Alumni Council

The Alumni Council is comprised of Nicholas School of the Environment Alums who are elected by the school to serve on a Board for a period of three years each. The Council is responsible for fostering better relationships between alumni, alumni and the school, and between alumni and the student body. Their mandate is ultimately to serve the school on a range of issues as set forth by the Dean of the Nicholas School. The Council convenes once a semester on Duke’s campus to engage with students and to discuss initiatives and also participates in frequent communications with school administration throughout the year.

Benefits & Expectations

Potential Benefits

Connect with the school from a strategic position
Influence the direction of how the school engages with alumni
Learn more about the school and broaden your perspectives on current issues/ topics
Improve alumni relations for the school and university by sharing your individual knowledge and skills
Receive exposure to other disciplines and professions which you may not encounter in your “day job”
Strengthen your reputation and build your personal brand
Enrich your career and/or professional development
Have access to new networks that may not have been previously available or considered
Get advanced invitations to university and school-related events and programs
Have fun!

Time Commitments

Attend on-campus business meetings twice a year — one in the fall and one in the spring. Meetings typically begin with dinner on Thursday evening, followed by our business meeting on Friday morning through late afternoon. Due to special on-campus events, meetings can be scheduled during the week or at a different time than usual, if deemed appropriate.
Attend virtual business meetings held approximately three to four times annually
Actively engage as alumni leaders 3-5 hours monthly

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

“Lead by example” in supporting the school as volunteers and donors
Serve as an ambassador by pro-actively staying apprised of activities, plans, and needs of the school; share pertinent information with your Nicholas School networks.
Participate effectively in a collaborative group process, provide feedback in a respectful manner, and be open to a variety of recommendations
Respond to requests via email and phone for feedback or assistance

Interested in joining the Alumni Council? Contact Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, Christy Thompson.

	MEGAN VAN SON FERRYMAN, MEM/MBA’25 Megan [Van Son] Ferryman (she/her/hers) is a dual-91�� candidate pursuing a Master of Environmental Management and Master of Business Administration. At the Nicholas School, she is concentrating in Energy and Environment and Community Engagement and Environmental Justice. Prior to starting at Duke, Megan worked in marketing, development, and communication roles across the non-profit, corporate, and startup sectors. In the 2024-25 school year, Megan served as a Graduate Assistant at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, on the executive board for the Nicholas School Net Impact Club, and as the marketing lead for the 16th Annual 91�� Energy Conference. She looks forward to continuing to promote the conversation on an equitable energy transition as the Co-Chair of the 17th Annual Energy Conference and the Co-President of the Nicholas School Energy Club. In the future, Megan hopes to work at the intersection of communications and climate strategy to accelerate the clean energy transition.
	MALAIKA MARTIS, MEM’25 Malaika Martis is a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) student at the Nicholas School of the Environment, concentrating in Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy. She holds a bachelor’s 91�� in economics with a minor in Environmental Studies from Drexel University. Before coming to Duke, she worked as an Operations Analyst at Inspire Clean Energy, a renewable energy retail supplier, where she supported the seamless fulfillment of clean energy products and optimized operational workflows to improve backend member lifecycle processes. Her career aspiration is to advance innovative policy solutions that promote energy equity, drive economic growth, and accelerate the clean energy transition.
	EDWARD McDONALD, MEM'25 Originally from Kailua, Hawaii, Edward McDonald is currently a Dual Degree MEM/MF, with an interest in ecological forestry, nature-based solutions, and environmental policy. Previously, Edward worked as a Forestry Aid for the U.S. Forest Service in Idaho, gaining hands-on experience in forest management and conservation. He also served as Student Government President at Virginia Wesleyan University, where he earned a B.S. in Sustainability Management and a B.A. in Political Science. Outside of academics, he enjoys cooking, reading, and hiking.
	DIANDRE RICHIE, MEM’25 Diandre' Richie is a current graduate student pursing a Master of Environmental Management, focusing on Coastal & Marine Systems and Environmental Economics & Policy, and a GIS certificate. He has served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) fellow for the Nicholas School of Environment, where he helped foster an inclusive environment within the Nicholas community. Before graduate school, he earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental science with a concentration in biological sciences from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). During his time at UNCW, he was chosen as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholar. This opportunity allowed him to intern at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, WA, where he conducted a comparative analysis of the physical and biological changes in the Bering Sea over the summer. While at Duke, he continued his fisheries research interest and got his first publication titled "Fish abundance is enhanced within a network of artificial reefs in a large estuary" in Frontiers for Marine Science. This summer, he will go back to work with NOAA at their Northwest Fisheries Science Center to make data visualization tools for ecosystem science and fisheries management on the West Coast. His career aspiration is to bridge ecological research with actionable management strategies, connecting scientific insights to policies and the communities they impact.
	CAMBER VINCENT, MEM’25 Camber is a second-year student pursuing a Master of Environmental Management with concentrations in Coastal & Marine Systems (CAMS) and Environmental Analytics & Modeling (EAM), along with certificates in Geospatial Analysis and International Development Policy. He came to Duke after graduating from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Foreign Service, majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs, where he studied international climate risk management and adaptation. At Duke, Camber is currently the Nicholas School Student Council President and works for both the Duke Center on Risk, studying solar geoengineering governance regimes, and the Marine Geospatial Ecology Laboratory, studying high-seas management activities. He is passionate about the intersection of governance, resource management, and international development.

Alumni Council

Benefits & Expectations

Potential Benefits

Time Commitments

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

Alumni Council Fellows

Eligibility & Selection Process

Eligibility

Selection Process

Current Alumni Council Fellows

MEGAN VAN SON FERRYMAN, MEM/MBA’25

MALAIKA MARTIS, MEM’25

EDWARD McDONALD, MEM'25

DIANDRE RICHIE, MEM’25

CAMBER VINCENT, MEM’25

Former Alumni Council Fellows

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

Giving Back, Leading the Way