Wilson Center at Duke Law receives $5 million gift from alumnus Derek Wilson

The Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law School has received a $5 million gift from Derek Wilson ’86, M.B.A. ’90, P’15 and the Wilson Foundation. This new commitment renews his original $5 million gift in 2020 that helped establish the Center, which works to advance criminal justice and fairness through law and science. 

Since its launch, the Wilson Center has established itself as a national leader in evidence-based, nonpartisan research by working in partnership with Duke colleagues across numerous disciplines as well as community and governmental organizations. The Center's approach ensures that research translates directly into policy solutions and community impact. 

With this new gift, the Wilson Center will deepen its role as a trusted convener and source of data-driven solutions in a time of polarized debate, strengthen cross-campus and community collaborations, and expand opportunities for students and faculty to translate research into practice. 

“Derek Wilson’s philanthropic support and service as chair of the Wilson Center’s advisory board are models of strategic and thoughtful engagement with the university’s mission,” said Duke University President Vincent E. Price. “We are proud of the Wilson Center’s work and grateful to Derek for his continued commitment to making the center’s work possible.” 

Wilson said he is proud of what the center has accomplished and is eager to see its future growth. 

“Over the past five years, the Wilson Center has shown how Duke can bring people together across disciplines and across communities to find common ground and solutions grounded in research,” said Wilson. “I am honored to continue to support the center’s work, and I’m proud of the impact it has had—and will continue to have.” 

Since its inception, the Wilson Center has produced more than 100 academic articles, public-facing reports, and amicus briefs on pressing issues, including housing for individuals reentering after incarceration, and evaluations of diversion programs for substance use-related arrests. The Center also maintains interactive databases on DNA exonerations, life imprisonment, and driver’s license suspensions in North Carolina. It engages dozens of undergraduate, graduate, and law students each year across schools and disciplines so they can participate in hands-on research and policy projects, gaining unparalleled experience addressing challenges in the criminal legal system. 

“Derek’s renewed investment empowers us to build on the foundation we’ve laid and extend our reach as a model of what community-engaged, interdisciplinary research can accomplish,” said Brandon Garrett, the David W. Ichel Distinguished Professor of Law and faculty director of the Wilson Center. “This support enables us to pursue policy that improves criminal justice in North Carolina and beyond, while training the next generation of lawyers, researchers, and policymakers.” 

For Duke students, the Center’s collaborative approach creates unmatched opportunities for engagement with real-world issues that add critical perspective to what they learn in the classroom. 

“Through my work on clemency and parole with the Wilson Center, I got to see up close what a second chance can mean in someone’s life,” said Taylor Dempsey J.D. ’25. “It’s one thing to study these issues in the abstract, but it’s another to sit with a client, hear their story, and then think about how many others are facing the same barriers.” 

“From researching free phone distribution programs to updating housing and wellness resources for Durham residents, I saw firsthand how innovative, community-driven solutions can remove barriers to care,” Millie Evonlah ’25 said. “These lessons will stay with me as I pursue a career in medicine.” 

Duke Law School Dean Kerry Abrams also emphasized the Center’s unique role within the law school and the university. 

“The Wilson Center is a model for Duke Law’s commitment to rigorous scholarship, innovative teaching, and public service,” Abrams said. “Through Derek’s extraordinary generosity, our students gain experiences that prepare them to be thoughtful and impactful leaders, and our faculty collaborate across disciplines and communities to address some of society’s most urgent challenges.”