August/September 2023 Working@Duke

Expanded tuition benefit unlocks opportunity for employees

Among the Best Places to Work

Duke University is one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces," according to Newsweek magazine, which published the ranking this summer.

We are among eight higher education institutions – and the only one in North Carolina – mentioned in the list of 1,000 employers. Duke’s recognition is based on results from a national survey, which, in part, includes insights about benefits offered to staff and faculty at Duke.

It is hardly surprising to me. Ask a colleague what benefit has helped them most, and many cite the medical plan, retirement plan, the tuition assistance program, and the generous paid time off policy.

“The amount of time off we get is amazing,” said Alissa Kocer, a Communications Strategist in the Duke University School of Medicine who joined Duke in 2016. “It has allowed me to spend time off with my family in Minnesota and New York, easily covered maternity leave, take days off here and there for my mental well-being, and cover doctor appointments without being stressed about how much time I'm using and how much I have left. This helps me live the life I want to live, both personally and professionally.”

In the past year, Duke paid about $3.4 billion in direct pay and spent $826 million on total benefits for its workforce. It contributed $225 million to retirement plans and spent $416 million on health care expenses for the roughly 73,000 covered by Duke’s insurance plans.

These figures exemplify Duke's dedication to prioritizing the livelihoods of its employees.

We turn our attention in this issue to the realm of benefits, where we highlight the recent expansion of the tuition assistance program that helps employees pay for their own advanced education across the U.S., not just in North Carolina.

We also shine a spotlight on a cherished benefit: paid time off. Through insightful narratives, we explore the value it holds, emphasizing the significance of work-life balance and the restorative effect on well-being and motivation.

These Duke benefits have also enriched my life.

The employee tuition assistance benefit enabled me to earn a master’s degree in liberal studies from Duke University. The program opened doors to new knowledge, perspectives, and professional growth. Furthermore, the paid time off benefit has granted me the freedom to truly "get away" and explore diverse cultures in places like Morocco and Thailand.

As you explore this issue, we invite you to immerse yourselves in the stories, insights, and resources that celebrate the spirit of our community. It is through your dedication and contributions that Duke thrives, and we are grateful for your ongoing commitment to helping us tell your stories.

4 Boundless Learning

Earlier this year, Duke expanded the Employee Tuition Assistance benefit to create the ability for learning at institutions nationwide. Meet some inspiring colleagues who have embarked on educational journeys that shaped their lives and propelled their careers forward.

8

Time Off Well Spent

Go on a journey as we share some stories of staff and faculty who count Duke’s paid time off policy among their favorite benefits.

10 How to Make a First-Rate First Impression

With nearly half of Duke’s workforce hired within the past three years, new professional relationships are being formed everywhere. Discover ways to make your next first impression a success. 11

Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu

Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu

Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado (919) 684-2107 paul.figuerado@duke.edu

Stephen Schramm Senior Writer (919) 684-4639 stephen.schramm@duke.edu

Cover: Mortar board caps thrown in the air in celebration. Photo by Getty.

Jack Frederick Writer (919) 681-9965 jack.frederick@duke.edu

Working@Duke

BRIEFLY

Make fitness strides through Duke Run/Walk Club

The Duke Run/Walk Club is back in action, offering in-person running and walking groups on campus beginning Aug. 14 through Nov. 1.

Organized by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke's employee wellness program, the club offers two locations, the East Campus loop and Al Buehler Trail on West Campus, both of which include beginner and advanced fitness levels.

“This can help people at various places along their fitness journey, whether they want to get moving, learn to run better or work towards competing in a race or doing a race for fun,” said LIVE FOR LIFE Fitness Specialist Lauren Bullock.

The East Campus group will meet on the grassy area across the street from Duke Human Resources offices at 705 Broad St. The West Campus group will meet at the Green Zone Al Buehler jogging trail lot off 751/Cameron Boulevard. Both groups meet at 5:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

The program will also include an independent program, allowing staff and faculty to run or walk on their own and log their activity.

Participants who log at least 10 sessions — whether in-person or virtual — earn LIVE FOR LIFE Dollars (Monopoly-like money) to purchase items like Fitbits, reusable water bottles and more.

Register: hr.duke.edu/runwalk

Save the Date: Duke Football Employee Kickoff Celebration on Sept. 9

Enjoy an evening of Blue Devils football with your family, friends and colleagues at the Duke Football Employee Kickoff Celebration on Sept. 9. Benefits-eligible staff and faculty of Duke University and Duke University Health System receive two free tickets to the game against Lafayette, which kicks off at 6 p.m. at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. Additional tickets can be purchased for $5 each.

There will be a pre-game tailgate celebration for staff and faculty with free food, music and kid-friendly activities, such as inflatables and facepainting, on the practice field behind the stadium scoreboard.

