Past Cook Award Recipients

2026 Award Recipients

Distinguished Service Award

Laurie Patton

President of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award

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Mitchell Knisley

Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Programs, Duke School of Nursing

Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award

Whitney N. McCoy Hudson

Research Scientist, Duke University’s Center for Child & Family Policy

Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award

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Pratham Sharma

Master of Engineering Management (MEM), Pratt School of Engineering.

Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award

Michael Ramos

Public Policy and International Comparative Studies with a focus on Latin America, Duke University

Cook Awards Recipients Going Back to 1998

2025 Award Recipients

Pictured from left: Honorable Roy Cooper, Marissa Young, Jasmin Riley, B. Eni Owoeye, Thavolia Glymph, and President Vincent Price. Photo by HuthPhoto

2025 Cook Society Award Recipients

Thavolia Glymph, Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Marissa Young, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award
B. Eni Owoeye, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award
Honorable Roy Cooper, Distinguished Service Award
Jasmin Riley, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award

Read the Duke Today article: Duke Honors Eight Service Leaders With Cook Awards

2024 Award Recipients

2024 Cook Awards group — Pictured from left: Kim Hewitt, Vice President for Institutional Equity; Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove; Catherine Denning-Jannace; Luke Powery; Myrna C. Adams; Jasmine Hughes; and Isaiah Hamilton. Photo by HuthPhoto

2024 Cook Society Award Recipients

Myrna C. Adams, J.D., Centennial Lifetime Achievement Award
Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery, Dean of Duke University Chapel and Professor of Homiletics and African and African American Studies, Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Jasmine Hughes, Duke Pre-College Instructor; member of the Racial Equity Advisory Council, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award
Catherine A. Denning-Jannace, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Fellow in the Duke Department of Chemistry, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Assistant Director for Partnerships and Fellowships at Yale University’s Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, Distinguished Service Award
Isaiah Hamilton, 2023-24 Duke Student Government president; Black Student Alliance past president; Secretary, Alpha Alpha Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award

2023 Award Recipients

Pictured from left: Kim Hewitt, Vice President for Institutional Equity; Kansi Udochukwu (Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award); Brigit Maria Carter (Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award); Mrs. Sylvia Cook; Kamillah Jena Kassam (Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award); Eunice Sanders, sister of Durham Mayor Elaine O’Neal (Distinguished Service Award); Lisa Davis (Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award). Photo by HuthPhoto

2023 Cook Society Award Recipients

Brigit Carter, Ph.D., M.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the Duke School of NursingRaymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Lisa P. Davis, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., Research Program Leader for the Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award
Kamillah Jena Kassam, Doctoral Candidate in the Duke Department of Chemistry, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award
Elaine M. O'Neal, J.D., Mayor of the City of Durham, Distinguished Service Award
Kansi Udochukwu, Duke Department of History, President of Duke Africa, member of the President's Council on Black Affairs at Duke University, Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award

2022 Award Recipients

Top row L-R: Dorian Bolden, William A. Darity, Jr.; Bottom row L-R: Annise Weaver, Briana Davis, and Alexis Joseph. — 2022 Cook Society Award winners, top row L-R: Dorian Bolden, William A. Darity, Jr.; Bottom row L-R: Annise Weaver, Briana Davis, and Alexis Joseph.

Dorian Bolden, Owner of Beyu Caffé and community activist for food justice: Distinguished Service Award
William A. Darity Jr., Ph.D., Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics Founding Director, Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Annise Weaver, M.S.Ed., C.R.C., Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences: Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award
Briana Davis, Ph.D. Student, Duke Molecular Genetics and Microbiology: Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award
Alexis Joseph, Class of 2020, Co-President of the Duke United Black Athletes: Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award

To protect the health and safety of the community, the Samuel DuBois Cook Society 2022 Awards Ceremony was switched to a virtual "hybrid" format with some award recipients, select family, friends, and Duke community members in attendance at the Washington Duke Inn, while community members who purchased tickets and enjoyed the event via Zoom, which included a full "to-go" meal catered by the Washington Duke Inn.

Read the Duke Today article: Five Honored by Cook Society for Service to Duke and Durham

2021 Award Recipients

2021 Cook Society Award winners, clockwise from top left: Charles Becton, De’Ja Wood, Michael Cary Jr., Nolan Smith, Tom Bonfield, Ajenai Clemmons, and Richard Powell.

