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ECO-FRIENDLY PARKING GARAGE A 1,920-space garage will open near Erwin Road and Research Drive in January, giving employees more options.
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NEWS YOU CAN USE
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COMPLETE BENEFITS PACKAGE Personalized benefits statements will arrive soon. Hear from employees about the value of working at Duke.
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SUSTAINABLE DUKE Duke is exploring carbon offsets to become carbon neutral, improve North Carolina’s environment and create renewable energy sources.
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April 2009
Growing In Troubled Times DESPITE GREAT DEPRESSION OF 1930S, DUKE PERSEVERED
The Chapel capped a massive seven-year building spree that created the new Duke University. At slightly more than $21 As markets crashed in the early 1930s, the Chapel rose, completing a $21 million building boom at Duke and million (the equivalent of more than $250 million today), the setting the stage for a decade of growth. renovation of the Trinity campus and creation of the new gothic campus was the largest construction project undertaken n times of economic turmoil, Duke in the South up to that time. has survived – and even thrived. Duke’s quick growth gained national Five years after James B. Duke created The most attention. A TIME article in 1931 noted The Duke Endowment in 1924, formally prodigious “31 separate structures” and described the establishing “an institution of learning to be new educational campus as “the most prodigious new educational known as Duke University,” the Great project in the land this century – Duke Depression hit. project in the land University, now nearly complete though little During the 1930s, Duke made sacrifices, this century” is how grass yet grows on its sandy campus, no ivy on its but it also completed its transformation from TIME magazine neo-Gothic walls of soft-colored fieldstone.” the small, regional Trinity College of the “All is modern, thoroughly equipped, early 20th century to a world-renowned described the Duke efficient,” the magazine said. “In the students’ research university, complete with a new campus and its union are shiny dish-washing and potato-peeling hospital, new schools of medicine, nursing, construction boom. machines. In the theatre is the latest cinema for engineering and forestry, and expanded 150. The stadium seats 35,000.” schools of religion and law. Nanaline Duke, widow of James B. The construction of the campus provided work The economic insecurity of that time Duke and the only woman trustee for for Durham residents, and many trained stonemasons didn’t derail Duke from its pursuit of Duke University, is featured on the from Italy. These construction jobs were a boon when excellence, a standard President Richard H. the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor estimated Brodhead has touched on in recent months. cover, at right, in April 1931. that total unemployment in North Carolina had He has encouraged faculty and staff to regard reached 22 percent. the current economic downturn as “a time of After the completion of the Chapel, even more challenge, not of retreat.” buildings rose. Baker House opened to house nursing students; Duke “I think President Brodhead is echoing what President Few felt during Gardens took shape; and Few Quad was built to provide housing for the the 30s,” said Tim Pyatt, Duke University archivist. “President Few had a influx of graduate students. vision that even during hard times, higher education had the opportunity “The construction of Duke was a huge effort during a time when most to keep things moving and expanding.” of the country was not building,” Pyatt said.
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National Attention
The unquenchable optimism of Duke in the 1930s is captured in an iconic picture taken nearly two years after the 1929 stock market crash: Duke Chapel rising on the west end of the quad.
2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
>> See GROWING IN TROUBLED TIMES, PAGE 5
This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
Editor’s Note LEANORA MINAI Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
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on’t miss the cover story this month, “Growing In Troubled Times.” The article, packed with interesting facts and narrative gathered from our University Archives, takes readers on a journey to the Great Depression, a time of transformation for Duke University. Did you know the gothic campus rose during that time of economic turmoil? Or, that a new hospital and new schools of medicine, nursing, engineering and forestry were born? A TIME article about Duke in April 1931, “In a Carolina Forest,” noted “31 separate structures—except the great chapel which is rising opposite where the asphalt avenue sweeps into the clearing.” Sure, sacrifices were made. Duke trimmed salaries, including the pay of former Duke President William Preston Few. But as noted in our Working@Duke story, the spirit of the people at Duke remained strong. And now, we face the most severe economic downturn since the 1930s. As Duke President Richard H. Brodhead has said, this is “a time of challenge, not of retreat.” Take this opportunity to be part of the creative and strategic process by visiting a new Duke website, “Enduring A Troubled Economy,” where you can join the conversation by offering suggestions about how Duke might improve efficiency and cut costs. We’ve received a variety of ideas from students, faculty and staff ranging from adjusting the thermostat in the summer to getting the lowest prices from vendors for products and services. Submit your idea at duke.edu/economy.
