Duke Lemur Center celebrates $2.5 million gift to fund Colony Curator role
Posted on August 10, 2026 by Mary Paisley, Development Director
The Duke Lemur Center (DLC) is proud to announce a transformational $2.5 million gift from Duke Trustee Michael G. Rhodes B.S.E. ’87 and Maureen C. Rhodes. Their generosity establishes the DLC’s first-ever endowed staff leadership position through the creation of the Rhodes Lemur Care Curatorship Fund, an endowment that will provide permanent support for the center’s Colony Curator role. This represents a historic investment in the people whose expertise and leadership are essential to the care and stewardship of the world’s most diverse population of lemurs outside Madagascar.
Michael and Maureen have a long history of leadership and support for Duke University. Maureen is a member of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens Board of Visitors. Both Michael and Maureen have served in other leadership roles for Duke, and are the parents of a 2019 Duke alumnus.
In 2016, the Rhodes made their first gift to the Duke Lemur Center, and they have been loyal friends and annual donors ever since. As they considered how they could make a significant investment to support an area of Duke that holds special meaning for them, the opportunity to create an endowed position at the DLC stood out.
“We are honored and excited to support the Duke Lemur Center’s extraordinary work,” Michael and Maureen Rhodes said in a shared statement. “The DLC is one of our favorite places at Duke because it brings together so many of the university’s strengths: advancing scientific discovery, helping conserve endangered species, providing world-class care for these remarkable animals as well as supporting the communities in which they live. What makes all of that possible is the talented and dedicated team behind the mission. Supporting the individuals whose expertise, leadership, and compassion sustain the DLC every day made this endowment a perfect fit for us.”
For Greg Dye, executive director of the Duke Lemur Center, the gift represents a landmark moment for the organization. “We are deeply honored to have the Rhodes name linked with the Duke Lemur Center in such a meaningful and lasting way,” said Dye. “Caring for and managing the largest and most diverse population of lemurs outside of Madagascar is both a privilege and a tremendous responsibility. Thanks to the Rhodes’ extraordinary generosity, we can now ensure that the strong leadership required to maintain the highest standards of animal care will be supported for generations to come.”
Inspired by Duke University’s history of meaningful gifts supporting endowed positions such as professorships, the DLC developed similar opportunities for donors to permanently support key leadership roles vital to its mission. Endowments provide a permanent source of funding, generating revenues for annual support while preserving principal for the future. They help ensure long-term stability and allow organizations to sustain their impact over time. The Rhodes Lemur Care Curatorship Fund is the first of these opportunities to be realized—and a powerful example of how philanthropy can strengthen the center’s mission for generations.
“Every day, our staff’s expertise, commitment, and compassion make it possible for the Duke Lemur Center to fulfill its mission,” said Dye. “Endowments like this ensure that excellence is not dependent on a single year, a single budget, or a single generation of supporters. The Rhodes family’s generosity creates a legacy of care that will benefit lemurs and the people who protect them for decades to come.”
Learn more about the Duke Lemur Center’s endowments and current giving priorities.
Questions? Contact Mary Paisley, Development Director, at mary.paisley@duke.edu or (919) 401-7252.