A team of Duke University students won the $20,000 Geothermal Technologies Office Bonus Prize during the 2025 EnergyTech University Prize Competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Commercialization.

Duke University researchers have launched a public dashboard tracking the progress and impact of nature-based solutions efforts along the East Coast. The new resource will provide updates on projects led by the Atlantic Conservation Coalition, which includes state governments in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, in addition to The Nature Conservancy. Eighteen additional organizations are also partners in the effort.

The richness of Duke’s intellectual communities and its deep commitment to interdisciplinarity are major draws for leading scholars, including Marc Jeuland and Kyle Bradbury, whose reach on campus includes appointments with the Nicholas Institute. 

Want to learn more about debt-for-nature swaps, how the new generation of swaps is different, and what policy changes might enhance their impact? Watch this National Ecosystem Services Partnership webinar, presented in June 2025 by Elizabeth Losos, executive in residence at the Nicholas Institute and coauthor of a recent Science article on maximizing debt-for-nature swaps’ effectiveness. 

Extreme heat endangers human health, the economy, national security, and more. In a commentary published by The New York Times, Ashley Ward (director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub) examines the risks posed by heat--and how to build resilience. 

During extreme heat events, people should prioritize creating a cool space in their bedroom because sleeping in stifling temperatures comes with “some of the worst health outcomes from heat,” Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub, explained to Homes.com. Ward and other experts offer tips for controlling your shade, water and space.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Duke University have renewed their commitment to advancing sustainable fisheries and food security by signing an agreement to establish a five-year framework for joint initiatives to support small-scale fisheries worldwide. John Virdin will lead Duke University's work on the new effort, which will build on the Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative.   

"When temperatures reach certain levels outside, the only way to be safe is to seek out air conditioning,” Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub told National Geographic. If you’re not in an air-conditioned space, Ward recommends making a heat action plan.

With much of the U.S. facing an extreme heat event, Duke Today highlights guidance from Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability. 

Overnight temperatures that don’t drop below 75 degrees can be a particularly dangerous part of a heat wave, Ashley Ward, director of the Duke University Heat Policy Innovation Hub, told The Associated Press. Ward recommends finding air conditioning—whether at home or in public places—to help prepare your body to tackle the next day.