Who We are
A vibrant interdisciplinary community of scholars, students, and practitioners dedicated to understanding the moral challenges of our time and creating scholarly frameworks, policy, and practice to address them.
Fouad BashourFouad Bashour
Fouad Bashour (T’98) is a founding partner of CIC Partners and has been with CIC and its predecessor since 1999. CIC Partners is a private equity firm that invests in growth-oriented middle market companies primarily in the food and restaurant industries. CIC manages the personal capital of its investment team and operating partners, who are successful CEOs and entrepreneurs, and seeks to partner with owner/operators, founders, and management teams. He began his career at The Boston Consulting Group. He is a former trustee of the Alcuin School in Dallas, TX and previously served on the Duke Annual Fund Advisory Board. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife Dr. Jennifer Bashour and their two children.
Wendy BilasWendy Bilas
Wendy Johnson Bilas (T’85, P’17) is a professional oil painter. Her work is available at Sozo Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina, and through juried shows and charity auctions across the country. Bilas’s Duke activities have included the Annual Fund Executive Board, the Tisch Brain Tumor Center Advisory Board, the Athletic Council, AAAC, the Duke Women’s Forum, and the DukeEngage National Advisory Board. She received her A.B. from Duke in 1985 and her M.B.A. from Wake Forest. Bilas is married to Jay Bilas (T’86, J.D.’92) and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have two children, Tori (T’17) and Anthony.
Karen BondKaren Bond
Karen Bond (T’80) has over 20 years of experience designing innovative programs that increase educational access for first-generation students. She has held leadership positions with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth and led the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program and Goldman Sachs Next Generation Venture Fund. Her experience includes teaching classes in Diversity Management for the Carey School of Business at Johns Hopkins University. In 2020, she joined the Judge Alexander Williams Center for Policy at the University of Maryland College Park. She has served on the boards of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Friends School, Meals on Wheels, Maryland Nonprofits, and the Greater Baltimore Leadership Committee Lead- ership Board, Invest in Girls and the Executive Alliance, for which she served as president in 2017. She graduated from Duke University with an A.B. in English and Political Science and a graduate degree in Organizational Development and Training from Johns Hopkins University.
Jim BruyetteJim Bruyette
Jim Bruyette (T’77) is a CPA and Certified Financial Planner and co-founder of Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, one of the largest wealth management firms in the DC area. Its services include comprehensive personal financial planning, portfolio management, and income tax preparation. Bruyette is an avid golfer and played on the Duke men’s golf am as a student. He lives in Annandale, Virginia, with his wife, Phyllis. They have three grown children, Eric, Kimberly, and Jill.
Tony BurtTony Burt
Antony S. Burt (T’78, P’17) is a partner with Schiff Hardin, LLP, in Chicago. His practice focuses on representing federal agencies in connection with failed financial institutions and pursuing fraud investigations and reinsurance disputes. Burt has served as adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School and as a fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago. He served on the DukeEngage National Advisory Board and has been a board member with Metropolitan Family Services, the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy, and the Albert C. Maule Urban Issues Foundation. Burt and his wife, Karin Ruetzel (T’79, P’17), live in Evanston, Illinois, and have three children: Alexander, Lara, and Christina (T’17).
John BusselJohn Bussel
John Bussel is Chief Investment Officer and a principal of Team Hewins, LLC, an independent advisory firm located in South Florida and Northern California. John has spent over thirty years in the investment advisory business starting with Fiduciary Trust International, Prudential Securities, and his own practice before joining Team Hewins in 2004.
John has been connected to several non-profit boards and currently serves as a board member of Barry University in Miami Shores, FL, The Loomis Chaffee School (Windsor, CT), Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Services of South Florida, and the Board of Governors of the American Jewish Committee. He is also Vice President of The Shepard Broad Foundation, a Miami based private family foundation.
