Black community members and their allies at Duke. The awards are named in honor of Julian Abele, who designed Duke University’s West Campus.

Abele once said about his drawings “the shadows are all mine,” and the Abele Awards are presented to individuals or groups who have emerged from the shadows to demonstrate excellence in both the Duke and Durham communities. 

This year’s theme of “Nurturing the Roots of Resistance” referenced the 50th anniversary of the Allen Building Takeover as well as the 52nd anniversary of the Hope Valley Study-in. 

Curlee and her peers were featured in an article entitled "Abele Awards Ceremony Recognizes Current Students, Remembers Past Pioneers" published on Duke Today. Read the article here.