WORKING@DUKE NEWS YOU CAN USE Volume 8, Issue 4 August/September 2013
inside
Making Move-In Easy Employees’ After-Work Passions Free Duke Football Tickets
Leveling the Playing Field Duke’s Disability Office connects employees, students and visitors with services and tools
Editor’s Note Leanora Minai
Practicing Our Passions
C
arson Mataxis collects G.I. Joes. Deb Kinney knows a lot about wine and fixing fountain pens. You can read about these Duke employees and Niko Bailey, culinary talent and IT analyst with the Office of Information Technology, in “Well-Practiced Passions” on pages 8 and 9. Making time for personal interests is key to balancing work and life, said Andy Silberman, director of Duke’s Personal Assistance Service. “One might think there should be a perfect balance between all the various work and personal demands, but those are always in flux,” Silberman said. “The key, much like gauges on an automobile, is to ask yourself if things are operating in the desired ranges and to make constant adjustments.” One of my passions is journalism (I’m a former newspaper reporter). Outside of work, I enjoy finding under-reported crime and public safety issues and telling those stories on my news blog. Last year, I completed my first short documentary film, The Mothers. The 10-minute film is about the impact of gun murder. It’s about two mothers from the Parents of Murdered Children chapter in Durham. I made the documentary as part of earning the certificate in Documentary Arts from Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies. The film is available for viewing at www.leanoraminai.com/ themothersdocumentary. I had to cut back on my blog when I moved to Durham nearly a year ago to make time for a home search. Now I have a new passion – renovating the former home of Mary Lou Williams near downtown. The Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture at Duke is named after the jazz pianist, composer and teacher who performed with numerous jazz legends. Williams taught at Duke from 1977 until her death in 1981. I’m keeping the footprint of the 1960 home but updating the electrical and mechanical systems and renovating the kitchen and bathrooms. One thing I’ve learned about passions is that while they are fun and rewarding, they require a lot of time and hard work. I’ve also learned that some passions stick with you for a long time and others come and go like the baseball cards I enthusiastically collected in my youth. Whether it’s a long-time passion or new interest, what’s most important is to commit time to exploring what makes you come alive. And remember to adjust various demands to continually rejuvenate yourself.
2
Working@Duke
Contents
4 7 8
Cover: Leveling the Playing Field
Last year, about 300 people with disabilities contacted Duke’s Disability Office to request assistance to visit, work or study at Duke.
Duke Employees Make Student Move-In Easier Roughly 1,700 first-year students will descend on East Campus in August for their college move-in day. Catch a glimpse of the action.
Well-Practiced Passions
What happens when employees change out of their work clothes? Interest in G.I. Joes, wine and cooking drive some staff to become experts.
10 Free tickets to Duke Football Employee Kickoff Celebration 12 Get your health on track with Run/Walk Club 14 Discount for Biscuitville breakfast 15 Sorting trash for sustainable treasure Cover Photo: Benjamin Ward, a faculty-in-residence at Edens Quad since 1990.
2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing and 2013 Silver, 2009, 2007 Bronze, Print Internal Audience Publications
This paper consists of 30% recycled postconsumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
Briefly n n n n
Duke a 2013 ‘Great College’ to work for For the sixth consecutive year, the Chronicle of Higher Education has recognized Duke as one of the nation’s “Great Colleges to Work For.” Duke is being recognized for excelling in areas of “Facilities, Workspaces and Security” and “Job Satisfaction and Support.” The results are based on survey responses from 600 randomly selected Duke faculty and staff and ranked by consulting group ModernThink. “Duke continues to strive to be a leading employer across each of the domains we operate in,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “Being recognized for the sixth year in a row is external validation that the institution has been and is moving in the right direction.” The “Facilities, Workspaces, and Security” category description includes the following, “facilities adequately meet needs, the appearance of the campus is pleasing, and the institution takes steps to provide a secure environment.” The “Job Satisfaction and Support” category notes, “provides insight into the satisfaction with job fit, autonomy, and resources.” Duke was among 300 institutions to participate in the “Great Colleges” program, which included 97 colleges and universities highlighted as “Great Colleges to Work For.” “The institutions that the Great Colleges program recognizes provide innovative educational experience while also offering their employees outstanding workplace experiences, and we are eager to help readers learn more about them,” said Liz McMillen, editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle of Higher Education, in print and online, provides news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators.
