In June 2025, Duke AERO took 19 undergraduate students to compete in the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) in Midland, TX. The annual competition welcomes over 150 collegiate teams from around the world to share technological milestones and launch their rockets.

This year, Duke AERO competed with “Perseus,” an 11-foot, 125-lb rocket designed and manufactured entirely in-house at Duke. Over 40 engineering students actively contributed to Perseus throughout the year-long design cycle. Perseus is powered by an O-class, student researched and developed (SRAD) solid motor. The motor delivers 35,000 Ns of impulse and 5.8 kN maximum thrust over an 8.4 second burn and is recognizable by its Duke blue flame. Perseus features four active control systems, a ground-breaking development in collegiate rocketry. The systems include variable-drag airbrakes to control final altitude, roll-stabilizing canard fins, and guided recovery of both the payload and main rocket. The deployable payload also contains a computer-vision gimbal camera system. Every component of Perseus was designed and fabricated by students, from SRAD flight computers and avionics to fiberglass body tube lay-ups performed in Duke maker spaces.

With Duke AERO’s goal of designing the most technically advanced rocket possible and making everything in-house, it was no surprise that the judges were impressed by Perseus. The judges commented on the complexity of the rocket and the high-fidelity integration of its systems. Other collegiate teams were also eager to hear more about the wide array of systems and projects the team worked on. Duke AERO was among a few teams selected to give a podium presentation on the team’s work. Team members presented on the rocket’s roll-stabilizing canard fins, an advancement very few collegiate teams have accomplished.

After the academic portion of the competition, Duke AERO passed all flight safety reviews and successfully launched Perseus! The rocket exited the rail smoothly and had an excellent motor burn. A minor structural issue caused the rocket to lose stability and undershoot its target apogee, but the team recovered all components of Perseus with minor damage.

Duke AERO is consistently recognized at competition for having advanced, complex, and well-built rockets. IREC 2025 gave students the opportunity to showcase the team’s work, learn from other collegiate rocketry teams, and connect with aerospace industry professionals. The team has already started planning for next year’s rocket and competition, while simultaneously continuing development of its liquid engine program.

FEMMES+ Summer Camp 2025 is an annual 4-day summer camp held on campus for rising 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students in the Durham community to expose them to different fields within STEM through engaging activities. Duke students worked over the summer to create a diverse week of programming and activities, ranging from designing bridges, learning about evolutionary adaptations and chemistry with cabbage juice among other experiments. Overall, the kids had a wonderful and well-rounded experience, and we look forward to having them return next summer!

In May 2025, BME students spent five days repairing medical equipment at Hospital Regional de Occidente in Xela and Hospital Bethesda in Olintepque, Guatemala.  

Students worked on repairing many devices including anesthesia machines, ultrasound systems, infant warmers, and a defibrillator.

During the first week of the academic calendar, Engineering Student Government (ESG) hosted the Pratt Activities Fair on the E-Quad!  This created an opportunity for students to learn about and become involved with the thirty Pratt recognized groups! 

On February 8-9, 2025, HackDuke hosted their annual iteration of the "Code for Good" hackathon in the Fuqua School of Business. We received over 550 applications and welcomed over 300 attendees from 13 schools across the U.S. (all increases from previous years), reflecting a notable expansion of interest beyond the Research Triangle institutions. After 24 hours of hacking, prizes were awarded to the winners and runners-up for each of our 4 tracks: health, finance, sustainability, and interactive media.

On April 19, 2025, HackDuke partnered with 8VC to host a day-long hackathon, challenging Duke students to build with Meta's Llama Stack. The top 3 projects were awarded $3.5k in cash prizes, plus an 8VC fellowship fast-track for the winners.

We look forward to building on our successes in 2026! Follow along at hackduke.org and on Instagram @hackduke.

Duke Cyber Club Reaps the Rewards From Competition Circuit Victories

The Duke Phishermen from the policy track were honored to win 1st place in both the Austin and DC Cyber 9/12 challenges this year. As part of our winnings, our team was given free passes to the 2024 Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas this summer. The Black Hat Conference is one of the most prominent and well-known cybersecurity events globally. It focuses on the latest trends, research, and innovations in the field of cybersecurity. The conference is a platform where security professionals, researchers, hackers, and government officials gather to discuss a wide range of topics related to cybersecurity, including vulnerabilities, exploits, and the latest defensive techniques.

We will be hosting exciting recruitment events for new members to gain exposure to our tech track and policy track for the upcoming year filled with competitions, opportunities to meet with professionals, and chances to travel and attend conferences. 

Duke Engineers for International Development (DEID) strengthens local and global connections through community-engaged research, transformative learning, and impactful STEM outreach opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff.  (DEID) led two projects this summer. 

DEID partnered with @dukeengage and @bhtf_uganda for the first summer project, located in Kaihura, Uganda. This is the second summer DEID is working towards constructing a secondary school which serves the surrounding community. @teamkaihura

This past summer, a group of students working within the (DEID) organization traveled to Toracarí, a rural town in Bolivia, to construct a pedestrian bridge. Partnering with Engineers in Action (EIA), which oversaw the project and helped coordinate teams at Virginia Tech and Texas A&M, the students spent the school year planning their project. In May, they launched into an intense six-week construction effort. Then, on June 22, the team and community joined in a celebration known as the entrega to commemorate the completion of the new bridge. Learn more about their experience: https://pratt.duke.edu/news/deid-bolivia-2024/   #dukeengineering @dukeuniversity