Newsbriefs University Implements New Vacancy Management Process As part of the effort to address Duke’s budgetary challenges, the University has initiated a process to better manage existing vacancies and recruitment of all staff positions. The new Vacancy Management Model has two components: first, Duke Human Resources requests that each unit re-validate the need for all currently open positions. Deans and vice presidents have been asked to review a list of open positions within their schools and operating units to determine which positions should close without filling and those for which recruitment will continue. The second component requires approval in advance by Provost Peter Lange, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III, or their designee before a staff position is posted. All postings for staff positions require submission of a Vacancy Management Approval Form prior to posting the position. Schools and departments should continue to follow their normal internal process for opening a requisition before submitting the approval form. The review process is slightly different for the School of Medicine and requires a different form. Both forms are available on the Manager section of the Forms page of the Human Resource website at: hr.duke.edu/forms/vacancy.html. For additional information, contact Sally Allison at sally.allison@duke.edu or (919) 681-8680.
Flower power, expert advice Duke staff and faculty can get a jumpstart on the annual plant sale at Sarah P. Duke Gardens from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 24. A valid DukeCard ID is required during the special pre-sale. The festival itself is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 25 and features flowers, herbs and other plants, along with vendors. Admission is free.
Get smart: save fuel, cut emissions Help reduce Duke’s carbon footprint by using ecofriendly transportation such as riding a bus, carpooling or walking to work during the 2009 Smart Commute Challenge, a six-week campaign from April 15 to May 30. Along with reducing traffic congestion and emissions, participants can win an array of prizes. In 2008, 450 Duke employees used alternative transportation during the Smart Commute Challenge, an annual campaign coordinated by Triangle Transit and SmartCommute@rtp. For details, visit SmartCommuteChallenge.org To find Duke carpool buddies, purchase discount local and regional bus passes or learn about other commuting options, visit parking.duke.edu
Duke wins award for diversity program Duke’s ongoing commitment to support diversity in the local community received recent recognition by the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council, a non-profit organization that facilitates the development of business relationships with minorityowned enterprises. The organization selected Duke’s Supplier Diversity Program for its Supplier Diversity Award for 2008 Corporation of the Year. Duke’s Procurement and Supply Chain Management oversees the Duke Supplier Diversity Program, one of many strategic Duke efforts to help diverse businesses, such as minority-owned Durham companies, grow locally and globally. “Through our outreach efforts and community participation initiatives, we have not only helped grow diverse businesses but have also lessened our dependence on the transport of goods and services from outside our region,” said Mary Crawford, associate director of Procurement and Supply Chain Management. To learn more about the Duke Supplier Diversity Program, visit www.procurement.duke.edu or call (919) 613-8352 for personalized department guidance.
Letters to the Editor must include name and contact information. E-mail letters to working@duke.edu or mail them to Working@Duke Editor, Box 90496, Durham, NC 27708. Fax letters to (919) 681-7926. Please keep length to no more than 200 words.
New eco-friendly parking garage to open on campus next year 1,920-space parking garage will open on campus by January, giving employees more parking options, while freeing up spaces to reduce some waiting lists. The Sands Parking Garage by the corner of Erwin Road and Research Drive is expected to open spaces in nearby PG-II, LaSalle Street, Hock Plaza and Circuit Drive – parking lots that are currently sold out. With more than 1,800 people on waiting lists to gain access to the lots, the addition of the new parking garage can potentially allow many employees on waiting lists to gain access to a parking garage near the medical campus, said Melissa Harden, assistant director of Parking and Transportation Services. “Parking anywhere at Duke is in high demand and in short supply,” Harden said. “The most highly demanded parking is in the research sector of campus, where the garage is being built. This is going to help relieve some parking congestion.” The new seven-level garage, which will be considered for a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation, will have one level for visitor and Eye Center patient parking; the rest is for employees and students. A permit will cost $62.50 a month, the same premium rate for seven other parking locations at Duke.
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Top: A rendering of what Sands parking garage will look like when finished by January 2010. Bottom: Sands under construction.