n n n n
Track your time off on the web Beginning Aug. 1, monthly-paid employees at Duke University will be able to track and submit their time off electronically through Duke@Work, the self-service website. The new time off tracking and reporting tool, which is part of the broader paperless payroll initiative at Duke, will promote consistency in the application of timeoff policies and eliminate various manual processes used by departments to track time off for vacation, sick leave, holidays and discretionary holidays. Over the years, University departments have created a variety of spreadsheets and other documents to track accrual and use of time off by exempt staff, said Tim Walsh, vice president for Finance. “Many of these departmental systems are quite advanced, but they can be time-consuming to maintain and difficult to double-check for accuracy and consistency,” he said. With the new system, University employees can now use the “MyTime” link on the “MyInfo” tab on the Duke@Work website to record hours taken off from work each month. As an employee records time, the system automatically recalculates and displays the balances for hours remaining in vacation, sick time and discretionary holiday. Because not all exempt staff work a standard eight-hour day, the system records time off in hours, rather than days. Balances are also recorded in hours, rather than days. Watch this how-to video on tracking time off: bit.ly/duketimeoff.
n n n n
Nominations for Teamwork, Diversity Awards due Sept. 13 Celebrate your co-workers by nominating them for Duke’s Teamwork and Diversity Awards. The deadline to submit nominations for 2013 is Sept. 13, and winners and nominators will be honored at a luncheon with President Richard H. Brodhead and Chancellor for Health Affairs Victor J. Dzau on Nov. 5. “Duke is the Faculty members Kerry L. Haynie, incredible institution left, and Paula D. McClain, right, that it is today because won the 2012 Diversity Award. of the people who work here and their willingness to put into action the values we hold dear,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “These awards are one way for the University to shine a light on the efforts that make Duke so special.” All nominees receive a presentation-quality binder with nominations and letters of recommendation. “It is hard to overestimate the positive message that being nominated sends,” said Denise Evans, executive director of Staff and Family Programs, which helps coordinate the awards. “People are always pleased to know that their colleagues and peers recognize and value their positive contributions.”
n n n n
50th commemoration of black students As the 2013-14 academic year begins, Duke will continue its nine-month commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first black undergraduate students. Events will include a Sept. 10 reception for “The 1969 Allen Building Takeover Exhibit” on display in the Allen Building. This exhibit, created by Duke alumna Caitlin Johnson, chronicles the occupation of the Allen Building in 1969 by the Afro-American Society in protest of the racial climate on campus. During the weekend of Sept. 19 to 22, Duke will co-sponsor the Duke-Durham 50th Anniversary Music Festival with performances of spoken word, jazz and gospel music at Beyu Café, Motorco, Carolina Theatre and Duke Chapel. The commemoration will end with a gala celebration the weekend of October 3 to 6 with discussions, tours and celebrations. Full details available at spotlight.duke.edu/50years. PANTONE with PMS 2768
today.duke.edu/working
3
Cover Story
After suffering a concussion and brain injury, Monica Jakubowski, above, worked with Duke’s Disability Office to return to work at Duke Hospital.
