Hunt Institute, Duke’s Sanford School Team Up to Advance Education Policy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DURHAM, NC — The James B. Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy (Hunt Institute) is joining forces with Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy to pursue research, educational partnerships and events related to improving education policy.

“This partnership between the Sanford School at Duke and the Hunt Institute unites the legacies of two of North Carolina’s most transformative governors and creates new opportunities to connect research and practice in the most vital areas of education policy,” said Duke President Richard H. Brodhead.

The Hunt Institute, a nationally recognized leader in the movement to transform public education, and the Sanford School will collaborate on activities such as a national conference on early childhood education and policy, briefings for state and national policy leaders on important, contemporary education research findings, and connecting both university faculty and students to state longitudinal data systems in education.

“We could not be more excited about the possibilities for engagement and collaboration with Duke University and the Sanford School of Public Policy,” said former Gov. Hunt, chair of the Hunt Foundation Board. “It was Terry Sanford’s advocacy and commitment to improving public education for all that’s always been a driving force for me. It’s the same commitment that the Sanford School brings to education today and why this alliance is a perfect fit.”

The Hunt Institute was originally established by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors in 2001 as a nonpartisan center for educational policy and leadership. It later became affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and most recently became an independent, nonprofit entity.

Led by Judith A. Rizzo, executive director and CEO, the institute has worked with state and national leaders to design strategy, shape policy and drive educational improvements. With a nationwide partner network, it is the only organization in the nation exclusively dedicated to empowering governors, policymakers and other educational leaders in the development and implementation of comprehensive strategies for the transformation of public education.

During its existence, the organization has convened more than 100 current and former governors; expanded its network to more than 150 collaborators nationwide; facilitated annual education retreats for North Carolina legislators on various education issues and expanded that model to other states. It also has launched a one-of-a-kind national fellowship — the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows — to provide future governors and other political leaders with the core knowledge they need to cultivate smart and effective education agendas.

The Sanford School of Public Policy is one of the nation’s leading schools of public policy. It offers undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in public policy and international development policy. North Carolina Gov. Terry Sanford, then president of Duke, established the school in 1972 as the Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs.

The school’s 70 core faculty members pursue research in diverse policy arenas, including education, environment, health, international affairs and food. The faculty also includes distinguished practitioners from government, law, diplomacy, journalism and public health.

The Sanford School is home to the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, led by Professor Kenneth A. Dodge, a renowned expert on child and family policy, in particular child abuse and neglect. The center will work closely with the Hunt Institute.

“Given the Sanford School’s historic strengths in education policy research and the Hunt Institute’s reach with policymakers, we anticipate our affiliation will open the door to many exciting new collaborations,” said Kelly Brownell, dean of the Sanford School.

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MEDIA CONTACTS: 

April White (Hunt Institute)
awhite@hunt-institute.org
(919) 962-6269

Karen Kemp (Duke’s Sanford School)
karen.kemp@duke.edu
(919) 613-7394