Duke University Police Department staff member Aguedo Cordero brought family and friends to the celebration last year.

“We had the best time, everybody enjoyed it,” Cordero said. “We had great seats. We were around a lot of visiting fans, so our chants weren’t quite as loud as theirs, but everybody had a lot of fun.”

Visit hr.duke.edu in late August for information on how to get free tickets and gameday information.

Learn a new skill to develop your career

No matter what stage of your career, a new technical skill or fresh career insights can be gained through Duke Learning & Organization Development courses.

The remaining courses in 2023 cover an array of topics from “Valuing Differences” to “Train the Trainer: Bootcamp,” which develops colleagues who train others. You can also learn new tech programs such as Microsoft Visio and Microsoft OneNote.

“Our vision is the provision of learning at all levels,” said Keisha Williams, Assistant Vice President of Learning and Organization Development. “There are development opportunities for individual contributors, for frontline leaders, and managers and our executive leaders. Our concept is to provide development resources for our employees at whatever level they may be at in their career journey. The provision for learning at all levels is critical for our current workforce and the work that we are being tasked to execute.”

Explore the full catalogue for the remainder of 2023: hr.duke.edu/training

Protect yourself and others with a flu vaccine

Starting in September, annual influenza vaccinations will be available at no cost at all three Employee Occupational Health & Wellness (EOHW) clinics. In addition, there will be temporary vaccination clinics at other campus locations throughout the season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that influenza activity usually begins in October, peaks between December and February, and can continue into May. During the 2022-23 flu season, there were 197 influenza-associated deaths in North Carolina.

“I think that the flu vaccination program has become part of the fabric of the workforce,” said Dr. Carol Epling, Executive Director of Duke Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW).

The influenza vaccination is a condition of employment for Duke University Health System and Duke University School of Medicine employees. The vaccination is strongly recommended for Duke University staff and faculty.

Duke Health Strategic Services Associate Julia Bambach, who has worked at Duke for 26 years, appreciates the convenience of being able to get a vaccine at the workplace.

“It’s just so easy to get our vaccines here,” she said. “When you think about caring for our patients, our loved ones and each other, getting your flu vaccine is an easy way to do that.”

For more information, visit flu.duke.edu

Financial Fitness Week set for Sept. 11-14

Reach your savings goals and chart your path to a secure retirement with strategies gained during Financial Fitness Week from Sept. 11-14.

This year’s edition is an all-virtual lineup of no-cost webinars featuring experts from Duke Benefits, Fidelity Investments, the Social Security Administration and the Duke Credit Union. Duke staff and faculty members can learn about topics such as budgeting, saving for your future, and understanding retirement plans available at Duke.

“Planning for retirement should start as early as possible,” said Duke Benefits Plan Manager Katherine Ortiz. “Even though it can look like it’s far away, it will benefit you to understand how to invest, what you need to do and what steps you can take to have a good retirement.”

Visit hr.duke.edu/financialfitness to reserve a spot during the sessions.

BOUNDLESS LEARNING

At the end of each workday, Nyasia Lloyd boards a Durham-Raleigh Express bus in front of Duke University Hospital for the roughly hour-long ride home to Raleigh.

For Lloyd, a graduate education coordinator with the Duke University School of Medicine who has worked at Duke since 2015, this isn’t time to unwind.

Since Lloyd, 44, resumed her college education in 2017, she has used daily bus rides to dive into textbooks or scholarly articles on her iPad while studying for an associate degree from Wake Technical Community College and a bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro, degrees she received with financial help through Duke’s Employee Tuition Assistance Program.

And now, also with the help of the benefit, she’s two semesters into the higher education administration master’s degree program at North Carolina Central University, which she expects to complete next fall.

“It’s been super helpful, especially for a working adult,” said Lloyd, who briefly attended college in the 1990s but felt that it wasn’t the right fit at the time. “College can be very expensive. But with this, it’s not as hard as you think.”

Dating back to 2017, Duke has invested nearly $16.1 million in helping its employees, including Lloyd, get a degree by providing reimbursement of up to $5,250 per calendar year for tuition at Duke or any other accredited higher education institution.

Earlier this year, Duke expanded the benefit, reducing the waiting period to become eligible from two years to six months. And in a move surpassing some peer institutions, Duke expanded the benefit from being exclusive to North Carolina schools to encompass institutions nationwide. The Watts College of Nursing in Durham has also been added as an eligible institution.

“When employees join the Duke family, we want to provide them with the stepping stones to help them continue to grow and build their careers,” said Antwan Lofton, Vice President of Duke Human Resources. “This benefit doesn’t just help them in their current job; it also allows them to continue working toward their dreams and their goals of lifelong learning.”