Leveling the Playing Field Duke’s Disability Office connects employees, students and visitors with services and tools
M
onica Jakubowski was mulling over lunch choices as she drove up North Carolina Highway 751 to meet her husband at Streets at Southpoint. As she crossed an intersection, a car ran a red light and slammed into the driver’s side of her Dodge Durango. Jakubowski’s head slammed against the side of the car, knocking her unconscious. When she recovered seconds later, she smelled smoke. Disoriented and confused, she crawled out of the car and lay down in grass beside the road. “My colleagues say I called from the emergency room, but I have no memory of that,” said Jakubowski, an advanced practice nurse practitioner at Duke’s Intensive Care Nursery. A doctor diagnosed a severe concussion and told her, “go home to a dark room. Your brain needs quiet to recover.” Two years after that 2011 crash, too much noise still gives Jakubowski headaches and dyslexia-like symptoms. But with help
4
Working@Duke
from her colleagues and Duke’s Disability Management System, she still works at Duke. Last year, about 300 people with disabilities – including Jakubowski – contacted Duke’s Disability Office to request assistance to visit, work or study at Duke. The office serves as a clearinghouse on disability-related information and services to ensure people with disabilities have full access to Duke’s resources. The office connects people with mobility issues to accessible transportation, provides tools and support for students and staff with low vision or other disabilities and works to appropriately adjust a workplace to create a culture of inclusivity. “Our commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for those with disabilities is part of Duke’s belief system,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “People all across Duke are trying to eliminate inhibitors to success, whether that success is in learning, working or visiting Duke.”
Leveling the Playing Field
Resources to Thrive
Four months after the car accident, Jakubowski returned to caring for babies in the 67-bed intensive care nursery. At first, the beeps of heart monitors and cascades of conversations overwhelmed her. “At times I couldn’t listen to a physician and read a chart at the same time,” she said. “My brain wouldn’t take it all in.” But her team leaders had a plan. They allowed her to retreat to a quieter room to write notes. They temporarily reduced her workload. They gave her extra weekend shifts rather than night shifts.
Elizabeth Troutman stepped off a van at the Duke Chapel circle. “Over here, Elizabeth!” shouted Wayne Taylor, who drives the Duke disability van. Troutman walked toward Taylor as she swept a white cane in front of her. She has been blind since she was a teenager, having only two degrees of vision in her right eye. The disability van, operated by Duke Parking and Transportation Services, provides door to door service on campus for riders registered with the Disability Office. Troutman rides the van daily to-and-from the Sanford School of Public Policy, where she is completing a master’s degree while studying law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Disability Office works with Duke employees and about 250 graduate and undergraduate students to coordinate resources they need to thrive at Duke. The office provides accessible student housing and ensures students and faculty with mobility issues have classes in accessible buildings. They also work with faculty to accommodate student needs such as having someone take class notes for a paralyzed student.
Monica Jakubowski, an advanced practice nurse practitioner at Duke’s Intensive Care Nursery, uses a quiet room to complete patient notes.
“We often have to adjust for colleagues on crutches or who are pregnant,” said team leader Martha Bordeaux. “For Monica, it was the same, only her difficulty wasn’t as obvious.” Later, when doctors confirmed that Jakubowski had a brain injury, she and her manager met with the Disability Office to write a formal disability plan. They described Jakubowski’s limitations and accommodations and decided when the department would re-evaluate the plan. “People want the security of knowing that no one can arbitrarily change the rules,” said Leigh Fickling, director of Duke’s Disability Management System. “A disability plan protects the individual and the unit by clarifying expectations.” Requests for assistance from Duke’s Disability Office have risen from 73 in 2010 to 344 in 2012. This is in part because Congress amended the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to expand the definition of disability in 2009. Now, people with health or mental conditions that hamper daily acts such as eating, sleeping or working may be entitled to assistance under ADA regulations. “The expanded definition of disability has significantly increased our work because people with cancer and epilepsy or other conditions may now qualify for assistance,” Fickling said. “We are also doing a better job of networking with people at Duke to help level the playing field for anyone here with a disability.”
Elizabeth Troutman, a Duke graduate student, is pursuing dual degrees in law and public policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy.