Want to park in Sands? ■ Reserve a space on a firstcome, first-served basis by sending e-mail to Tranpark@notes.duke.edu. ■ After all permits are reserved, a waitlist will begin. ■ Permit payments begin when the garage opens in January 2010.
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A special “reserved” level will be available for $96.50 a month, the same rate as the Bryan Research Garage on Research Drive. In an effort to make the garage LEED certified, the garage will include unique “green” aspects such as: ■ Two 10,000 gallon cisterns that collect rainwater and re-use it for watering landscaping ■ Overhead canopies that can grow plants to provide shade on the roof ■ Parking spaces with electrical outlets for re-charging hybrid vehicles “It would be quite an honor to achieve a LEED certification since no parking garage in the United States has achieved the goal to date,” said Dudley Willis, project manager for the construction. Willis added that Duke is installing a LED lighting system in the garage that would use less power than commonly used overhead fixtures seen around campus. — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Reading between the lines
Professional Development
BOOK CLUB PROVIDES FREE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT onversation flowed freely in a small conference room as eight Duke staff members discussed, “One Minute Manners: Quick Solutions to the Most Awkward Situations You'll Ever Face at Work.” The employees, gathered for Duke’s Professional Development Institute (PDI) Book Club, chuckled as they swapped stories about embarrassing office situations. An e-mail addressed to Mrs., although the recipient was a man named Terry. An important document sent to a supervisor with misspelled words. A chatty co-worker who seemed a bit too flirtatious. “We’ve all had awkward moments at work, but the key is knowing how to handle them before they happen,” said CT Woods-Powell, an education and outreach coordinator who oversees the PDI Book Club. The club, open to staff and faculty, meets every other month and allows members to hone public speaking skills, expand their network and learn from each other. The book club provides an opportunity for
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professional development that does not cost more than the price of a book – or trip to a library. “Not only is the club a wonderful professional development tool, but it’s a great way to learn about other resources at Duke such as benefits and continuing education opportunities,” Woods-Powell said. During the next meeting April 15, club members will discuss the New York Times best seller, “What Should I Do with My Life?” by Po Bronson. Cheryl Noga joined the club two years ago and has used tips and instructions from about a dozen book club selections to refine her professional and personal goals by focusing on her strongest skills. “It motivates me to think about my career plan,” said Noga, a program coordinator at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy. “Plus, it’s been a great way for me to meet people from different parts of Duke whom I probably would never have met otherwise.” Without the club, Noga said, she’d probably be less likely to read careeroriented books.
On A Shoestring
“Taking a step back from the dayto-day hustle and bustle of daily living is not always an easy thing to do, but I found that having an assignment to read a book by a specific deadline helped me to do just that,” she said. “I have learned through much of what we have done in the book club that professional development is a process, and perhaps a lifelong one, which I hope to enjoy along the way.”
Duke employee Cheryl Noga, right, attends the Professional Development Institute Book Club with other staff.
The club's April 15 selection “What Should I Do with My Life?” is a New York Times best seller.
— By Missy Baxter Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services
hr.duke.edu/pdi/bookclub.html
Curbing campus property thefts with
‘Gotcha’
o prevent thefts at Duke, the Duke University Police Department is offering a surprise inspection program called “Gotcha.” During inspections of targeted areas, patrolling Duke officers check if doors are locked and if personal items are left unattended. When officers find an ideal situation for a larceny, they leave a specialized comment card to let the owners know they are at risk. “Throughout the years, larcenies are by far the number one crime problem we have on campus,” said Duke Police Maj. Gloria Graham. In 2007, there were 487 larcenies at Duke; in 2008, there were 607, an increase of about 25 percent. That prompted Duke Police to conduct more Gotcha initiatives across campus to combat these crimes that involve property worth less than $1,000. Most recently, Gotcha visited West Campus, where officers focused attention on high-traffic areas like the Bryan Center and Perkins Library. Duke officers have left notes in those areas with the intention of getting Duke community members to think twice before leaving personal property unattended. Open areas tend to be more susceptible to larcenies, police said, because people leave personal items like purses, laptops and cash unattended. Offices and residences that are left open or unlocked are also targets for thefts, police said. Officer Aaron Muscle, who conducted the Gotcha initiative in the Bryan Center and Perkins, said a majority of property thefts are “crimes of convenience” because
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SAFETY FIRST
people make it easy for someone to simply walk by and take property without anyone noticing. “I call those ‘giveaways,’ ” said Brad Schlitz, a Duke Police security manager. “It’s like a free gift.” The easiest way to protect property, police said, is to simply store items in locked drawers or offices, or avoid bringing unneeded personal items to work. Gotcha began in 2007 in the 4200 unit at Duke Hospital North, after label guns and television remotes turned up missing. Since starting Gotcha, property thefts have dropped in certain areas, including the hospital, said Schlitz, who oversees security at the medical center. Overall larcenies in the Health System, for example, dropped 7 percent between 2007 and 2008 due in part to Gotcha, police said. The program is helping people become more conscious about where they put belongings, police said. “People will automatically change their behaviors,” said Duke police Maj. Graham, “because they know at any given moment, they can get checked.”