Workers have placed an increased value on pursuing educational goals or building skills. In its recent national employee benefits survey, the Society for Human Resource Management found that 65% of employees ranked professional and career development benefits, such as tuition assistance, as a very or extremely important benefit for an employer to offer. The figure is up from 37% in the previous year’s report, suggesting that employees are moving past pandemic-era uncertainty and looking toward their futures.

While Duke has expanded its benefit, the survey indicates a sluggish expansion of educational benefits among employers, with employee tuition assistance dropping from 56% in 2019 to 48% in 2022.

“This is a wonderful investment in Duke,” Lofton said of the benefit. “It ensures that we can continue to hire and retain the top skilled employees and allows them to further their careers.”

Meet some inspiring colleagues who have embarked on educational journeys that shaped their lives and propelled their careers forward.

Duke’s employee tuition benefit expands, enabling higher education opportunities across the U.S.

Nyasia Lloyd studies for a master’s degree from North Carolina Central University during a daily bus commute.

TAYLOR CHAPMAN

When she joined the staff of Duke Primary Care’s Heritage Pediatrics clinic in September of 2022, Taylor Chapman, a Clinical Nurse II, had been chipping away at a bachelor’s degree in nursing for more than a year. The degree would enable her to advance in nursing, potentially becoming a Clinical Nurse IV, and leading and mentoring a team.

She’d been paying her own way through the program at UNC Wilmington, taking one class at a time. When she started at Duke, she had four classes left. But without help, it would take another year to pay for them herself.

To make the employee tuition assistance program more accessible to new employees, such as Chapman, Duke reduced the eligibility waiting period from two years to six months. The move allowed Chapman to use the benefit to cover the costs of a final few classes. She will get her degree in December from UNC Wilmington, the most popular educational destination for Duke employees using the tuition benefit in 2021-22.

“This allows me to move the whole timeline up, which helps me a whole lot,” she said. “This just shows that Duke wants its nurses to be well-educated, and it’s willing to help them with that process.”

JASON RAPER

RADIOLOGIC

Starting this fall, Jason Raper’s schedule will be packed. He’ll have work shifts at Duke Raleigh Hospital, playground trips with his daughter Camila Grace and, after enrolling at Boise State University, plenty of college coursework.

“I hope this won’t be too insane,” said Raper, a radiologic technologist who has worked at Duke since 2015.

As he’s grown more comfortable in his role, and at Duke, Raper has explored opportunities to take on more responsibilities and new leadership challenges. And to do that, Raper, who earned an associate degree several years ago, saw an applied sciences bachelor’s degree as a solid foundation for his next career step at Duke. But when he looked at the degree programs in North Carolina, he felt they weren’t perfect fits.

Earlier this year, when Duke adjusted its employee tuition assistance benefit to allow any accredited institution in the U.S., things changed. Now able to search nationwide, Raper found Boise State’s online applied sciences bachelor’s degree program, which had the courses, price, and schedule to fit his already busy life.

“With Boise State, everything just kind of fell into place,” Raper said.

>>> continued on page 6

Jason Raper’s wife, Mary, and daughter, Camila Grace, inspired him to return to school.

Taylor Chapman will soon earn a degree from UNC Wilmington, the most popular school for Duke employees using the Employee Tuition Assistance Program.

CHERYL BOCK

SHARED RESOURCE MANAGER, DUKE CANCER CENTER

After working in Duke labs for 39 years, Cheryl Bock knows her way around science. But as she goes about overseeing one of the research operations of the Duke Cancer Center, she often leans on skills she strengthened while learning about subjects that have little to do with science.

In 2001, Bock began the master’s degree program in Duke Graduate Liberal Studies. The flexible, self-designed program allowed Bock to sharpen her research and writing skills, while chasing her curiosity about a range of subjects. During her four years in the program, she spent time in England studying poetry, ventured to France to learn about the architecture of cathedrals, and wrote her thesis on formerly enslaved people who lived on South Carolina’s barrier islands.

“It was a lot of work, but I got a lot of value out of it,” said Bock, who used the tuition benefit to help pay for the degree, which she earned in 2005.

While it’s been nearly two decades since she finished the program, the experience is rarely far from her mind.

“This was about life enhancement and personal growth,” Bock said. “But the techniques I used writing papers and doing research are things I still use today.”

DENNIS IRERI

CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT, DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

When he started working in a hospital environment four years ago, Dennis Ireri underestimated how much purpose he would find in interacting with patients. In his role as a certified nursing assistant on the float pool for Duke University Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital, Ireri often found himself sharing small moments with patients, offering comforting words and helping them through challenging times.

“I had no idea I could make that kind of impact,” said Ireri, who receives encouragement from his mother, Katherine, a longtime nurse. “If I could do more with more knowledge, then maybe this is my calling.”