For Troutman, the Disability Office has alerted professors to her low vision and helped obtain textbooks in machine-readable format so her computer can read them aloud to her. Two years ago, the Disability Office helped Sanford administrators select software for professors to scan newspapers clippings into machine-readable format for Troutman’s studies. “Years ago, blindness would have severely limited my choices,” Troutman said. “It is wonderful how far we have moved the bar so that people with disabilities can play their full part in our society.” >> continued on page 6 today.duke.edu/working
5
Eliminating Barriers Benjamin Ward pressed the automatic door opener, pushed the joystick on his motorized wheelchair and rolled through the doors of Edens Quad, where he has lived as faculty-in-residence since 1990. A three-year fight with colon cancer has stolen much of Ward’s strength but not his passion for being with students. He uses a wheelchair to conserve energy, teaches philosophy and Arabic and attends men’s home soccer games and track meets as a faculty sponsor. He also mentors Duke’s Pitchforks, the male student a cappella choral group he started in 1979, and invites students to Durham Bulls games. “Keeping up with my students is a tonic for me,” said Ward, a professor of philosophy. Each semester, the Disability Office ensures Ward’s philosophy seminars are located close to his apartment. The office also meets with Facilities to ensure that Duke’s priority snow and ice removal plan includes Edens Quad’s accessible entryway. This review of class and work location is done for every person with a mobility issue registered with the Disability Office. To help guide its work, the office keeps a 7-foot-long map on a conference room wall. The map shows accessible paths, parking and building entrances and color-coded buildings: blue for accessible buildings, pink for buildings not yet accessible.
“When I came in 2001, this map was much more pink,” said Dennis Novack, ADA facilities program director in Duke’s Disability Office. “Now most of it is blue.” Novack reviews all construction documents for Duke to ensure they meet ADA requirements. He said this blush of blue reflects Duke’s commitment to making Duke’s campus more accessible. It also reflects a strong collaborative effort with University and Health System facility designers and project managers dealing with construction and renovation. In the past dozen years, Duke has built 17 ADA-compliant buildings and renovated 45 campus facilities to provide ramps, automatic door openers, wheelchair-accessible seating, and other improvements. “Every major renovation we do – Page Auditorium, Baldwin Auditorium, Perkins Library, West Union – they all have a significant ADA component,” said John Noonan, director of Facilities Management at Duke.
Benjamin Ward, above at left, enjoys a Durham Bulls game with Duke students Neil Krishnan, center, and Christopher Tweed-Kent. At left, Duke disability van drivers Wayne Taylor , left, and Terrence (Tiger) Davis , right, help Ward into the van.
Ward will enjoy the renovations in the newly refurbished Baldwin Auditorium this fall. The accessible entrance will be near the main entrance instead of the rear and every level will feature accessible seating. Said Ward, “I’ve already selected my seat for the season.” By Marsha A. Green
Is Your Event Accessible? For the 2013 commencement exercises, the Disability Office hired four sign language interpreters, provided assistive listening devices and worked with Parking and Transportation to have 38 golf carts and 25 wheelchairs for visitors with mobility concerns. For help making your event accessible, check the Disability Office’s Event Planning Checklist at access.duke.edu.
6
Working@Duke
go online
For more information, visit access.duke.edu
Duke Employees Make First-Year Move-In Easier
W
hen roughly 1,700 first-year students descend onto East Campus in August for their inaugural college move-in day, Duke staff members will answer questions, provide directions and distribute water in the North Carolina heat. The annual event features a cast of hundreds who help manage students and families who show up at Duke. It’s one of the annual instances when employees from departments across the university
come together, said Clay Adams, associate dean of students and director of parent and family programs. “The move-in event isn’t owned by any one office, department or division – it’s a community event,” said Adams, who will help with first-year move-in Aug. 20. “Everyone comes together for these students, and it epitomizes the best of our institution.” So what goes on among all the excitement? Here are just a few ways Duke staff support the first-year move-in process. Baldwin Auditorium
Parking & Transportation Services – Quad Alison Carpenter, manager for Duke’s transportation demand management program, will meet and greet new students and offer information about alternative transportation programs and local transit options like the GoPass, the free regional bus pass for all students and eligible staff and faculty.
Duke Catholic Center – Quad Father Michael Martin, director of the Duke Catholic Center, distributes water bottles throughout the morning and afternoon as families drive by the East Campus Marketplace. In 2012, he provided as many as 300 bottles.
Biddle Music Bldg.