Duke Police Officer Aaron Muscle fills out a "Gotcha" card to leave on an unattended backpack in Bostock Library.
— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
3 Want to schedule a “Gotcha” visit? Contact Duke Police Maj. Gloria Graham at (919) 684-2444
More than a paycheck Understanding your net worth at Duke our annual salary is just one part of your total compensation at Duke. For most faculty and staff, Duke also pays a portion of health insurance, helps with retirement nest eggs and offers other valuable benefits such as life insurance and tuition assistance. Your personalized benefits statement will arrive by mail at your home by early May, providing an overview of the value of your total compensation package, which includes salary and benefits. “In today’s economy, it is essential for each Duke faculty and staff member to become more familiar with the benefits connected to their job,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president of Human Resources at Duke. “I believe that Duke’s combination of direct pay, benefits–and a supportive work environment–makes Duke an unbeatable place to work.”
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On average, for every dollar an employee earns, Duke contributes about 25 cents in additional benefits. This includes financial provisions such as insurance or retirement plans, as well as investments in discounts, wellness programs and other opportunities. Each employee’s total compensation package is unique, based on individual choices. To highlight elements that comprise total compensation, here’s what a total compensation package might look like for a typical monthly-paid employee earning a $56,182 salary.
A Complete Pay Package
76% Salary 9% Health Insurance/Employee Health Services 7% Faculty/Staff Retirement Plan Contribution Most of a Duke employee's total compensation package is salary with about 25 percent comprised of benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans and tuition reimbursement. Duke Human Resources is mailing a personalized benefit statement to each employee's home by early May.
6% Social Security/Government Programs 1%
Disability Insurance/Group Life Insurance
1%
Educational Assistance
What do you value about working at Duke?
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The opportunities that Duke offers are amazing. You could start off in housekeeping and end up a director if you have the goal for it. Duke gives you the tools to get there.” — Juanita Johnson Staff assistant, Multicultural Center 5 years at Duke
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The benefits are great. My daughter was able to use the Children’s Tuition Grant Program so she could get a great education at Duke. But one of the biggest values of working at Duke is simply working here. We get to see all the cuttingedge medical care.” — Kevin Kraft Nurse manager, Hyperbaric Division 18 years at Duke
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What I really liked during my first visit
to Duke, which in the end helped me to want to end up at Duke, was Duke Gardens. Because my office is so close, I can walk over and sit where it’s quiet among the flowers and contemplate in deep thought to think about a class or my day. I often do that and it's been a great benefit for me.”
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I value the retirement plan because it’s extra money, and the more, the better. If you don’t have enough of your own money, then you have that to fall back on because of Duke. It’s something we’ll need when we do retire. We don't want to retire, then have to come back to work.”
— Hanming Fang Associate professor, Economics 2 years at Duke
4 Watch a video with employees about the value of working at Duke at hr.duke.edu/value
— LaShosta Parham Lead food service worker, Duke Dining Services 12 years at Duke
Growing In Troubled Times CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Wealth of Talent As the U.S. economy stagnated, Duke’s enrollment rapidly grew, and its academic reputation flourished in the 1930s. The Association of American Medical Colleges ranked Duke’s new medical school among the top 25 percent in the country. Duke was invited to join Harvard, Yale and 26 other universities as a member of the elite Association of American Universities (AAU). “Looking back, there was an exceedingly short time between the birth of Duke as a research university on the eve of the Depression and the recognition of it as a topnotch school by the AAU, which includes the top schools in the country,” said Mike Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations at Duke. “Imagine the selfconfidence it took to say not only are we going to survive, but we aren’t going to give up on our vision of excellence. That attitude carries forward today.”