During the 2021-22 fiscal year, 324 Duke University Hospital employees used the employee tuition assistance benefit, the most for any Duke unit. This fall, Ireri will contribute to that total by pursuing a bachelor's degree in nursing from the Watts College of Nursing, which he chose partly due to its location in Durham and its eligibility for the Duke employee tuition assistance program starting in summer 2023.

The Watts College of Nursing, which is affiliated with Duke University Health System and accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, has been educating caregivers since 1895. Because it’s not among the institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, it wasn’t eligible for the Duke employee tuition assistance program until the benefit expanded this year.

“We have a need for highly trained nurses, and this helps us build our pipeline,” said Antwan Lofton, Vice President for Duke Human Resources.

By pursuing a nursing career, Dennis Ireri is following in the footsteps of his mother, Katherine.

The master’s degree Cheryl Bock earned broadened her perspective on the world.

JOEL CRAWFORD-SMITH

In 2022, Joel Crawford-Smith completed a roughly two-year run of online courses and exams that left him with a pair of new professional web accessibility certifications and a desire for a new challenge.

“I really like to learn, so I thought ‘What do I do now?’” Crawford-Smith said. “Why not try to go to grad school?”

In Crawford-Smith’s role at Duke, he assesses Duke University’s online footprint to gauge the ease with which everyone, including people with disabilities, can use it. He also trains colleagues on web accessibility, the part of his job he wants to strengthen.

This summer, Crawford-Smith began working toward a master’s degree from UNC Charlotte in learning, design and technology where he hopes to sharpen his ability to teach and create learning materials. His goal is to complete the online coursework in under two years.

“My job falls into a predictable rhythm,” CrawfordSmith said. “I just felt like I needed a little bit of a change, and this was a healthy risk. Why not try? Duke is hopefully going to get better training out of me, and I get to further my education. It’s a win-win.”

KIM STEPHENSON

Kim Stephenson earned her nursing degree in 1993, kicking off a long caregiving career that eventually led to her joining the Head & Neck Oncology team at the Duke Raleigh Hospital Cancer Center in 2019.

With a wealth of research linking more educated nurses to better patient outcomes, Stephenson knew that for her career to move forward at Duke, she would need to go back to school. In the fall of 2022, at the age of 60, Stephenson, a Clinical Nurse III, enrolled in the online bachelor’s degree in nursing program at the University of Mount Olive.

Stephenson, who has used the employee tuition assistance benefit to help cover the costs of getting her degree, said that it took time for her to adjust to online courses and regain the feel for doing schoolwork. But soon, courses on law and ethics in nursing and nursing leadership gave her new perspectives on the decisions and methods that guide her work.

“I love learning,” said Stephenson, who expects to earn her degree in May 2024. “My mindset is to keep learning new things every day. You’re never too old to learn.” 

By Stephen Schramm

2021-22 BY THE

NUMBERS

Employee Tuition Assistance Program

48

Higher education institutions Duke employees attended

173

Number of employees who took courses at UNC Wilmington, the most of any schools

131

Number of employees who took courses at Duke University, the second-most of any school

324 Duke University Hospital employees who used the benefit, the most of any Duke unit

887

Total number of Duke employees who used the benefit

2,840

Total number of courses taken $2.8 million Total amount reimbursed to all employees using the benefit

Source: Duke Human Resources

When she’s not helping patients, Kim Stephenson is working toward a bachelor’s degree.

Joel Crawford-Smith studies alongside his furry companion, Wally.

Duke’s paid time off benefit creates

Time Off Well

As Cicely Samuel embarked on a two-week trip to India in 2019, a sense of anticipation filled her soul, and it dawned on her that it had been four years since she had last gone on an adventure.

Immersed in the vibrant culture of cities like Jaipur in India, Samuel found her soul replenished by the art, artisans and architecture around her. She brought home a hand block-printed scarf and silk rug that inspired her to incorporate the colors and symbols into her quilt creations.

Inspired by that trip, Samuel vowed to travel annually. She has since enjoyed weekend getaways, traveled to the Caribbean, explored the United Arab Emirates and has an upcoming adventure in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

“I can’t really put a price on my overall well-being,” said Samuel, an IT analyst with Duke Health Technology Solutions. “Travel is the thing that keeps me level.”

According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, six in 10 Americans said a job with paid time off is extremely important, but nearly half of workers take less time off than their employer offers. On average, according to the U.S. Travel Association, American workers did not use 4.6 days of their paid time off in 2021.

Dr. Michelle Franklin, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke, said that while common, a decision to forego time to recharge through one day or a week off can take a toll on overall health and well-being.