Charles L. Becton, Former Judge North Carolina Court of Appeals: Distinguished Service Award
Thomas J. "Tom" Bonfield, Former Durham City Manager: Special Recognition Service Award Winner
Michael Paul Cary Jr., Ph.D., Associate Professor in the School of Nursing: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Nolan Smith, Former Director of Basketball Operations and Player Development Duke Men's Basketball: Samuel DuBois Cook Society Staff Award
Ajenai Clemmons, Ph.D. Candidate Sanford School of Public Policy: Samuel DuBois Cook Society Graduate Student Award
De'Ja Wood, Class of 2021: Samuel DuBois Cook Society Undergraduate Student Award

The 2021 awards ceremony was held virtually due to the pandemic. View the video recording of the ceremony here.

Read the Duke Today article: Seven Honored by Cook Society for Service to Duke and the Wider Community

2020 Award Recipients

L-R: Zoila Airall, President Vincent Price, NC Sen. "Mickey" Michaux, Barbara Stokes, Ashleigh Smith, Charmaine Royal, Hala El-Nahal, Alyson Diaz, and Margaret (Margie) Muir (EDI winner). Not pictured: Sherilynn Black (EDI winner). Photo: Huth Photo — L-R: Zoila Airall, President Vincent Price, NC Sen. "Mickey" Michaux, Barbara Stokes, Ashleigh Smith, Charmaine Royal, Hala El-Nahal, Alyson Diaz, and Margaret (Margie) Muir (EDI winner). Not pictured: Sherilynn Black (EDI winner). Huth Photo

Henry McKinley "Mickey" Michaux, Jr.: Distinguished Service Award
Charmaine Royal: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Zoila Airall: Sammie Award
Alyson Diaz: Sammie Award
Hala El-Nahal: Sammie Award
Ashleigh Smith: Sammie Award
Barbara Stokes: Sammie Award

Read the Duke Today article: Cook Society Honors Lives Led in Service at Duke and in the Community

2019 Award Recipients

L-R: Vincent Price, E'Vonne Coleman, Corey Pilson, Adriane Lentz-Smith, Benjamin Reese, Pamela Montgomery, Onye Emmanuel Akwari (seated), Felix Odilli Nwogbo Jr., Dionna Monique Gamble, and Syliva F. Cook. | Huth Photo — L-R: Vincent Price, E'Vonne Coleman, Corey Pilson, Adriane Lentz-Smith, Benjamin Reese, Pamela Montgomery, Onye Emmanuel Akwari (seated), Felix Odilli Nwogbo Jr., Dionna Monique Gamble, and Syliva F. Cook. Huth Photo

E'Vonne Coleman: Distinguished Service Award
Onye Emmanuel Akwari: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Adriane Lentz-Smith: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Dionna Monique Gamble: Sammie Award
Felix Odili Nwogbo, Jr.: Sammie Award
Pamela Montgomery: Sammie Award
Corey Pilson: Sammie Award
Benjamin D. Reese, Jr., Special Recognition

Read the Duke Today article: Cook Society Honors Leaders Building a More Inclusive Campus

2018 Award Recipients

L-R: Felicia Tittle, Andrea Harris, Rev. Willliam Turner Jr., Michael J. Ivory Jr., Debra Brandon, and Danielle Purifoy

Andrea Harris: Distinguished Service Award
Debra Brandon: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Felicia Tittle: Sammie Award
Danielle Purifoy: Sammie Award
Michael Ivory, Jr.: Sammie Award
William Turner, Jr.: Special Recognition

Read the Duke Today article: Six Honored by Cook Society for Leadership & Community Activism

2017 Award Recipients

L-R: David Malone, Richard Brodhead, Juan Ramirez, Jr., Henry Washnington, Jr., Edward Gomes, Wahneema Lubiano, and Leonidas Nelson, Jr.

Richard H. Brodhead: Distinguished Service Award
David Malone: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Wahneema Lubiano: Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award
Juan Ramirez, Jr.: Sammie Award
Henry Washington, Jr.: Sammie Award
Edward Gomes: Sammie Award
Leonidas Nelson, Jr.: Sammie Award

Read the Duke Today article: For 20th Anniversary, Cook Society Celebrates Seven for Service & Activism

2016 Award Recipients

L-R: Delbert Wigfall, Courtnea A. Rainey, Stephanie Helms Pickett, and Paula Tanabe. Not Pictured: Kari Braclay and Carolyn Henson (for Sharon Elliott Bynum)

Sharon Elliott Bynum: Distinguished Service Award (posthumously awarded) received by Carolyn Henson (sister)
Stephanie Helms Pickett: Sammie Award
Courtnea Rainey: Sammie Award
Kari Barclay: Sammie Award
Delbert Wigfall: Sammie Award
Paula Tanabe: Sammie Award

Read the Duke Today article: Five Receive 2016 Samuel Cook Society Honors for Service

2015 Award Recipients