Even President Few, struggling to manage debts his family had incurred, rented most of the upper bedrooms in the President’s house. “This rent about takes care of the running of our house and we are trying again this year to eliminate practically all other expenses,” he wrote to a friend in 1933. He cited the toll on his family but concluded, “I do not think any of these sacrifices will hurt any of us. Sacrificial living is well in keeping with the hard times that confront us all.”
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“I do not care for the Depression, but I am not afraid of it.” — Duke President William Preston Few, 1933
In 1933, as seen in this image above of an archival record, Duke cut all salaries, including former Duke President William Preston Few’s, by at least 10 percent.
The Duke School of Nursing welcomed its first class in January 1931. Bessie Baker, dean of the school, gathers with faculty, the first class of students (seen here in black tights) and nurses of Duke Hospital.
While Duke grew, thanks to the generosity of donors and steadily increasing enrollment, many other colleges curtailed classes or shut down completely during the Depression. The result was a wealth of talent flocking to Duke’s doors. “We have had to decline the offers of thousands of men within the last few years who want to come here in some connection with the University,” wrote William Wannamaker, dean of Trinity College, in 1932. He noted with regret that he “had during the last year to decline the applications of many first rate persons.” Many who landed coveted jobs at Duke were young, able faculty and staff who helped shape the university, and whose names still grace the campus – Wallace Wade (football), Frederick Hanes (medicine) and Clarence Korstian (forestry). “Some may have come to Duke just for a job, but many were attracted to launching a first class university in the south, because they were scarce,” said Robert Durden, Duke professor emeritus of history and author of “The Launching of Duke University.”
Endowment Plummets Despite its growth, Duke did not come through the economic turmoil of the Depression unscathed. Investments, a key source of income for the university, were hit by the collapse of the stock market. Duke’s income from the Duke Endowment plummeted from just over $1.3 million in 1931 to slightly more than $660,000 in 1933 – a drop of nearly 50 percent. Then, as now, the precipitous drop in income required a careful review of the budget. The 1933-34 academic year included a freeze on new faculty hires, cancellation of all paid leaves of absence, cutting of research funds by 50 percent and cuts in salary of at least 10 percent for every person at Duke. President William P. Few’s salary dropped from $21,000 to $16,800; his assistant’s from $1,380 to $1,238. “In many ways, the 10 percent cut was lenient,” said Durden, adding that the University of North Carolina had cut salaries a year earlier and many schools had to close. “To have a job at that time was lucky.”
Duke and Carolina join forces in football event
Stonemasons place the spire on Duke Chapel. Construction at Duke provided employment for many local residents in the early 1930s.
Trying Times
One creative response to the economic downturn was a charity football game at Duke in December 1931. A regional effort, the game pitted the combined teams of Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill against a team from North Carolina State University, Davidson and Wake Forest. “Dukolina Captures Thrilling Tilt From Wakidson State,” proclaimed a headline in the The Duke Chronicle. Dukolina won the game, 14-0. The article’s writer lamented that only a “meager crowd” of 4,000 to 5,000 attended to witness the unusual sight of rivals Duke and UNC on the same side. However, money raised from tickets ($1 for general admission, $2 for reserved seating) was put to good use: the purchase and distribution of vegetable seeds to local families for their gardens. “Of course the players did not play as hard as they might if they had been playing for their respective schools,” said The Chronicle, “but they were playing for charity and they certainly did their duty towards helping the unfortunate this coming winter.”
Despite adversity, morale at Duke remained high. The editorial note of the June 1932 Alumni Register illustrated the determination of Duke students to thrive in hard times. Describing the May commencement, the first ceremony held in the new chapel, the magazine said: “This is a trying time, and a time in which graduates will find it extremely difficult to adjust themselves. The men and women who this month left this campus went with heads up and they intend to fight, and they will make the grade. …You can’t down such a spirit. It faces odds, but conquers them.” President Few, speaking a year later in July 1933 at a Duke University Day celebration, captured Duke University’s reaction to the troubled times more succinctly. “I do not care for the Depression,” said Few, according to the alumni magazine. “But I am not afraid of it.”
