Our scholars work very hard to ensure the betterment of our community through their service. Whether they work as a leadership committee member, a volunteer, or a peer mentor, our scholars, from all cohorts, are intentional in their support of the mission of BioCoRE.
For more information on the ways students are involved, check out the infographic and the navigation links below.

The mission of the Recruitment Committee is to work as a collective to usher in not only new BioCoRE members but also new Duke University graduate students in general. By hosting and assisting with events specifically designed for prospective students, this committee serves a very large role in ensuring that our community is self-propagating and successful for future generations.
The goals of this committee are to:
- Local and national recruitment of prospective students at area schools or conferences
- Assisting with the annual EDGE Bootcamp
- New BioCoRE application review and new scholar selection
- Plan and execute prospective student panels
Recruitment committee members are asked first if they would like to assist IDEALS staff with recruitment at national conferences.
The mission of the Professional Development Committee is to work as a collective to innovate programming that will enhance the scientific and professional development of their peers. This committee works together to curate the list of speakers for our 'BUILD-U' workshop series and other panels as well as assisting with the execution of other programming that support the development of their peers.
The goals of this committee are to:
- Curate workshop topics
- Assist with the annual Retreat and Symposium (workshop/content)
- Assist with Early Start (especially the poster session and keynote)
- Maintain the Prelim Prep group
- Curate BUILD-U and career panels invited speaker list
- Maintain the fellowship application workshops repository
The mission of the Community Building Committee is to ensure that our scholars stay connected and feel supported by their peers and staff. This committee works as a collective to plan monthly events and bi-annual socials to unite our scholars. This committee also assists the IDEALS staff with planning joint socials with neighboring institutions.
The goals of this committee are to:
- Assist with the mentorship program
- Assist with planning activities to support student Mental Health/Wellness
- Assist with the annual Celebration of Achievements
- Assist with the annual Retreat (fun activities)
- Plan socials
- Assist with regular updates of achievements
The mission of the Communications Committee is to keep our community and its stakeholders up to date with the latest happenings from the BioCoRE scholars and their faculty and staff support. This committee works as a collective to gather information about the achievements of their peers and share them broadly.
The goals of this committee are to:
- Curate content and publish a biannual Newsletter
- Maintain BioCoRE Social media platforms
- Assist with website maintenance
- Publicize upcoming events
- Highlight achievements of peers
- Maintain the BioCoRE scholar directory
The mission of the Outreach Committee is to organize and participate in outreach events within the broader community. This committee works as a collective to establish relationships with non-profit organizations and put on events that will benefit the community as a whole.
The goals of this committee are to:
- Organize volunteering opportunities in Durham, NC and beyond
- Spearhead new initiatives for education outreach
- Foster relationships with organizations in the community
- Encourage community participation in outreach events