ANNOUNCEMENT
THE TORCH CLUB OF DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL
Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC
Curt Richardson, Presiding
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Opening Social Time/ Wine Reception: 6:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Dinner: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Introduction: Dr. Gary Gereffi, Program Chair
Speaker Presentation/Q&A: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Speaker: Ms. Marissa Young, Head Softball Coach, Duke
Presentation Topic: Building Winners
Brief Biographical Sketch:
Marissa Young, Duke softball’s inaugural head coach since 2015, has transformed the program into a national powerhouse. Under her leadership, Duke has won two ACC Championships, made five NCAA tournament appearances, reached three Super Regionals, and advanced to its first Women’s College World Series in 2024. A former three-time All-American pitcher at Michigan and Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Year, Marissa is also a dedicated wife and mother of four, known for her resilience, leadership, and unwavering commitment to excellence on and off the field.
Before being tapped to build the Duke softball program, Young spent the prior two seasons across town at UNC- Chapel Hill, where her primary responsibilities included coaching the pitchers and catchers.
Young spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan, where she served as the compliance liaison, recruiting coordinator and managed team travel and the operational budget, among other duties. She helped coach five Academic All-America picks and five player of the week selections during her tenure at Eastern Michigan.
ANNOUNCEMENT
THE TORCH CLUB OF DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL
Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC
Curt Richardson, Presiding
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Opening Social Time/ Wine Reception: 6:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Dinner: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Introduction: Dr. Gary Gereffi, Program Chair
Speaker Presentation/Q&A: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Heather Whitson, Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at the Duke School of Medicine and Director of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development
Presentation Topic: What’s new in Alzheimer’s research, and what’s around the corner?
Brief Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Heather Whitson is a clinical investigator and geriatrician who specializes in diagnosing and managing cognitive disorders. She is a Professor of Medicine and Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience at Duke University. She is the Director of the Duke Aging Center and co-Director of the Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Her research focuses on physical resilience and multiple chronic conditions, and she has particular expertise in how aging biology and comorbidities affect the brain. With over 150 scientific publications, her work has improved outcomes for people with or at risk of sensory, mobility, and cognitive impairments. She has been quoted in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Scientific American and other major media outlets. She is a recipient of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Yoshikawa Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement and member of the AGS Board of Directors. She co-chairs the Alzheimer’s Association’s international panel for Clinical Practice Guidelines for the use of blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Heather is the daughter of Turner and Caroline Whitson and the daughter-in-law of Louise Maynor.
Previous Meetings
THE TORCH CLUB OF DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL
Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC
Curt Richardson, Presiding
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Opening Social Time/ Wine Reception: 6:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Dinner: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Speaker Presentation/Q&A: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Introduction: Curt Richardson
Speaker: Deborah Rutter, Vice Provost of the Arts at Duke and former president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Presentation Topic: The durability of art & culture in the age of uncertainty
Biographical Sketch: (source: Duke website)
Deborah F. Rutter, the former president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., is vice provost for the arts at Duke.
“Deborah Rutter is one of the nation’s most accomplished arts leaders,” according to Provost Gallimore. “Throughout her career, Deborah has set the standard for connecting art and culture to diverse audiences and communities, through innovative programming and by ensuring operational excellence in the organizations she has led.
Gallimore continued that “Her expertise and vision will lift the arts to a new level of impact at Duke as a central part of our educational mission ‘to engage the mind and elevate the spirit’ and a means to forge partnerships with our surrounding community. I am thrilled that Deborah will lead the future of the arts at Duke.”
Ms Rutter adds that “It has been my life’s passion to enable the extraordinary talents of artists to inspire, challenge, console, delight and invigorate us through the free expression of their art, and to facilitate broad accessibility to the transformative experiences they make possible,” said Rutter. “It is an immense honor to have the opportunity to now continue this work at Duke University, in partnership with its vibrant student and faculty population, as well as the greater Durham and North Carolina communities.
“Duke is highly regarded for its belief in innovation and creative thought leadership. The opportunity to collaborate across the campus to support strong, thoughtful, cultural leaders through increased arts programming, interdisciplinary programs and creative initiatives is a dream come true.”
Rutter was recognized by the University as “one of the leading voices in arts administration” when she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree in 2023. Her Duke ties also include a stint as a guest lecturer and seeing her daughter Gillian Card graduate from Trinity College of Arts & Sciences in 2020. Rutter holds a bachelor’s degree in music and German from Stanford University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.
Prior to her tenure at the Kennedy Center, Rutter held executive leadership roles with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also served as co-chair of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Arts and continues to serve on its board of directors.
THE TORCH CLUB OF DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL
Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC
Curt Richardson, Presiding
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Opening Social Time/ Wine Reception: 6:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Dinner: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Speaker Presentation/Q&A: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Speaker: Mr. Edwyn Tiryakian, M.B.A. and Visiting Associate Professor of Markets and Management Studies
Introduction: Curt Richardson
Presentation Topic: The professionalization of amateur sports: How NIL and the Portal have forever changed college athletics
Brief Biographical Sketch: (source: Duke website)
Ed Tiryakian is somewhat of a favorite son returning home to Duke and the Durham community after a distinguished career in investment banking. Ed graduated with honors from Duke University with a BA in Economics and Russian and received his Master’s in Business Administration with honors from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He is currently Visiting Associate Professor of Markets and Management Studies. He was recently honored for his teaching excellence:
“The Department of Sociology congratulates Professor Edwyn (Ed) Tiryakian, Lecturing Fellow of Markets and Management, on being named one of the top undergraduate instructors in the Social Sciences. These faculty are ranked in the top 5% for at least 2 of 3 categories, including: Overall Quality of Course, Overall Quality of Instructor, Intellectual Stimulation of Course.
