About
Offering some of the most popular and sustained faculty and student engagement opportunities such as FLUNCH, Duke Conversations, and Spring Breakthrough, the Student-Faculty Engagement Office curates and maintains programs that foster relationship building for faculty and students.
The office is predicated on the belief that student and faculty interactions beyond the classroom are crucial to the Duke Academic Strategic Plan and that every student deserves this promise.
We curate spaces framed around our Duke Values in order to build and maintain opportunities that are inclusive and welcoming for all students and faculty. Our mission is to break down barriers of belonging for our students and faculty. Join us in the connection movement!
Our Team
Theo Cai
Program Coordinator, Office of Student-Faculty Engagement
Theo Cai, ’21, hails from Dallas Texas. He majored in Environmental Science and Policy and minored in Creative Writing, and worked at the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity as a student. After graduation, Theo spent two years as the Nowicki Fellow for Student Engagement in OUE, and since 2023 works as a program coordinator in the Office of Student-Faculty Engagement in the Division of Intellectual Community. In his free time, he loves reading poetry and playing pickleball.
Sydney Reid
Spark Fellow
Sydney Reid is the Student-Faculty Engagement Office’s Spark Fellow. In this role, she designs and coordinates programming that fosters student belonging, intellectual curiosity, and purpose—particularly among second-year students. Through cross-campus collaboration and partnerships with faculty, staff, and student leaders, Sydney supports initiatives that enrich the undergraduate experience and build inclusive intellectual communities. As a higher education professional, she brings a strong foundation in student development and program coordination and is deeply committed to creating meaningful co-curricular experiences for diverse student populations.
Outside of work, Sydney enjoys reading, relaxing by the pool, lake, or ocean, learning new hobbies, and watching college basketball—especially during March Madness.