“If we don’t take that time, whether it’s brief pauses, evenings that are protected from work, or vacation time, every part of us suffers,” Franklin said. “Our productivity certainly suffers. Our mental health suffers. We have increased stress, increased risk of depression and anxiety, and decreased creativity and motivation.”

Go on a journey as we share some stories of staff and faculty who count Duke’s generous paid time off policy among their favorite benefits.

Cherishing the Unforgettable

Tears streamed down Thomas Wagner’s face when his eyes met Melissa’s, as she walked down the aisle to the outdoor chapel at Wyndridge Farm in York County, Pennsylvania.

On their wedding day, May 21, 2022, Thomas and Melissa Wagner, who both work at Duke, felt everything else melt away. They appreciated that they could take time off work to focus on the unforgettable moments of their special day, which included their grandmothers carrying flowers down the aisle.

Melissa, a senior clinical research specialist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Thomas, a Neurobiology research technician, used five days of time off to embark on a road trip from Durham to their wedding venue. Later, in May of this year, they celebrated their one-year anniversary by taking a honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas.

“It’s been the best benefit in my mind because it’s really allowed us to enjoy these moments together and not worry too much about work and what we have going on,” Melissa said. “We feel really lucky.”

Cicely Samuel finds influence for her quilts by traveling. Photo courtesy of Cicely Samuel.

Staff members Melissa and Thomas Wagner used their time off to get married in 2022. Photo courtesy of Melissa Wagner.

space to focus on what truly matters

Well Spent

Time for Grief

Throughout the years, Lauren Fay cherished the leisurely drives she took with her mom, Donna, for creating lasting memories. It didn’t matter where they went — to church, shopping or to see friends across the Dallas, Texas, area — precious moments in her mother’s red Chevrolet Equinox sparked deep conversations.

“When you’re in the car and you’re driving around, you can get into those conversations really easily and make a lot of connections,” said Fay, a speech pathologist with the Duke Voice Care Center. “Then you can turn on some music and sing and dance, and you can go back to the conversations.”

When her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019, Fay was grateful she had paid time off to fly home and spend time her mom. Fay found a renewed appreciation for those special drives as she supported her mom during chemotherapy treatments, ensuring that activities like exploring new restaurants and time with close friends remained part of their routine. Over the final month of her mother’s life before her death in 2020, Fay was able to be in Texas knowing her job could wait.

“I am grateful that I was able to utilize this to care for my mom in the last few weeks of her life,” Fay said. “Being able to use my banked-up time and not have to worry about my job gave me a lot of peace. Knowing that I would accrue time again once I got back was also helpful as I got through the first huge waves of grief.”

Time to Recharge

Dr. Richard Bedlack’s Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients can expect he will always show up with a positive attitude and signature colorful outfit.

Bedlack's vibrant wardrobe, including a custom purple suit jacket by Manuel Cuevas, visually represents his unwavering dedication to ALS patients, who face a challenging battle with the progressive neurodegenerative disease.

“The most important thing I can provide to my patients, families and to my staff is positive energy,” said Bedlack, a neurologist and director of the Duke ALS Clinic. “When they come to me, they’re broken, they’re scared, and they have this terrible disease. They need me to be a source of positivity and hope, so I’ve got to be able to keep my own batteries fully charged to do that.”

Bedlack recharges by traveling with his wife, Shelly. Each year, they attend comic book conventions in full cosplay outfits and explore new cities. Bedlack also uses some of his travels for meaningful moments in the lives of patients.

Last year, he traveled to Prince of Wales Island in Alaska to see one of his patients, Andrea Peet, become the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states. As she crossed the finish line of the 26.2-mile trek, Bedlack was there to give her a high five.

“It just completely charged my battery,” he said. 

By Jack Frederick

Learn more about Duke’s paid time off benefit: hr.duke.edu/benefits/time-away

Lauren Fay, left, with her mother, Donna, on a trip to see the Magnolia Silos in Waco, Texas. Photo courtesy of Lauren Fay.

Dr. Richard Bedlack, left, with Batman at the 2021 TERRIFICON comic convention in Connecticut. Photo courtesy of Richard Bedlack.

How to Make a First-Rate First Impression

Add Context to Your Introduction

Dr. Nancy Weigle, Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health, often meets new patients with medical students by her side. She advises students to introduce themselves to patients as a student and to explain their role in the encounter. The extra information clears up confusion and puts people at ease.

“Sometimes we assume people know who we are,” Weigle said. “But being clear with an introduction can go a long way.”

When making an introduction in any setting, fold in details such as where you work and your role to help new acquaintances know where you fit in their network.

Add a Human Element

In his role, Duke Career Center and Nicholas Institute Senior Career Specialist Carl Thompson needs collaborative relationships with industry professionals, Duke alumni and campus colleagues.

Hired in spring 2023, he has been busy building new connections, meaning he’s often faced the challenge of making a great first impression.

