A graduate of Clemson University and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, Blake initially came to Duke as a mathematics graduate student in 1975, where he became one of the first winners of the L.P. and Barbara Smith Award for Excellence in Teaching. After earning his master’s degree in 1978, Blake became supervisor of first-year instruction for the mathematics department, an appointment that was intended to be temporary but in fact lasted 28 years. He received the Richard K. Lublin Distinguished Award for Teaching Excellence in 1993 and continues to find joy teaching undergraduates today.