Valerie Hausman
Associate Vice Provost for Duke Kunshan and Duke University Programming and Strategy
Valerie Hausman is Associate Vice Provost for Duke Kunshan and Duke University Programming and Strategy. Valerie works closely with DKU and Duke leadership, faculty and staff to coordinate the student experience for DKU undergraduate students coming to Duke. Her role includes coordination of academic, co-curricular, advising, infrastructure and student life related components, to ensure an exceptional student experience. In her previous role (2012-2018), Valerie served as the Associate Dean for Global Executive Education at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, where she managed Fuqua’s portfolio of Executive Education programs and a long-term strategic partnership with Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. From 2008-2011, Valerie coordinated Fuqua’s global strategy, working closely with teams in Europe, Russia, India, China and the Middle East to enable Fuqua to develop a meaningful presence in each of these regions. From 2005-2008, she served as Associate Director, Health Sector Management (HSM) at Fuqua, where she oversaw all aspects of the HSM Executive MBA programs.
Valerie’s experience prior to joining Duke University includes positions at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, Deloitte Consulting, Goldman Sachs and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Valerie is a member of the International Advisory Board of the Porto Business School in Portugal. She earned a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Julie Barker
Executive Director
Julie Barker is the executive director for the Duke Office of DKU Relations and also serves as secretary of the Duke Kunshan University Board of Trustees. Her career in higher education has spanned almost three decades and includes extensive international experience. Prior to joining Duke in June 2015, she served as chief operating officer at Texas A&M University's branch campus in Qatar. Before moving to the Middle East, she was assistant vice president and chief of staff in the Division of Research at Texas A&M. In this position, she coordinated all international activities for the Division with a focus on Asia, Latin America and Qatar. Julie played a principal role in organizing a major biennial conference series (2002-2009) focused on US – China relations for the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation. Julie has a longstanding interest in China and has been traveling there since the mid-1980s, both personally and professionally. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and an Executive MBA from HEC-Paris in Qatar.
Irina Adams
Director, DKU Student Engagement
Irina Adams is Director of DKU Student Engagement, working on academic, co-curricular and student life facets of study at Duke for DKU students, and managing other projects to advance the mission of the office. Irina coordinates across Duke and DKU to develop and implement student services and programs, and is the primary advisor to DKU students while at Duke. Irina also serves as advisor to the student group KSAC (Kunshan Student Ambassador Council), which fosters dialogue and serves as peer network for Duke-DKU students, as well as a college advisor to Duke students prior to major declaration. As Program Manager in the office between 2016-2019, Irina oversaw planning and execution of student and faculty programs and events, supported the work of the China Faculty Council, and managed communications.
Previously, Irina served for six years as an Assistant Director for Programs at DukeEngage, where she worked on planning and administration of civic engagement opportunities for Duke students in the U.S. and abroad. She managed a portfolio of 20 faculty and provider-led programs and directed independent projects, advising students on project design, managing admissions, and supporting students in the field. Irina has also worked in the administration of global health programs, high school exchange, as well as in marketing and communications. Irina holds a Master's in International Education from the School for International Training and undergraduate degrees in Chinese and Romanian from the University of Bucharest. She studied at Zhongshan University in Guangzhou, China, for two years as an undergraduate student. Irina is interested in student development and identity, in particular in relation to study abroad.
Shih-Hang Chou
Program Coordinator
Shih-Hang Chou is the program coordinator for the Duke Office of DKU Relations. She provides general administrative support to the office and is responsible for document management, logistics support and website development. Before joining the Duke Office of DKU Relations, Shih-Hang worked for the Duke Graduate School Admissions Office where she served as the point person for Duke Kunshan University graduate programs, including fielding inquiries about the application process, processing applications, verifying recommendations for admissions and managing the matriculation process for the incoming class. Shih-Hang has a B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature and an M.A. in Literature from National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan and a M.A. in Liberal Studies with specialization in East Asian Studies from Duke University.
Tracy Clouse
Assistant Director
Tracy Clouse is the assistant director for the Duke Office of DKU Relations. She directs the financial relationships and activities between Duke and DKU. Tracy’s 30-year career in finance has covered all aspects of fiscal management including system design, development, implementation and training, project management and financial reporting. Before joining Duke in October 2013, she worked at RTI International in various financial positions including Asia Regional Controller for the International Development Group with projects and staff in Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Vietnam and Thailand. Tracy was a member of a small team at RTI International responsible for rolling out a global accounting system to 60 international project offices. Born and raised abroad, Tracy feels fortunate to have a career that keeps her connected to the world. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Mary Washington.