John graduated with an A.B. from Duke in 1991 in history and Spanish and is currently a Duke parent. He lives in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida with his wife Laura and three children Miriam (T'25), Adriana, and Samuel.
Andrew CarlinsAndrew Carlins
Andrew Carlins (T’20, MMS’21) is one of two young alumni on the board. He has worked in management consulting at Bain and Company since November 2021. Currently, he is wrapping up an externship at Accion Venture Lab (AVL), working across AVL’s investment and portfolio management teams. He is the founder of Empowering Education, Inc., a nonprofit that focuses on educational and economic empowerment for lower-income, first-generation students in public schools. For fun he enjoys reading and writing—his favorite book is The Little Prince. Carlins lives in Oceanside, New York.
Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly
Catherine Forster Connolly is the owner and CEO of Merida,—an American textile design house based in Fall River, MA. Catherine has been the CEO of Merida for 15 years and purchased the company seven years ago. During her tenure, Catherine has led the transformation of the company from an importer of high-end sisal to a design-driven textile company reimagining textile manufacturing in the United States. Prior to Merida, Catherine ran a market research company, Pyramid Research, in the high-tech space for 6 years and worked as head of Research and as an analyst for six years prior to taking over the company’s leadership. Catherine got her MA in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1995 and graduated with an AB in Comparative Area Studies from Duke University in 1991. Catherine lives in Newton, MA with her husband and her three children.
Dan DrakeDan Drake
Daniel W. Drake is the president of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Funds, and chairman of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Fund for Engineering, Technology and Science. From 1967-1998, Dan served as managing director of J.P. Morgan & Co. and continued to consult with the firm until 1999. Dan also served as managing member and chief operating officer of Middlebury Capital Partners LLC from 1999-2001. From 2003-2009, he was the associate publisher of the Nantucket Independent LLC. Dan is currently involved on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Linda Loring Nature Foundation and the Nantucket Shellfish Association, serving as president for both organizations. Dan received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Rochester in 1964 and his J.D. from the Albany Law School of Union University in 1967. Dan was admitted to the New York Bar in 1967. He and his wife Judith reside in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Kristen FarrellKristen Farrell
Kristen Farrell (P’26) is an accomplished businesswoman and designer who has been in the luxury home and hospitality industries for over 25 years. She has built a vast portfolio of successful projects in the construction and design fields, including over 250 houses in the Hamptons and a variety of other ventures under the Farrell brand. Her keen knowledge of Hamptons real estate and design acumen have earned her a reputation as a respected industry leader. Kristen has recently expanded the Farrell brand to include the Farrell Design Group, making an imprint in the NYC and Boston hospitality sectors.
Kristen is also a mother of three—Joey, an integrated design student at The New School; Kate, Duke P’26; and Jack, a senior in Southampton High School.
Doug FuchsDoug Fuchs
Doug M. Fuchs (T’89, P’25, P’27) is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Los Angeles office and is the co-chair of the firm’s Los Angeles Litigation Department. He has a special expertise in representing corporations and individuals in white collar criminal, SEC, and other regulatory enforcement matters, including cases involving allegations of securities fraud, environmental violations, public corruption, antitrust violations, economic espionage, and government contracting fraud. Doug lives in Pacific Palisades, California, with his wife, Caroline Wittcoff. They have three children, Jackson (T’25), Lauren (T’27), and Ryan.
Janice GaultJanice Gault
Janice A Gault (T’87, MD’91, P’24) is an Associate Surgeon for Wills Eye Ophthalmology Clinic, Wills Eye Hospital, and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. She teaches and has a clinical practice. She earned her bachelor’s and M.D. degrees from Duke. She has served on the Duke Annual Fund Advisory Board and the DukeEngage National Advisory Board and received the Duke Alumni Association award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. Her husband, James Vander, is a retina surgeon at Mid-Atlantic Retina at Wills Eye Hospital. They have three children: Caroline (T’24), William, and Eli.