OIT – East Union Bassett Res. Hall
Pegram Res. Hall
Brown Res. Hall
Alspaugh Res. Hall
East Campus Union
Lilly Library
Dining – Marketplace Wilson Res. Hall
Giles Res. Hall
Carr Bldg.
Friedl Building
Jarvis Res. Hall
Aycock Res. Hall
Duke University Police Department – Campus Drive West Duke
East Duke
MP
US
DR
White Lecture Hall
CA
24 Duke Police officers fan out across East Campus from 6:30 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m., directing traffic and providing information about parking or campus safety programs to families. Several officers speak to families directly as they wait in vehicles to begin move-in.
Six Office of Information Technology staff and student workers take DukeCard photos and set students up with meal plans and flexible spending accounts. About 20 OIT staff and student workers provide support to new students to help connect their computers to Duke’s wireless Internet and online network.
MA
IN
STR
EET
Duke’s East Campus
Duke Dining keeps Duke community members and volunteers fed and hydrated during movein. Last year, Duke Dining staff members handed out about 235 cases of water and 118 cases of Powerade. They also served nearly 400 lunches.
Student Affairs – Residence Halls Four general maintenance mechanics and 43 housekeeping staff offer assistance with day-to-day cleaning of residence halls or problems in specific rooms. Duke Sanitation and Recycling crews also help collect cardboard boxes, of which about 14,000 pounds were collected and recycled last year between East and West campuses. By Bryan Roth
today.duke.edu/working
7
Well-Practiced Passions D I nterest in G. I. Joes, wi ne an d co o k in g dr ive staff to be co m e ex p er ts
uke faculty and staff are pretty talented people. Among their many tasks, they save lives, master technology and support world-renowned research. But what happens when they change out of their work clothes? For all the worldly and institutional knowledge Duke employees create and share, they also have curiosity for activities outside of efforts on campus. Some have interests, others have hobbies and many pass free time on passions. Here are some of their stories.
Not Your Average ‘Joe’ “Any time I went to a toy store as a kid, it was diabolical the way G.I. Joes were everywhere,” said Carson Mataxis, a senior visual media producer with the Office of News and Communications and University Development. “Cartoons, comics, toys - if you grew up in the mid-80s, G.I. Joe was at the center of the world for children of that era.” Turns out not much has changed for Mataxis as an adult. When he’s not producing videos at Duke, Mataxis curates a website with his encyclopedic knowledge of G.I. Joes, which spans back to owning his first action figure in 1986 – communications officer Dial-Tone. At 3DJoes. com, Mataxis catalogs three-dimensional images of G.I. Joe action figures along with their packaging to provide a space where fans from all over the world can learn about figures made from 1982 to 1994. His collection includes nearly 500 figures, for which he can rattle off every name and details created for each character. “For example, Quick Kick was a barefooted Carson Mataxis poses with some members of his vast G.I. Joe figurine collection. He uploads photos and information on G.I. Joes to his website, 3DJoes.com. Photo courtesy of Carson Mataxis.
8
Working@Duke
martial artist whose file card advised that ‘if you had an extremely fortified compound that needed infiltration, you wouldn’t send a whole team, you’d send in Quick Kick,’ ” Mataxis recited from memory. “He was a stunt man in commercials for ‘Frozen Fudgee Bars’ when the Joes recruited him.” In addition to spending 10 to 12 hours a week building his website, Mataxis spends upward of 10 hours sharing information with other G.I. Joe fans around the world on message boards or podcasts. Mataxis has been a guest on two prominent podcasts, “Flag Points” and “What’s on Joe Mind?” “I engage with people all the time who see me as an expert on collecting the figures,” Mataxis said. “You never know where a hobby can take you.”