Coming Next Month: Don’t miss the May issue of Working@Duke and the cover story about how Duke is responding to budget challenges.
— By Marsha A. Green Writer, Office of Communication Services
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Livin’ la vida locavore uke Farmers Market invites you to be a locavore, someone who eats local foods to improve your health and your community’s health. The 9th season of the market, sponsored by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, opens April 24 with fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms. Local vendors also sell other products, including fragrant lavender items, flowers, aromatic roasted coffee beans, specialty crafts and prepared meals. The market is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and continues every Friday in May, June and July, except July 3. In August and September, the market is open every other Friday. Look for the market in front of the Medical Center Bookstore off Coal Pile Drive, next to the walkway connecting Duke Hospital and Duke South Clinic.
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Did you know? The Oxford American Dictionary chose “locavore” as the “word of the year” in 2007.
If You Go 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Every Friday in May, June and July (except July 3) Every other Friday in August and September
— By Marsha A. Green Writer, Office of Communication Services
In front of the Medical Center Bookstore, Coal Pile Drive, next to the walkway connecting Duke Hospital and Duke South Clinic
Test your knowledge of local fruits and vegetables 1
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10 11 12 13 14 15
Across
Down
1. Fruit with seed on outside
2. Native North American fruit
3. Tender and tasty when young and small, bitter when large
4. Popeye’s favorite
5. Originally white, now usually purple
7. Third part of BLT
9. Recommended # vegetable servings (three words) 12. Bugs Bunny’s favorite
6. Capsaicin makes some of these hot 8. Worth crying over 10. Well-known in Ireland
14. Another name for corn
11. One cup provides 100% of daily vitamin A and C
15. Flesh can be pink, green, orange or yellow
13. Another name for Butter Beans
For answers to the crossword puzzle, visit
hr.duke.edu/farmersmarket/puzzle.html
Tech talk Turn your mobile device into a portable Duke with iTunes U Duke Chapel concert recordings. Coach K’s thoughts on effective team building. “Duke Reads” book club discussions. With hundreds of lectures and events across campus each week, Duke’s iTunes U offers one resource for staff, faculty and students to keep up – and keep learning. Duke’s iTunes U contains more than 1,800 audio and 1,400 video tracks, including speeches, performances, news, research updates and studentproduced movies, all downloadable for free. And departments across the University are adding new content all the time. The Pratt School of Engineering, for example, uses iTunes U to distribute weekly engineering and technology management seminars with tips on launching a new product and career advice, featuring speakers from companies such as Proctor & Gamble. The iTunes U site offers a way to leverage the university’s intellectual resources, while engaging alumni, prospective students and the wider community, said Jeff Glass, Pratt’s senior associate dean for education. “In today’s work environment, the key is continuing to learn,” Glass said. “If you stop learning when you graduate, your education starts to become obsolete the day after you graduate. Duke’s iTunes U provides an opportunity for our alumni and friends to continue their education in a flexible format.”
Popular downloads include Washington, D.C., chancellor Michelle Rhee’s talk about education reform at the Sanford Institute of Public Policy; Duke basketball videos from DukeBluePlanet.com; and Duke faculty panel discussions about the global financial crisis. In addition to Duke content, iTunes U also includes material from more than 70 other colleges and other universities, including Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Yale. Materials from Duke on iTunes U have been downloaded or accessed online more than 1 million times since the site was launched May 30, 2007. Audio and video files downloaded from the site can be played on a computer or transferred to an iPod or other compatible digital player, so users can listen to a lecture or the latest research findings while working out or commuting. Courses, departments and student groups may also create and share podcasts and video files on iTunesU. “iTunes U is an easy-to-use, effective way to share media content with members of the Duke community, on campus and around the world,” said Samantha Earp, director of academic services for Duke’s Office of Information Technology. In the coming year, OIT will explore new delivery mechanisms for media content, including mobile devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry. — By Cara Bonnett Managing Editor, News & Information Office of Information Technology
6 Learn more at itunes.duke.edu
By The Numbers Top Downloads 51,420 Duke Chapel Choir’s performance of Mozart’s Requiem
45,470 Duke Fuqua School of Business Professor Dan Ariely’s video podcast “FREE!” explaining why that word is a powerful marketing tool