Jennifer Hainsfurther SapersteinJennifer Hainsfurther Saperstein
Jennifer Hainsfurther Saperstein (T’05) is a partner in the Washington DC office of Covington & Burling LLP, where she serves as vice chair of the Anti-Corruption Group and a Managing Partner for Legal Personnel. Jennifer's practice focuses on advising clients on compliance issues arising under anti-corruption laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"). Jennifer also leads cross-cutting compliance projects to help companies build and improve their compliance programs across areas of regulatory expertise, and conducts internal investigations on issues related to workplace culture, diversity, and inclusion. Jennifer was recognized by Law360 as a 2020 "Rising Star" in Compliance.
Scott HaywardScott Hayward
Scott Hayward (P' 22, P' 25, P' 25) is the Chief Executive Officer, member of the Board of Directors, and Partner of GMO, a global investment management firm headquartered in Boston. Prior to joining GMO in 2017, Scott served as the CEO and Chairman of Quantitative Management Associates (QMA) for 11 years. Previously, he was Head of Client Relations at QMA and Jennison Associates (both affiliates of Prudential Financial, Inc.). Prior to joining Prudential in 2003, Scott was a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan, where he spent 16 years in a variety of roles in investment management, the investment bank, the private bank, and corporate functions. In addition to various corporate boards, Scott has served as the President of the Board of the Reeves-Reed Arboretum and Head of Strategy for the Board of Newark Academy, and he currently serves on the Board of Regents for Boston College and the Executive Advisory Board of Give to the World.
Ellen KollarEllen Kollar
Ellen Kollar (T’89, P’21, P’25) has served as general counsel for the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and for Mars, Inc., North America, and has also been in private practice at McDermott, Will & Emery in Chicago. She is a founding member of East Beach, LLC, a private investment company, and also of Towpath Productions, which produced an award-winning independent film, AKRON, in 2015. She served on the DukeEngage National Advisory Board and is an active member of the advisory board of the Gene Siskel Film Center, a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and an A.B. in Economics and History from Duke. She lives in Kenilworth, Illinois, with her husband Tim. They have three sons: Lou, Tim (E’21) and Frank (T’25).
Sonali MehtaSonali Mehta
Sonali Mehta (T’20) is one of two young alumni on the board and a J.D. candidate at Harvard Law School. She is working as a Legal Intern for the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Appellate Section. Prior to her work at the Justice Department, Sonali worked as a Legal Extern for Project Democracy in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a Legal Intern for the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, and a Pre-Law Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General of Virginia. Sonali graduated from Duke with degrees in Public Policy and Human Rights in 2020. Her thesis “Disclosure of Sexual Violence Since #MeToo, A Comparative Study of University Students in Chile, Nepal, and Jordan,” was awarded Highest Distinction by the Sanford School of Public Policy.
Danielle MooreDanielle Moore
Danielle Moore (T’85) earned her A.B. in history. At Duke, Ms. Moore served on the DukeEngage Advisory Board, the Leadership Gifts Committee, and as co-chair of her 30th reunion. Ms. Moore currently serves as president of the Palm Beach Town Council. She is president of the Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, vice president of Fortin Enterprises, Inc. and a director of both the Fortin Foundation of Florida and the Barker Welfare Foundation. Ms. Moore sits on the boards of many charitable organizations including The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County, Rosarian Academy (where she attended and her daughters currently go to school), Town of Palm Beach United Way, the Garden Club of Palm Beach, and Women’s Southern Golf Association.
Vincent PriceVincent Price
Vincent Price (chair, ex officio) is the President of Duke University and the Walter Hines Page Professor of Public Policy and Political Science. A leading global expert on public opinion, social influence, and political communication, Price came to Duke in 2017. As president, he also oversees Duke Health and one of the most successful collegiate athletics programs in the nation. Price previously served as Provost of the University of Pennsylvania and Professor of Political Science in the School of Arts and Sciences. Previously, he was at the University of Michigan as Chair of the Department of Communication Studies. He is a member of The National Humanities Center Board of Trustees. Price earned his PhD (1987) and MA (1985) in Communication from Stanford University and a BA magna cum laude (1979) in English from the University Honors Program at Santa Clara University.