Learning and Living History For Jason Gordon, studying American history is just as important as living it. Growing up in historic Williamsburg, Va., it was hard for Gordon to avoid the past surrounding a city that became the capitol of the Virginia colony in 1699. That’s in addition to the fact his family traced its lineage in the Williamsburg area to at least the 1860s and perhaps earlier. “When I say history is in my blood, it’s definitely in my blood,” said Gordon, a computer technician at the School of Nursing. “Growing up, there was a large influence to learn history and my friends and family played a huge part.” After studying history During his time working at Colonial Williamsburg, Jason Gordon, left, acted in video productions to highlight at Hampton the history of Williamsburg. Photo courtesy of Colonial University from Williamsburg Foundation. 1998 to 2002, Gordon took a job at Colonial Williamsburg, a living-history museum where he could literally immerse himself in a time he found fascinating. He helped create programming and construction ideas for various sites of the colonial reenactment museum, which features actors portraying the real-life residents of the historical town.
Using an expertise in the history of American slavery, Gordon planned aspects of walking tours to highlight lives of black people living during the 1700s and 1800s. “A very large number of slaves were highly-skilled craftsmen and to be a craftsman they needed to know basics of reading, writing and arithmetic,” Gordon said. Since joining Duke in 2011, Gordon has kept a connection to his love for history, which includes wood-working. In addition to benches, stools and a table, Gordon has carved dozens of walking sticks from hardwood made in a style found in Africa from the 18th century through today.
Passion for Pinots and Pens Whether it’s red ink or red wine, Deb Kinney knows quite a bit about dealing with both. In addition to being a preeminent modifier of fountain pens, Kinney, videoconferencing specialist and media coordinator with Duke Law School Academic Technologies, is also a Certified Sommelier, a wine expert. Kinney has collected about 500 pens for nearly 30 years and began repairing fountain pens in 1995. She Deb Kinney raises a glass of Vitis Ridge Riesling during a said she’s currently vacation in Seattle. Kinney is a Certified Sommelier and modifier of fountain pens. Photo courtesy of Deb Kinney. one of about 10 people around the world who modify fountain pen “nibs,” the metal tip of a fountain pen that delivers ink to a writing surface. As far as she knows, Kinney is the only female who modifies nibs, which consists of using a grinder and sanding blocks to whittle a pen’s tip to an exact size. She’s received pens for modification from all over the world, including Tasmania, Israel and across Europe. “Most customers either want a much finer nib or a cursive italic modification that will give their handwriting a little more pizzazz,” said Kinney, who spends a few hours a week modifying nibs. “It takes a lot of patience to do it right.” Patience also paid off for Kinney in her pursuit of becoming a Certified Sommelier, for which she spent seven months studying the history, geography and geology of wine. To earn her title, she took a day-long test that requires accurate evaluation of wines during a blind wine tasting, a written essay on history and theory of wine and an exam on proper serving of wine and wine pairings.
“Wine is a very personal thing,” said Kinney, who enjoys a wide variety of wine styles but prefers dry wines like Viognier, Ruche or Zinfandel. “I think most people are eager to learn about wine because it turns sharing a bottle with friends into a happy, fun thing.”
Cooking to Perfection Nearly every day, Niko Bailey has a routine when he returns home from Duke: walk to the kitchen, turn on a contemporary Christian rock Internet radio station and get cooking. Bailey’s love for all things culinary has nearly turned his afterwork meal preparations for family into a part-time job. He spends 90 minutes each day making meals from scratch for his wife, son or extended family, including sushi, chef salads with buttermilk dressing and lasagna made with about 30 different ingredients. “There’s a certain level of calmness you find through it, and you realize it’s not a job to make food, it’s a passion,” said Bailey, an IT analyst with the Office of Information Technology’s Enterprise Systems and Support. “Once you can get that level of calmness inside yourself, you look at it not as ‘I have to go home and cook,’ it’s ‘I have to go home, and I get to cook.’ ” As part of weekly preparations, he’ll compile a list of ingredients and scour websites and mailers for coupons on items. He sets a weekly budget of up to $110 on groceries, which he tracks in word documents along with a folder full of recipes on his laptop. One recipe he’s been working to prefect for summer grilling is the “potato bomb,” a potato stuffed with items like meats or cheeses.
Niko Bailey prepares cheesecake-stuffed strawberries in his home kitchen. Photo courtesy of Niko Bailey.
