Nancy Allen
Nancy Allen was born Nancy Bates in Philadelphia, PA in 1952 but grew up near Richmond, Virginia. In 1970, she received an American Heart Association grant while working in the cardiac catheterization lab in Hunter Holmes McGuire Hospital in Richmond. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1974 and began medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, later transferring to Tufts in Boston. She completed her Internship and Residency at Duke, joining the Rheumatology faculty in 1980.
Dr. Allen began advocating for the recognition of women’s issues in the Department of Medicine and on the larger campus and eventually served on several committees in this capacity, including Chair of the Women’s Committee in the Department of Medicine for twelve years and as a member of the University Committee on Faculty Women.
She also served on the search committees for Duke President Richard H. Brodhead and Chancellor for Health Affairs Victor Dzau. A longtime member of the Duke Academic Council, she chaired the Council for three years and also served as the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development.
Dr. Allen has received a number of awards including:
- Eugene A. Stead Jr. Award from the Duke Housestaff for excellence in teaching (1986)
- Distinguished Faculty Award from the Duke University Medical Alumni Association (1996)
- Leonard Palumbo Jr. Faculty Achievement Award from the Duke University School of Medicine for excellence in clinical care, teaching and mentoring of young physicians (2004)
Dr. Allen is currently Professor Emeritus of Medicine, Duke Rheumatology and Immunology, where she continues to see patients in her Rheumatology practice.
Interview
This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Nancy Allen on November 10, 2006 by Jessica Roseberry.