A Heart for Students, A Vision for the World: Honoring Dr. Dennis Clements
Dr. Dennis Clements poses with students after his final class at Duke. As he retires after decades of teaching, this moment captured the joy, admiration, and community he’s cultivated through a lifetime of service. Photo Credit: Alicia Banks, DGHI
After decades of teaching, mentoring, and serving communities from Durham to Honduras, Dr. Dennis Clements is retiring from Duke—leaving behind a legacy deeply rooted in global health, service, and a profound love of teaching.
Known for his chocolate brownies, warm presence, and sharp intellect, Clements has made his mark by helping students bridge classroom learning with real-world challenges across continents. From his early international experiences in Okinawa and Switzerland to his pioneering work in Honduras, his global perspective has shaped generations of Duke students.
"I've always loved doing medicine as a way to find out about people—how people live and who they are," Clements once shared. "I came to appreciate that people were the same all over the world except for the fact that they were born in a different place."
This belief has made him not just a colleague, but a treasured member of Duke's service-learning community. For more than two decades, Clements has been one of Duke's strongest advocates for community-engaged learning, serving as chair of the Faculty Advisory Board of the Duke Office of Civic Engagement where he brought together faculty from all ten Duke schools, and taking on key leadership roles in faculty governance through both Academic Council and Arts & Sciences Council.
For years, Clements has taught two innovative service-learning courses: the Global Health Capstone (GLHLTH 499) and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Global Health(I&E 590) course, giving students opportunities to partner with healthcare innovators worldwide. His project-oriented teaching approach engages students in examining global health problems through research on historical and contextual factors, data analysis, and substantial public-facing presentations. From developing immunization registries in Honduras to revamping social media platforms for hospitals in India, his courses challenge students to collaborate deeply with the communities they serve.
"One of the most beautiful things about Dennis is his love for students and the ethos of caring that he brings to his work," says Dr. David Malone, founding director of Duke Service-Learning. "Whether it's before, during, or after class, at a flunch, or working alongside students at SEEDS or other community organizations, Dennis welcomes and invites students into a relationship of trust – a relationship based on unconditional positive regard."
Clements' own journey exemplifies his belief in practical engagement. He lived among Ugandan people as a medical student under Idi Amin's regime, built a clinic in the mountains of Honduras that continues to serve people today, and served as interim director of Duke's Global Health Institute from 2020-2022.
"Dennis has continuously centered the community in his work—truly exhibiting how to work in solidarity with communities," says Joan Clifford, Director of Duke Service-Learning, who worked with Clements in 2022 on the health outreach component of the interdisciplinary course Exploring Medicine in Other Cultures: Honduras. "Whether he was speaking with a community member who had walked 4 hours to receive medical treatment or chatting with a hospital administrator, Dennis exuded purpose and openness. It was clear that locals eagerly awaited visits from the Duke groups each year. His sustained partnerships make it possible for Duke students to conduct research and participate in medical brigades side by side with local staff and medical personnel."
His interdisciplinary approach—bringing together computer science students, engineers, and global health majors—creates comprehensive solutions that no single perspective could achieve alone.
"I love having computer science and engineers in the class because they think differently," Clements explains. "They provide solutions that nobody on the side that I'm typically on would have even thought about."
But perhaps his most enduring legacy is his approach to relationships. "I'd rather be known as a humanist," he once reflected, emphasizing his commitment to the inherent value and wisdom each person brings to collaborative work.
As we celebrate Clements' retirement and his extraordinary contributions to Duke and beyond, we recognize that his impact extends far beyond campus. It lives in the community partnerships he built, the students he empowered, and the clinic he helped establish in the mountains of Intibucá, Honduras, which continues to serve the community with healthcare professionals.
Photo Credit: Alicia Banks, DGHI
"Perhaps Dennis's most endearing quality – and the thing many of us love best about him – is the smile, humor, and grace that he brings to every interaction," reflects Malone. "Dennis has a certain lightness of being and seriousness of purpose that lifts up and inspires everyone."
Thank you, Dennis, for showing us that community-engaged learning isn't an add on—it's essential. You've demonstrated what it means to lead with both head and heart, and for that, we remain deeply grateful.
