Myrna Adams

“The team members at The Forest are warm and friendly, and the mentoring program for new residents has been very welcoming.”

Though Myrna Adams has been at The Forest at Duke for not quite a year, she has been in Durham for more than twenty. She moved here from her hometown of Chicago, where she worked at the University of Illinois at Chicago as Associate Chancellor for Affirmative Action Programs. Myrna had planned to retire in Chicago until she got a call offering her the brand new position as Vice President for Institutional Equity at Duke University. Because of its social justice focus, and the challenge of making her own way in a new role, Myrna accepted the job.

After seven successful years at Duke, Myrna retired. She chose to live at The Forest at Duke because of its proximity to the university and the chance to be surrounded by academics, several of whom are former colleagues. At The Forest, Myrna has continued her commitment to social justice and education in her role as co-chair of the resident-led Diversity and Inclusion Collaborative, which recently hosted a training on implicit bias and a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration featuring retired state representative and civil rights activist Mickey Michaux.

When she’s not busy with the diversity committee and educational programs, she continues to be involved at Duke. Myrna also enjoys walking with her Miniature Schnauzer, Pepper.