Karen Kennea
Executive Assistant
Karen Kennea joined Duke in 2009 and serves as Executive Assistant to Associate Vice Provost for Duke Kunshan and Duke University Programming and Strategy, Valerie Hausman. She previously served as Executive Assistant for R. Sanders Williams, MD, (former Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dean of the School of Medicine and Senior Advisor on International Strategy to the President, Provost and Chancellor) and L. Gregory Jones, PhD (former Vice President and Vice Provost for Global Strategy and Programs).and former Associate Vice Provost for DKU Programs, Jim Dobbins. Prior to coming to Duke, Karen lived and worked in England for 21 years as a U.S. expat where she gained experience and a broad skill-set in corporate event coordination that included conferences, travel and special events. Karen also serves as Executive Assistant to Alfred Bloom, PhD, Executive Vice Chancellor at DKU, during his visits to the Durham campus.
Nazli Turkan-Sevik
Financial Analyst
Nazli Turkan-Sevik is the financial analyst for the Duke Office of DKU Relations. She is responsible for supporting the business and accounting functions of the unit, including reviewing Duke Kunshan University expenses and reconciling Duke Kunshan University fund codes, preparing invoices for Duke Kunshan University, monitoring cash balances in support corporation bank accounts and maintaining all financial records. Nazli started at Duke in July 2012 as an accounting specialist with the Office of Area Studies and International Studies and moved to the Office of the Provost in 2013 to support the growing DKU effort. Before moving to the US, Nazli worked for the University of Maryland, University College, European Headquarters in Germany as an accountant with responsibility for student accounts, bank accounts, payroll and cash management. Nazli has a Bachelor of Science in Economics and an MBA from Cukurova University in Turkey.
Joy Yang
Operations Coordinator
Joy Yang is the Operations Coordinator for the Duke Office of DKU Relations. She is responsible for supporting all immigration activities related to faculty, staff, and students to and from Duke Kunshan University. She manages the immigration process for DKU students coming to Duke University to ensure a smooth transition to the Duke campus. Before moving to the US, she was the Human Resources Mobility Manager at DKU where she led a small team responsible for immigration and relocation for faculty and staff from other countries to Kunshan, China. She has extensive experience in US and China immigration law and worked with a diverse international population. Joy has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Yangtze University in China.
Liguo Zhang, PhD
Academic Dean, DKU Undergraduate Students
Liguo Zhang is Academic Dean for DKU undergraduate students when they are at Duke. Liguo assists DKU students as they navigate the course selection and registration process before they come to Duke for study abroad and before they return to DKU after their study at Duke. When DKU students are at Duke, Liguo provides support and advice about Duke University academic policies and requirements and helps with academic difficulties and other issues such as academic planning, course withdrawals, and leaves of absence as needed. Liguo also assists faculty and senior academic leadership at Duke and DKU in further developing undergraduate curriculum and the hiring of faculty for the undergraduate program at DKU. Between 2017- 2019, he was the Director of Global Academic Programs Development in the office with primary responsibilities including DKU course development, DKU undergraduate curriculum development, and faculty planning. Previously, Liguo was the Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at DKU. In that role, he worked along with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on matters related to undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty affairs, and research administration. Liguo had worked at Duke for about six years before joining DKU in 2015, first as a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, and later as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine. Liguo earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Nankai University in China.
Yanan Zi
Student Services Coordinator
In her role as Student Services Coordinator, Yanan Zi is responsible for helping DKU students create meaningful experiences during their time at Duke and beyond.
At a young age, Yanan was fortunate enough to have many immersive experiences with people from diverse backgrounds through a local dance group from her hometown. Her cross-cultural interactions as a child inspired her to pursue a bachelor’s degree abroad where she majored in linguistics and was heavily involved in the international community at Ohio University. Yanan has previously worked in administrative roles for various Duke programs both in Durham and abroad. One of her recent career highlights was directing programs for a leading social enterprise in her home province of Yunnan, where she worked with US, European, Australian and Chinese collaborators in the field of creative film and biodiversity education. The most recent iterations of the film program resulted in selections and awards at serval international youth festivals, and, more importantly, gave local minority youth the opportunity to share their perspectives on a global platform.
Yanan joined the student engagement team in 2020.