“I just try to remind myself to be confident and be myself,” Thompson said.

With nearly half of Duke’s workforce hired within the past three years, new professional relationships are being formed everywhere. They begin with a first encounter which, when done right, sets the tone for a positive connection.

Here are some ways to make your next first impression a success:

With many workdays consisting of virtual meetings, Lora Griffiths, a Research Award Manager on the remote Campus Award Management team, appreciates that her colleagues know one another as more than just email addresses.

Since the pandemic, her team has hosted regular Friday Zoom get-togethers known as “tea times.” In these meetings, new employees introduce themselves and are encouraged to share bits of their lives outside of work with colleagues, who do the same.

“This helps everyone know that we’re all just normal people,” said Griffiths.

By offering a glimpse of your life and personality, colleagues find common ground and add a human element to work interactions.

Be a Good Listener

Author and Fuqua Business School Instructor Dorie Clark said that one way to leave a good first impression is to turn the focus away from yourself and toward the other person.

By being a good listener and asking questions about the other person and what they do, you show your interest in the connection.

“It’s surprisingly rare in contemporary society to be a genuinely good listener,” Clark said. “We will, by default, make a good impression with the other person if we are just thoughtful listeners and really try to draw them out and get to know them. That will cause them to want to get to know us.” 

By Stephen Schramm

Learn more with Dorie Clark’s “Networking the Right Way,” a 27-minute LinkedIn Learning course available through Duke at no cost: duke.is/znfug

Dr. Nancy Weigle

Carl Thompson

Empower Your Wallet, One Expense at a Time

Enroll in health or dependent care reimbursement accounts during Open Enrollment this fall

Kiyona Wadsworth, a pharmacy tech at Duke Children’s Hospital, knows the value of having a health care reimbursement account. When unexpected expenses for bronchitis struck in January, she visited a doctor without worrying about the financial burden. As a single mother, she understands the unpredictable nature of expenses, whether for her daughter Mckenzy, 15, or her own well-being. That's why she relies on the heath care reimbursement account to provide much-needed relief in unpredictable moments.

“Being a single mother, you never know what expenses may pop up, when it comes to your child or even getting sick yourself,” she said. “It’s definitely a blessing to have that extra help.”

Are you facing dependent care or out-of-pocket health care costs? Duke’s health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts are designed to save you 30 cents, on average, for every dollar contributed to an account. Contributions to accounts are automatically deducted from your pay and are not subject to federal or state taxes. You can only sign up or re-enroll during Open Enrollment in the fall, or within 30 days of a qualifying life event such as marriage or birth of a child.

“The pre-tax savings stretches your money by reducing your taxable income,” said Saundra Daniels, plan manager for Duke Human Resources.

Here’s how the accounts work:

Health Care Dependent Care

Wadsworth, the pharmacy tech, was automatically enrolled in the health care reimbursement account through her Duke Basic medical plan when she joined Duke in 2020. To help offset higher out-of-pocket expenses of the Duke Basic plan, these members receive an annual contribution from Duke to their health care reimbursement account. If you’re in one of Duke’s other medical plans – or not covered by a medical plan – you must sign up for a reimbursement account to be enrolled.

The maximum contribution you can make to any health care reimbursement account in 2023 is $3,050. The account can be used for eyeglasses, prescription medication, co-pays and deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses. You’ll receive a health care card that works much the same way as a debit card for expenses at point of sale. Up to $610 of unused funds can be carried over into the 2024 plan year.

Over summers, Andy Scott and his wife have sent their daughters, Miriam, 11, and Ingrid, 8, to camp for art, sports and horseback riding.

Scott sets aside $5,000 pre-tax – the maximum annual contribution – from his pay each year through Duke’s dependent care reimbursement account. The dependent care account covers expenses for eligible day care, babysitters, and intersession camp, as well as dependent adult care during working hours for disabled spouses or parents who live with the employee.

“The dependent care reimbursement account has been the most beneficial resource during my time at Duke because it has allowed me to plan for summer camps and after school programs apart from my take home pay, which is helpful to factor in a monthly budget,” said Scott, senior assistant director of special events for Alumni Engagement and Development.

Scott, who has been enrolled in the dependent care reimbursement account for at least eight years, has also used the account for daycare.

“For us,” he said, “it’s been a huge help.” 

By Jack Frederick

The Scott family on a recent summer adventure. Photo courtesy of Andy Scott.

Kiyona Wadsworth, left, with her daughter, Mckenzy. Photo courtesy of Kiyona Wadsworth.

Step into the Shoes of Law Enforcement

Kenyatta Elliott, Duke Primary Care associate vice president, signed up for the Citizens Police Academy at Duke because she wanted to learn de-escalation techniques and strategies for keeping colleagues safe.

