Duke Management Academy Scholars

Heather Adams

Title: Director of Finance
Department: Center for Translational Science
Entity:
Class Year: 2025

Bio:
Heather was born and raised in Durham and graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Accounting. She worked in the private sector before coming to Duke, specifically in manufacturing and clinical research organizations, where her focus was writing processes and procedures for various financial activities. Heather started at Duke in 2016 and worked in the central School of Medicine Finance office as a Financial Analyst before moving to the Department of Cell Biology as the Administrative Director. Heather joined the Duke CTSI in 2024 as the Director of Finance where she leads a team of two Financial Analysts and gives oversight to members of the grant staff that support CTSI. Her team's focus is providing financial guidance and streamlining processes that will create more efficiencies within the CTSI.

Outside the office, Heather likes to spend her time outdoors with her family playing baseball, volleyball, and soccer, watching the koi fish and hummingbirds in her backyard, and relaxing at the beach while looking for seashells.