Professor Tiryakian is the son of Edward Tiryakian, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Duke University, and he says of his father “…of course he takes all the credit for my achieving this. He takes credit every time!”
Most recently, Ed presented at the National Symposium on Intercollegiate Athletics, contributing to the panel “Balancing the Game and Transitioning to Life: Student-Athlete Engagement, Mental Health, and NIL in an Evolving Landscape of Intercollegiate Athletics.”
Ed’s father and mother, Professors Tiryakian, were lifelong members of the Durham/Chapel Hill Torch Club and mentored many of us as new members over the years.
In his early career, Ed was employed by Argentum as Director of all Private Banking services for retail and institutional clients. Prior to joining Argentum, Ed spent 15 years at UBS/Paine Webber and achieved Paine Webber’s highest designation of First Vice President and Chairman’s Council. He previously spent 6 years at EF Hutton where he managed the most profitable office in Hutton’s Southern Region. Ed was also president of The Legends Sports Group until it was sold. LSG concentrated on financial management and contract negotiations and included clients such as Christian Laettner, Brian Davis and Johnny Dawkins
THE TORCH CLUB OF DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL
Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC
Curt Richardson, Presiding
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Opening Social Time/ Wine Reception: 6:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Dinner: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Speaker Presentation/Q&A: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Speaker: Dr. Toddi Steelman, Vice President and Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability, Duke
Introduction: Curt Richardson
Presentation Topic: A New Climate for Climate Change
Biographical Sketch:
Dr. Toddi Steelman serves as the Vice President and Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability at Duke University. In this role, she leads the Duke Climate Commitment – a university-wide initiative that unites education, research, operations, and public service to fully engage the Duke community in developing and implementing solutions to climate change.
Dr. Steelman is internationally recognized for her research expertise in wildland fire. An elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Steelman explores how can people, communities, and institutions work better together to respond to complex problems—especially when the stakes are high, the science is uncertain, and the solutions require collaboration across sectors. For over 25 years, she has studied how governments, agencies, and communities navigate challenges like wildfires, natural disasters, and climate change. Her work reveals how trust, communication, and shared decision-making lead to more effective emergency responses and more resilient systems.
From 2018 to 2023, Dr. Steelman was the Stanback Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment, where she led transformative work in environmental education, interdisciplinary research, and community impact. She is a past president of the International Association of Wildland Fire. She has delivered invited keynote addresses across the globe – including in Portugal, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the U.S. and has contributed to the Royal Society (UK) and the National Academy of Sciences (US). She is the author of four books and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. Her commentary has also appeared in major outlets including Nature, The Globe and Mail, The Hill, and the Los Angeles Times. She sits on the Boards of the World Wildlife Fund and the Research Triangle Institute.
Plans for Torch Club speaker series, 2025-2026
Croasdaile Country Club, Durham, NC
President, Durham chapter: Curt Richardson, (Past president: Caroline Whitson)
Vice President: David Durack
Membership Chair: Rod Gerwe
Program Coordinator: Gary Gereffi
Secretary: Louise Maynor
Treasurer: Doc Muhlbaier
| DATE | SPEAKER | POSITION | TOPIC |
| Sept. 17, 2025 | Toddi Steelman | Vice President and Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability, Duke University. Former dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment (2018-2023), Duke | A new climate for climate change? |
| Oct. 15 | Edwyn Tiryakian | M.B.A. and Visiting Associate Professor of Markets & Management Studies program at Duke | The professionalization of amateur sports: How NIL and the Portal have forever changed college athletics |
| Nov. 19 | Deborah Rutter | Vice Provost of the Arts at Duke and former president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. | The durability of art & culture in the age of uncertainty |
| Dec. 17 | Heather Whitson | Distinguished Professor in Neuroscience at the Duke School of Medicine and Director of the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development | What’s new in Alzheimer’s disease, and what’s around the corner? |
| Jan. 21, 2026 | Marissa Young | Head coach, Duke women’s softball program (2018-present) | Building winners |
| Feb. 18 | Dorian Bolden | Founder & CEO of Beyu Group, Inc. and Duke alum (2002) | From Wall Street to Black Wall Street: Reimagining capitalism for the collective good |
| March 18 | Daniel Vermeer | Executive Director, Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) and Associate Professor of the Practice, Fuqua School of Business, Duke | Wired for disruption: The AI revolution and its fault lines |
| April 15 | Joseph Gulla | IT Consultant, Publishing Executive and Thought Leader and Writer | Business Machines for Enterprise Computing |
| May 20 | Vicki Ehrhardt | Program Development; The Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning and Quest for Learning, Senior Education | Critical thinking in the 21st century |
Durham-Chapel Hill Torch Club 