Christine RamichChristine Ramich
Christine Warren Ramich (T’95) is an adolescent psychologist practicing in Matthews, North Carolina, where she evaluates and treats patients for depression, anxiety, stress, and anger, among other issues, through a variety of methods, including psychotherapy and talk therapy. She graduated from Duke in 1995 and earned her Ph.D. from Penn State University in 2001. She lives in Charlotte with her husband, Michael, and their children, James, Catherine (T’27), and Elizabeth.
Rodolfo RuizRodolfo Ruiz
The Honorable Rodolfo (“Rudy”) Ruiz II (T’02) is a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to his confirmation to the federal bench, he was a Circuit Court Judge for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida from 2014 through 2019, and a Miami-Dade County Court Judge from 2012 through 2014. Before entering judicial service, Judge Ruiz was an Assistant County Attorney with the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, where he represented Miami-Dade County and government employees in federal and state court at both trial and appellate levels. Judge Ruiz was also an associate with White & Case L.L.P., where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions, asset-backed financings, and general corporate matters.
Craig SapersteinCraig Saperstein
Craig Saperstein (T’95) is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. He assists clients in developing and implementing sophisticated government relations strategies at the federal and state levels that are geared to provide a demonstrable return on investment. Craig lobbies on behalf of corporate, nonprofit, foreign sovereign, and public sector clients in Congress, the Executive Branch, and state and local governments. He represents clients on a variety of policy issues, including financial services, cybersecurity, international trade, veterans, energy, economic development, transportation, and health care matters.
Kirsten VillersKirsten Villers
Kirsten Villers (T’01) spent her early career working in investment and commercial banking at J. P. Morgan and its legacy organizations. During her time at JPM, she worked for the CFO of Chase Commercial Banking, assisting in all aspects of supporting a $6 billion dollar business. Subsequently, Ms. Villers worked at Chase Capital, providing subordinated debt and equity capital to Chase customers. Recently, Ms. Villers served as the Board Chair to Great Lakes Academy (GLA), a public charter school in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. During her time on the Board, GLA expanded from K-2 to K-8 and currently serves almost 600 students. During this time, Ms. Villers oversaw the $3 million purchase and expansion of GLA's campus to deliver a new, state-of-the-art facility to its students and families. She also led the transition process of the school’s management from its founder to the current Executive Director. GLA continues to be a top-performing elementary school in the city. Ms. Villers earned a B.A. in Political Science from Duke, followed by her M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, with concentrations in Finance and Not-for-Profit Administration. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Ned, their three children and two dogs.
Priya Virmani RajpariaPriya Virmani Rajparia
Priya Virmani Rajparia is the owner and founder of Privee by Priya - a personal styling company based in Short Hills, NJ. Priya founded the business in 2017. Since starting the business, Priya has helped elevate the style of many C suite executives. She firmly believes that style is a key element in executive presence and lends to self confidence and success. Priya is also employed as a stylist by the prestigious Mall at Short Hills. Prior to starting this business, Priya has worked in financial services for 10+ years. She has an MBA from Case Western University. Priya has spent 5 years in Paris with her husband and 2 girls. She is an avid reader, home chef, traveler, and mah jongg player!
Sara Barron ZablotneySara Barron Zablotney
Sara Barron Zablotney (T’99) is a Partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She focuses her practice on the tax aspects of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and spin-offs, both domestic and cross-border. She also advises clients on the tax aspects of securities issuances, bankruptcy and restructuring, and investment fund formation. Sara was recognized as a 2014 “Rising Star” by Law360 for Tax Law, is listed in The Legal 500 U.S., and is listed as a “Recognized Practitioner” in the Chambers USA 2017 edition.