Bailey easily found a love for making food, including his own variety of barbecue sauces that range from smoked paprika to white wine-chipotle. Most of his cooking education comes from trial and error in his kitchen. Someday, he’d like to attend culinary school. “As long as I see everybody else enjoying my food, I’m happy,” Bailey said. “It’s like an artist seeing their painting in a gallery. It’s success to see people enjoying what I’ve made.” By Bryan Roth
today.duke.edu/working
9
Free Tickets to Sept. 28 Duke Football Game
H
Faculty and staff get up to four tickets to annual kickoff event
Pre-game festivities, including music, see the Blue Devils play Troy University on earing the cheers of a crowd inflatable games, face painting and a Sept. 28. Employees can begin requesting was nothing new for Devin catered meal, will start three hours prior up to four free tickets to the game on Aug. Wickward when he played to kickoff at Krzyzewskiville outside Card 1. Last year, Duke faculty and staff claimed football with his local athletic Gymnasium. Game time will be determined 9,330 tickets and helped fill Wallace Wade association around the Triangle. But there’s closer to game day. Stadium with just over 31,100 fans. something special about doing cheering As part of game day festivities, fans can The Blue Devils are coming off a 6-7 of his own, like when he watched Duke’s cheer on the Blue Devils as the team walks season that included the team’s first trip to football team with his family during last through “Blue Devil Alley” on its way into a bowl game in nearly 20 years. The team year’s Employee Kickoff Celebration. Wallace Wade Stadium. also averaged 40 points a game at home. Along with his older brother, sister, During halftime, Duke will also take a father and mom, who works at Duke, “We’ve seen great progress in the moment to honor the 50th anniversary of Devin, 12, watched from the stands as Duke football program in recent years, which raises the excitement of the Employee black undergraduate integration. The kickoff beat Florida International University to event, sponsored by Duke Athletics and Kickoff as a chance for Duke to celebrate begin last year’s football season. our employees and our football team,” Human Resources, also includes fireworks. “I really liked getting to hang out with “We like to dress up and paint our my family while watching the game, because said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for faces so we can be the football version of a administration. “As one of the only events I learned how to play better from seeing the Cameron Crazie,” said Devin’s mom, Cathy Duke players,” Devin said. “I paid attention that brings our entire community and Wickward, quality program coordinator at their families together, this is a special to the players’ strides when they ran and the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “It’s opportunity to show our Duke spirit.” learned to go faster and get more a great opportunity for running power.” the family to have a fun The Wickwards Get Free Duke Football Tickets activity to do together, will be back at this year’s Duke faculty and staff can request up to four free tickets get excited and engage Duke Football Employee to the Sept. 28 home game against Troy University. Visit goduke.com with Duke football.” Kickoff Celebration, for game time. Tickets can be reserved at goduke.com/employee which offers staff and or by calling (919) 681-8738. Your DukeCard ID is required By Bryan Roth faculty free tickets to to pick up tickets on game day.
10
Working@Duke
go online
Follow the Blue Devils at goduke.com
Sam Wickline, left, and Scott Hudson, IT analysts with Duke’s Office of Information Technology, check cellular activity at the new Duke Medicine Pavilion.
Can you hear me now? Duk e is upgrading its campus cellu lar network
T
o ensure that campus cellular capacity and coverage will meet the ever-growing demand for mobile connectivity, Duke is working with Verizon, AT&T and Sprint to upgrade the cellular networks on campus. Work involves a new distributed antennae system that broadcasts cellular signals more directly to campus buildings and covers a much larger area. The project is expected to take 18 months. The university has become increasingly reliant on cellular voice and data services for DukeAlert emergency notifications and day-to-day business operations. Students, faculty and staff rely on consistent, high-speed data rates to access university systems. “Today’s students, faculty and staff come to campus with two or three wireless devices: smartphones, tablets, laptops,” said John Andreala, assistant director in Duke’s Office of Information Technology. “With cellular services so vital to the business, safety and academic mission of the university, our network must be ready to meet the current and projected needs.” The project will involve work on more than 200 buildings, many of which – from historic older structures to cutting-edge “green” construction – pose challenges for connectivity.
