Laurie Patton

Laurie Patton is the Dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences at Duke University. Dr. Patton came to Duke in 2011 from Emory, where she was the Charles Howard Candler professor of religions and the inaugural director of Emory’s Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in the office of the Provost. While at Emory, she served as chair of the religion department from 2000-2007, founded and co-convened the Religions and the Human Spirit Strategic Plan, and received the Emory Williams Award—Emory’s most prestigious honor for teaching—in 2005.

A graduate of Harvard (BA) and the University of Chicago (Ph.D.), Dr. Patton is an accomplished scholar and the author or editor of nine books on South Asian history, culture, and religion. In addition, she has translated the classical Sanskrit text, The Bhagavad Gita, and has published two books of poetry. She has lectured widely on interfaith issues, religion, and public life, and consulted with White House offices on faith-based initiatives as well as on civic engagement.  On July 1, Dr. Patton will become president of Middlebury College.