DURHAM, N.C. – Emily M. Klein, professor of earth sciences at 91’s Nicholas School of the Environment, has been recognized for her outstanding work as a mentor to undergraduate students with an endowment in her name.

The new $100,000 Dr. Emily M. Klein Endowment Fund will support faculty-mentored undergraduate work that is conducted at the Nicholas School in conjunction with interdisciplinary Bass Connections research projects.

The endowment was created by the parents of undergraduates Klein has mentored over the years.

“This is a well-deserved accolade for one of Duke’s best and most dedicated educators,” said Dean Alan Townsend.  “Emily’s passion for research-centered teaching and her commitment to students have had positive impacts on hundreds of Duke undergraduates.”  

Klein joined the Nicholas School faculty in 1989 and served as its director of undergraduate programs from 2004 to 2012.  

A prolific and widely cited author on the geochemistry of ocean ridge basalts, she is the recipient of numerous professional awards and honors, including a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award and the F.W. Clarke Medal from the Geochemical Society. In 2005, Duke named her a Bass Fellow in recognition of her accomplishments in research and teaching.

###