14,948 “Broken,” a short film promoting HIV prevention in South Africa, edited by Maital Guttman, a Duke alumna and Center for Documentary Studies Hine Fellow
7,924 Anne Belec, president and CEO of Volvo North America, speaking at the Fuqua School of Business about the Volvo brand
4,260 Nobel Laureate Steven Chu, now U.S. secretary of energy, speaking at the opening of the French Family Science Center about the energy problem and what can be done about it
Sustainable uke YO U R
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A Balancing Act
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rder food and drinks? Check. Book bands? Check. Offset carbon emissions? Check. This isn’t a typical party checklist, but a Duke student committee organizing the 2009 Last Day of Classes concert and celebration is voluntarily working to shrink its carbon footprint by planting trees and buying local carbon credits to help offset emissions from buses, electricity and waste. The April 22 celebration, which falls on Earth Day and Growing Greener is expected to draw about 7,000 people to the West Growing Greener is a continuing series about Duke’s goal Campus Quad, is like other large events that require to become a climate-neutral campus. The first segment in transportation and energy: it will produce carbon dioxide, February examined Duke’s 2008 greenhouse gas inventory, which contributes to overall greenhouse gas emissions. the major contributors to emissions on campus and how “Our goal is to conserve resources and reduce waste as you can make a difference. This month, we explore carbon much as possible, such as having a sustainable dinner at credits, which help offset an individual’s or organization’s carbon emissions. The next segment, coming soon, will Great Hall with local food and setting up recycling bins,” explain Duke’s long-term strategy to become a climatesaid Meredith Estren, a Pratt School of Engineering senior neutral campus. and Baldwin Scholar leading the effort. On a broader scale, Duke is facing the same challenge in working to become a climate-neutral campus, a pledge made by President Richard Brodhead in 2007, as part of “It would take about $4 million to purchase enough the American College & University Presidents Climate carbon credits to offset our current emissions, but we’re Commitment. determined to do as much as possible to reduce actual Last year, Duke produced 434,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide through electricity, transportation and steam emissions on campus before we opt for any offsets,” said Tim Profeta, director of the Nicholas Institute for to heat buildings and sterilize medical equipment. While Environmental Policy Solutions and member of the changes are underway to reduce the university’s overall committee developing Duke’s plan to become a climateemissions, it is virtually impossible to totally eliminate the neutral campus. campus carbon footprint. For Duke students organizing the Last Day of Classes To help mitigate the impact of emissions, some event, the offset options include recruiting students and institutions and corporations purchase carbon credits, other Duke community members or offsets. But Duke is exploring to plant trees on campus and options beyond purchasing purchasing carbon credits from credits such as investing in “Our NCGreenPower.org. As the first research and projects that will goal is to statewide green energy program in improve North Carolina’s the nation supported by the state’s environment and create conserve resources utility companies, renewable energy sources. and reduce waste as NCGreenPower.org offers local Instead of simply buying offsets, much as possible.” offset options, a more viable way to Duke’s goal is to make positive changes to improve the local Meredith Estren — Meredith Estren, compensate for carbon emissions environment and quality of life. Pratt School of Engineering than purchasing carbon credits that For example, a recent Nicholas Senior and Baldwin Scholar don’t directly benefit North Carolina. Institute study recommends that “When we started working on Duke play a leading role in pilot projects greening Last Day of Classes, all I knew about offsets is that to reduce methane emissions at hog farms using innovative it was a trendy thing that people were doing to reduce the waste systems, improve statewide forest management and impact of things like flights,” said Estren, the Pratt School raise public awareness about the importance of energy of Engineering senior. “If we purchase carbon credits, we efficiency. For an offset to be valid, it must reduce want to make sure they directly improve the local greenhouse gas emissions in a way that would not have environment.” occurred otherwise.
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Becoming A Carbon Neutral Campus Carbon Offsets Symposium Learn more about the role of offsets in reducing Duke’s carbon footprint April 10-11. The free event in the French Family Science Center is hosted by the Duke Environmental Markets Student Group and features panel discussions on carbon offsets dealing with energy efficiency, renewable energy, forestry and methane capture. To register and learn more, visit duke.edu/sustainability.
