ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ

Step Afrika, a critically acclaimed professional company best known for promoting an understanding and appreciation of stepping and the tradition's use as an educational tool for young people worldwide, comes to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ on Wednesday night for a 7 p.m. show in McCrary Theatre.

Andi Cochran wanted to spend her final months before college investing in a worthwhile project, so when the incoming ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ freshman used her high school graduation money to buy toys for patients at Duke Children’s Hospital, she knew her actions represented more than a gift – they were a “thank you” to an institution that touched her own life.

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ President Leo M. Lambert used his annual “State of the University” address on Monday to share details of the university’s draft strategic plan that was developed over the summer. Lambert said that many in the ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ community believe that the university has “a special destiny” to make important contributions to the landscape of American higher education.

ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ continues its position of national prominence in the 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” rankings released Aug. 20 by US News & World Report. Again this year, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ is named by the magazine as the top “up-and-coming” university in the nation on a list of 77 schools that are “leading the pack in improvements and innovative changes.” And in a new US News ranking, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ is ranked among the nation’s top schools for its strong faculty commitment to undergraduate teaching.