A trailblazing hospital executive who transformed large health systems and championed innovation, Nancy Schlichting, MBA, T’76, has spent her career elevating the role of nurses in delivering better care. Now, together with her wife, Pam Theisen, Schlichting is extending that commitment through a gift to launch the Nursing Innovation Fund at Duke Health.

Carrie Brown, MD'04, HS'04-'08, MPH, credits her first clinical rotation as a Duke University medical student at John Umstead Hospital, a former psychiatric inpatient facility in Butner, North Carolina, with planting the seed for her future psychiatry career. That path eventually led her to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), where she now serves as chief psychiatrist and deputy secretary for facilities, behavioral health, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Duke University alumnus and second-generation physician Vijay Ramakrishnan, MD and his wife, Praveena Ramakrishnan, have made a unique $3 million gift that supports both Duke University Health System patients and School of Medicine radiology residents. Practicing medicine runs deep in the Ramakrishnan family — and now, their legacy is helping shape the future of radiology at Duke.

Ronald N. Goldberg, MD, has been named a recipient of a 2026 Honorary Alumni Award by the Duke Medical Alumni Association in recognition of his transformative impact on neonatal/perinatal medicine and his longstanding commitment to improving outcomes for critically ill newborns.

Kathryn M. Andolsek, MD, HS’76-’79, has been named the recipient of a 2026 Distinguished Faculty Award by the Duke Medical Alumni Association in recognition of her transformative contributions to medical education, community health, and institutional leadership.

Durga S. Borkar, MD, MMCi’21, has been named a recipient of a 2026 Emerging Leader Award by the Duke Medical Alumni Association in recognition of her exceptional impact at the intersection of vitreoretinal surgery, clinical data science, and health‑technology innovation.

David A. Spiegel, BS’85, MD’90, HS’90-’96, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Humanitarian Award by the Duke Medical Alumni Association in recognition of his extraordinary global impact and commitment to advancing pediatric orthopaedic care.

Danny Benjamin, MD, HS’98-’01, PhD, has been named a recipient of a 2026 Distinguished Faculty Award by the Duke Medical Alumni Association in recognition of his transformative leadership in pediatric clinical research, his national impact on child health, and his deep commitment to mentoring the next generation of investigators.

Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, HS’96–’99, has been named a recipient of a 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award by the Duke Medical Alumni Association in recognition of her visionary leadership, transformative community-engaged research, and national impact on advancing health equity.

Cameron R. Wolfe, MD, HS’07-’08, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Duke University, has been named a recipient of a Duke Medical Alumni Association 2025 Distinguished Faculty Award in recognition of his sustained contributions to clinical care, research, education, and institutional leadership.