Washington, D.C, Sept. 23, 1999—Duke University ranks among the top 25 Peace Corps volunteer-producing universities and colleges in the Mid-Atlantic region. Today, a total of 21 grads from Duke are serving in the Peace Corps working to fight hunger, bring clean water to communities, teach children, start new small businesses, and stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Peace Corps recruiters, including two former Duke graduates, will visit Duke next Tuesday, Sept. 28, as part of the agency\'s fall recruitment campaign. There will be an information session for interested business students at the Fuqua School of Business at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, and a general information session for all students at 4 p.m. Tuesday, in Room 201 Flowers.
Currently, 1999 graduate Amanda Stolz is serving in Mali as a Health Educator, putting her certificate in Health Policy to work. She is helping the community improve its health and quality of life by increasing awareness of issues such as nutrition, breast-feeding and disease prevention. A 1998 graduate and former news editor at The Chronicle, Marsha Johnson, is teaching English in Cameroon.
"These Duke grads will be welcoming the new millennium in their country of service," said Peace Corps recruiter Jacquelin McKisson, a 1993 Duke graduate who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Estonia. "The Peace Corps and Duke share a strong relationship. We hope to continue this spirit in the months ahead as we work to recruit a new generation of Peace Corps volunteers."
Throughout the 38-year history of Peace Corps, 474 Duke alumni have worked as Peace Corps volunteers in the areas of education, health, business, agriculture, engineering and the environment, contributing to the development of 134 countries.
Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has sent over 155,000 trained volunteers overseas. The Peace Corps expects to have more than 7,000 volunteers to serve overseas in 77 countries this fall.