But she also sought a better understanding of how police officers manage complicated roles with the public.

“I wanted to get into their heads,” Elliott said. “I wanted to know how they think. I wanted to know what it was like to have to make the kind of split-second decisions they have to make.”

Over the academy’s six weeks in spring 2023, Elliott had wide-ranging conversations with police officers, participated in simulated traffic stops and crime scene investigations and gained a new, more rounded perspective of police work.

“There are so many takeaways,” Elliott said. “You’ll leave with a better understanding of what people in law enforcement do, and more importantly, you build a relationship. We are part of the Duke community and so are the Duke Police. After this, you’ll walk away with a great appreciation of what they do.”

Applications for the 18th Duke Citizens’ Police Academy, open to all staff and faculty of Duke University and Duke University Health System, are being accepted now. The academy, which consists of six weekly Wednesday evening sessions, begins in late September.

Among topics covered through role playing simulations and discussions with officers are de-escalation tactics, traffic stops, firearms safety, what to do in active shooter situations, how to spot domestic violence, and the unique challenges of safety in healthcare environments.

“We try to make it as engaging as possible,” said Duke University Police Officer Aaron Pruka, an academy instructor. “The main purpose of this is to build a relationship with the Duke community, but we want to get important information out there as well. We want to show people what police work entails and what people deal with in high-pressure, high-stress situations.”

In addition to the academy for staff and faculty, there is an academy for Duke students and for alumni of the program who want to learn more.

“The goal of the academy is to inform and educate and it absolutely did that,” said Carolee Helgesen, Duke Health Technology Solutions coordinator for security, safety and events and a participant in the spring 2023 academy. “If you have any interest or questions about police and what they do, I can’t recommend this enough.” 

By Stephen Schramm

The 18th Duke Citizens Police Academy offers a first-hand look at campus safety

Duke University Police Officer Aaron Pruka, right, helps Duke Citizens Police Academy participants manage a simulated traffic stop.

Photo by Chris Hildreth.

Love at First Visit for Fully Remote Staff Member

Sarah Lang, who works fully remote from Florida, visited campus for the first time in 2022

On most days, Sarah Lang’s contact with Duke comes through a mosaic of Zoom windows.

From her home in Sarasota, Florida, Lang meets with colleagues virtually and helps shepherd research projects several states away.

But after she visited Durham in late 2022, Duke doesn’t feel quite as distant.

“I wanted to get a better idea of the culture, and I wanted to see in person what I was a part of,” said Lang, a grants and contracts administrator with the Duke University School of Medicine’s Research Administration Support Resource (RASR).

Hired in March of 2022, Lang is part of a growing number of Duke employees who work fully remote from outside of North Carolina. Data from Duke Human Resources shows that, in 2023, Duke has 468 employees working in states other than North Carolina, up from 156 in 2020.

Lang, one of 63 Florida-based Duke employees, had never been to Durham prior to December. When she received an invitation to a departmental holiday party, she booked the trip.

Her visit covered the better part of two days, during which she crammed in as many Duke and Durham experiences as possible. She visited the Nasher Museum of Art, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, and the American Tobacco Campus. She grabbed Duke T-shirts for herself and her daughter at Duke University Stores and caught the music-filled service at Duke University Chapel.

And with the December chill giving her a break from sunny Florida, she cherished the opportunity to simply walk around campus, letting the last of the fall leaves crunch under her feet.

“I expected the campus to be beautiful, and it really was,” Lang said. “It felt like I was on a movie set.”

The highlight of her trip was her team’s holiday gathering at Ponysaurus Brewing in downtown Durham. Lang chatted with colleagues she’d only known virtually and learned about their lives and roles at Duke.

“It was great to meet in person,” said Timothy Durning, a grants and contracts manager with RASR who leads Lang’s team. “It was nice to have casual conversations about different aspects of work and life.”

For Lang, Duke is more than an employer, it’s a place she says she’s proud to be part of.

“Working fully remote from day one, it has been hard for me to feel connected and understand that I’m part of something much bigger than the small corner of my home office,” Lang said. “Now, I feel more connected, I feel like I’m more a part of the team.” 

By Stephen Schramm

If you have fun stories to share about being part of the Duke workforce, write us at working@duke.edu

During a visit to Durham, Florida-based staff member Sarah Lang visited Duke University Chapel, Sarah P. Duke Gardens and downtown Durham. Photos courtesy of Sarah Lang.

Toward Racial Justice

Duke Revises Policy to Prevent Race-Based Hair Discrimination

In her book “New Growth: The Art and Texture of Black Hair,” Jasmine Nichole Cobb traces Black hair in history, culture, and art from enslavement to the present.

