2025 Cook Awards Ceremony
Each year, the Samuel DuBois Cook Society honors Duke staff, administrators, faculty, and students (undergraduate, graduate or professional) and local community members whose work, research and service reflect Dr. Cook’s social activism and leadership.
The 2025 awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 13th at 6:00 p.m. at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club. Members of the Duke and surrounding community are invited to attend the awards ceremony. Registration is required to attend.
Registration is now open! Each guest must purchase a ticket to attend. Ticket pricing and more information can be found on our registration site.
To purchase a table (10 seats at a table), you may add up to 9 guests to your registration. If you do not know the names of your guests yet, please enter “Guest” or "TBD" instead. We will contact you closer to the event to fill in the names and finalize entree selections. You must choose an entree to complete registration. This can be modified after.
The deadline to register for the awards dinner is February 6, 2025.
Please reach out to Amanda Gonzalez, amanda.gonzalez@duke.edu, with any questions.
Nomination Criteria
Each year, the Samuel DuBois Cook Society recognizes community members who follow Dr. Cook's example of social activism and leadership. In that spirit we seek nominees who, in their work and life, have helped improve relations amongst people of all backgrounds at Duke and beyond.
The Raymond Gavins Distinguished FaCulty Award
The Samuel DuBois Cook Society invites nominations of Duke faculty who in their work and life have helped improve relations amongst people of all backgrounds at Duke and beyond. In evaluating nominees, the committee seeks faculty members who display a commitment to the founding principles of the Cook Society:
- Actively nurture a sense of community and belonging for Black people.
- Commit to translate the promise and potential of Black people at Duke into fulfillment and actuality.
- Foster positive and constructive interpersonal and intergroup relations within both Duke University's and Durham's Black communities.
- Cultivate positive relations between Black people and other ethnic, racial, and national groups on the basis of an enlightened appreciation and knowledge of our historic interdependence.
The Raymond Gavins Distinguished Faculty Award celebrates faculty excellence!
Samuel DuBois Cook Society Award
The Samuel DuBois Cook Society invites nominations of Duke staff, administrators, students (undergraduate, graduate or professional) and members from the larger community who in their work and life have helped improve relations amongst people of all backgrounds at Duke and beyond. In evaluating nominees, the committee seeks members of the Duke community who display a commitment to the founding principles of the Cook Society:
- Actively nurture a sense of community and belonging for Black people.
- Commit to translate the promise and potential of Black people at Duke into fulfillment and actuality.
- Foster positive and constructive interpersonal and intergroup relations within both Duke University's and Durham's Black communities.
- Cultivate positive relations between Black people and other ethnic, racial, and national groups on the basis of an enlightened appreciation and knowledge of our historic interdependence.
Recognize administrators and students (undergraduate, graduate or professional) with a Samuel DuBois Cook Award
Please contact the Office for Institutional Equity at
oie-webmaster@duke.edu if you have questions or would like more information.
2024 Awards Ceremony
The Annual Cook Society Awards Ceremony is a wonderful evening of reflection and celebration honoring the legacy of Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook and his dedication to social justice and equality.
During the 2024 event, the Cook Society recognized five individuals who embody Dr. Cook's vision. Notably, in honor of Duke University's Centennial, we also presented a special Lifetime Achievement award to a past Cook award winner.
The ceremony welcomed more than 350 guests on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club.
View the Duke Centennial Spotlight and video honoring Samuel DuBois Cook.
View recap with videos from Honorees Isaiah Hamilton and Rev. Dr. Luke Powery