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— By Missy Baxter Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services
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For a list of Earth Month activities in April, visit duke.edu/sustainability
WORKING@ DUKE
dialogue@Duke
HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu
“What's your favorite Duke benefit and why?
Assistant Vice President:
“
For me, it is access to valuable information about Duke programs. When my 13-year-old son was younger, I participated in a program that taught parenting skills. My 9-year-old daughter is part of the Duke Early Childhood study, which interviews children and their parents each year starting when they were toddlers to better understand how young children’s emotions and behaviors develop as they grow. She really enjoys our annual visits, being part of a bigger project and earning money for special purchases like the Nintendo DS she bought with this year’s money.”
Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado
Pegeen Ryan-Murray Administrative assistant, Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows 2 years at Duke
Photography: Bryan Roth, Missy Baxter and Marsha Green, Office of Communication Services; and
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It’s a great benefit that after only two years of working here, Duke will pay for your continuing education, whether it’s to get your professional degree or going back to school to improve your skills. To me, that indicates the institution’s commitment to education, especially for staff. It’s a valuable benefit that I hope to take advantage of when I become eligible.”
Duke University Photography.
Working@Duke is published monthly by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and suggestions for
Jordan Hale Program coordinator for Student Activities and Facilities 10 months at Duke
future story topics. Please write us at
“
working@duke.edu or
My co-workers. Nothing beats coming into work and having a team full of intelligent, hardworking people there pulling together to get the job done. Our upcoming 25th Anniversary issue, which will be unique and lasting, has been a great, professional effort.”
Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708 Call us at (919) 684-4345. Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.
Have ideas for stories? Write
Aaron Kirschenfeld Writer, Duke Magazine 4 months at Duke
working@duke.edu or Call — By Missy Baxter and Bryan Roth Writers, Office of Communication Services
PERQS
Want to go? Orange County Speedway is in northeastern Orange County, just south of Rougemont, on Highway 57. With a racetrack banked from 16 to 19 degrees, and wide enough to accommodate side-by-side racing, the speedway has won a National Speed Award for 3/8 mile tracks. Spectators can sit in bleachers, or bring a blanket or chairs and watch from the lawn. Gates usually open around 5 p.m. on Saturday for a full evening of racing. More information, including the racing schedule, is available at ocstrack.com.
E M P LOY E E D I S CO U N TS
Half-price family fun at the races
F
at Chambers Auto, the mechanic shop he owns and operates with his father. Over 10 years ago, he talked his sister, Tracey, into racing.
or Rita Chambers, an administrative assistant in the Institute for Genome Science & Policy, going to the Orange County Speedway is a family affair.
“I’m number 77, and he’s “I’m usually in the pit, number 27,” said Tracey helping my husband and Chambers, who works at sister-in-law as they race Duke in the Fuqua School their cars. Grandma Flo and of Business. “We try not my mother-in-law, Tammy, to race against each usually stay in the stands other very often due to entertaining our daughter, our budget restraints, Gracelyn. And my father-in- The Chambers family has plenty to cheer for at the Orange County Speedway. Mike lack of crew members and law, Tim, is usually listening Chambers races car #27. our competitiveness. It is to the race on the radio better if we take turns helping each other out as team back in Timberlake,” she said. “We are addicted, but it is a members in the pit.” great family tradition.” Chambers has been visiting the track near Rougemont several times a month since she met her husband there nine years ago. She was delighted when she started work at Duke in 2007 and discovered the PERQs discount offered half-price admission.
Visit hr.duke.edu/ discounts to find all discounts or to sign up for e-mail updates of special discounts
681-4533
“The tickets are only $10, but when you go as often as we do, getting in for $5 each time makes a difference,” she said. The family puts the extra cash toward refreshments, such as the track’s famous bologna burger. The tradition at the track is more than a spectator sport. Rita Chambers’ husband, Mike, races and builds custom race cars
D U K E T O D AY
Mike and Tracey Chambers are old hands at the racetrack: they used to sneak into the pit with their father, and they both raced go-carts as children. Now they roar down the track at speeds over 100 miles per hour most weekends during the season, which runs April to November. They’ve even set up a website, techracing.com to share their progress. “Once the anthem is sung and the green flag is dropped, racing is non-stop excitement,” Tracey said. “Once you get in, you can’t help but get hooked.” — By Marsha A. Green Writer, Office of Communication Services
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