A professor of African and African American Studies and of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke, Cobb describes how enslaved people suffered through forced head shavings and discusses how Afros worn by the Black Panthers became associated with radical politics.

“Over and again, in different time periods and geographic locales, Black coiffure is part of a conversation on the aesthetics of liberation,” Cobb writes in the book. “Frequently, hairstyles such as the Afro, dreadlocks, or simply “the natural” have been typified as “Black” for the way in which these styles embrace unique hair textures common among people of African descent.”

Natural hair – a term that encompasses Afro-textured hairstyles such as locs, braids, twists and hair not chemically straightened – has been a target for bias against Black people, including in workplace settings.

Last year, Duke amended its anti-discrimination policy to prohibit discrimination or harassment based on hair texture or hairstyles commonly associated with a particular race. The policy applies to temporary and contract employees, third parties within Duke programs and employees of Duke contractors.

“It’s about creating a supportive environment where people feel they can thrive,” said Kim Hewitt, Duke’s Vice President for Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer. “There’s a sea change in terms of the number of women who do wear natural hair. There was a time when almost nobody did it at work.”

Hewitt said Duke’s policy was updated to be consistent with a Durham City Council ordinance that expanded Durham’s non-discrimination policy in 2021 to ban hair discrimination by public and private employers in the city. That ordinance drew inspiration from Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, a bill created in 2019 and championed by skin and hair product company, Dove, the National Urban League, Color of Change and Western Center on Law & Poverty, to end hair discrimination.

The CROWN Act, which has passed in 20 states, prohibits racial discrimination based on natural hairstyles in schools and workplaces. Last year, the act passed in the U.S. and North Carolina houses of representatives before stalling in the senates.

Fuqua School of Business professor Ashleigh Shelby Rosette said policy changes like at Duke signal support for Black women.

In 2020, Rosette co-authored an article, “The Natural Hair Bias in Job Recruitment.” Across four studies, Rosette and the authors demonstrate a bias against Black women with natural hairstyles in job recruitment.

“We found that Black women who wear their natural hair are the least likely to be hired,” Rosette said.

Hewitt said that Duke’s policy reinforces an environment at Duke where all community members can be authentic.

“This supports the values articulated in the racial equity work,” Hewitt said. “It’s related in particular to the kind of climate that we want to create here: that people feel welcome, and they can bring their whole selves.” 

By Jack Frederick

Jasmine Cobb, Professor of African & African American Studies and Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University.

Experience Fall Adventures at Discount Rates

Dr. Bina Patel remembers what it felt like to see the Biltmore Estate after a long, winding approach.

The view of the 8,000-acre estate offered a taste of its grandeur and elegance. But what she appreciated most in that moment was that her daughters, Kinjal and Keshal, and her husband, Ketan, were there to experience it, too.

“It’s a beautiful building inside, with beautiful decorations,” said Patel, Assistant Director of Pharmacy at Duke Regional Hospital and Lincoln Community Health Center. “All the rooms are so elegantly decorated, but the memories were really more about spending time with my family.”

The Patel family used a staff and faculty discount through Duke to visit Biltmore, which was built by George Vanderbilt in 1895 in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

Staff and faculty can purchase all-day access tickets and save up to $13 on each ticket throughout the year. Take advantage of these fall adventures through the staff and faculty discount program through Duke.

Historic Colonial Williamsburg

Founded in 1699, Colonial Williamsburg is a year-round attraction, holding special monthly events for park-goers to experience the history of one of America’s first planned cities.

Colonial Williamsburg was the first place Michelle Ashford and her husband Craig visited together on vacation in 1998. Now, they use the Duke discount to visit with their teenage daughters, Elizabeth and Riley.

Each time, the family tours the 301-acre property and follows through on a tradition of purchasing Chowing’s Tavern Root Beer, made in Colonial Williamsburg, at a general store in town. They bring the root beer home to drink.

“When it’s fall, and we’re really wishing we could go back, we’ll open the root beer on a special day,” said Ashford, a certified child life specialist at Duke Children’s Hospital.

Use the discount to save on multi-day passes and daily admission to the park, which offers access to five historic sites, two art museums and more. Children 5 and under receive free admission.

Family Fun at Tweetsie Railroad

Located about three hours from Durham, Tweetsie Railroad boasts fun for the whole family.

The western-style theme park in Blowing Rock has a narrow-gauge steam locomotive, live interactive shows, kid-friendly amusement rides and a Deer Park Zoo.

Duke employees receive $9 off regular admission. 

By Jack Frederick

Historic Colonial Williamsburg. Photo courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg.

Take in the train and rides at Tweetsie Railroad.

Photo courtesy of Tweetsie Railroad.

Asheville’s Biltmore Estate. Photo courtesy of The Biltmore Company, Asheville, North Carolina.

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