go online
For more tech news, visit oit.duke.edu
Older buildings have denser walls that can interfere with wireless coverage. “Green” building construction also can obstruct coverage: The building exteriors often contain materials that block carrier signals. The system infrastructure will be designed, constructed and installed through a partnership with Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint, the university’s three preferred carriers. The multimillion project will be funded by the carriers, who also will provide ongoing monitoring and maintenance for the system. Duke is not charging the carriers for lease costs. With the increased cellular coverage, the upgrade also allows Duke to shut down its legacy 800 Megahertz radio system, which had been used for communications by about 500 facilities staff. Now workers will only carry one device. Due to the building-based rollout of the new system, OIT will work with departmental contacts and university building coordinators to ensure that users have specific information about activities in their buildings. By Cara Bonnett
today.duke.edu/working
11
Get Your Health on Track for a Lifetime All skill levels welcome at Duke’s Run/Walk Club
T
wice a year, Duke faculty and staff come together for 12 weeks to help each other achieve personal fitness goals. It’s a key part of Duke’s Run/Walk Club, a free group exercise program run by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. Registration is now open at hr.duke.edu/runwalk for the next session, which takes place Aug. 19 to Nov. 6. Last year, about 800 Duke employees participated in the program, which meets from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday. Walkers and runners meet at the East Campus wall, across from Whole Foods on Broad Street; more advanced runners meet in front of Wallace Wade Stadium At each location, participants form groups according to fitness level and follow clearly laid out plans to help participants improve fitness and lower stress.
never been much of a runner – I’ve always focused “onI’veswimming, racquetball or yoga – but I’ve gotten stronger with Run/Walk Club. I feel more confident. Most of the time, I’ve done exercise on my own, but I like being with our group. I miss it when it’s over.” Steven McElwee, IT consultant, Enterprise Systems and Support East Campus Run/Walk participant
“
My motivation is the people. You can see the expression on their faces when you’re having a tough moment. They stick with you and look at you and say ‘we’re with you on this.’ It’s helped me get my weight under control, gets me into a good cardiovascular workout and gives me motivation to get my health on track for a lifetime.” Eric Timberlake, patient service associate, Duke’s Sutton Station Internal Medicine East Campus Run/Walk participant
a part of Run/Walk Club definitely helps you “Being feel like you’re a part of the Duke community. I don’t think enough people take advantage of the program. There’s a place for all skill levels, from someone who just started walking, to advanced runners. I was nervous to come at first, but it has helped me to keep running and to train for a 10K race.”
Want to Walk or Run? Registration is now open at hr.duke.edu/runwalk for the next Duke Run/Walk Club session, which begins Aug. 19. 12
Working@Duke
Carrie Smith, clinical dietitian, Duke Cancer Center West Campus Run/Walk participant Compiled by Bryan Roth
go online
Learn more about the Run/Walk Club and register at hr.duke.edu/runwalk
Help Caring for Aging Parents Free consultations provide resources for elder care
Debbie Vuolo and her father, Don, enjoy a trip to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.
W
hen Debbie Vuolo’s 81-year-old father could not remember how to play cards, shower or fix a meal, she knew he needed to move to assisted living. Fighting back tears, she called Duke’s Aging Center Family Support Program for advice on how to share the decision with him. “It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” said Vuolo, a homecare coordinator nurse with Duke Homecare and Hospice. “I felt guilty that I couldn’t care for him in my own home.” The Family Support Program offers confidential one-on-one consultations at no charge to Duke staff and faculty who care for aging parents or relatives. The consultations are based on the Aging Center’s extensive research on caring for the elderly, including those with Alzheimer’s disease. Last year, 133 Duke employees used the consultations to learn about dementia, resources for seniors and tools to cope with the stress of caregiving. “Because people are living longer, more people are responsible for more elderly relatives than at any other time in our history,” said Lisa Gwyther, Family Support Program director. “Unlike in the past, many of the caregivers are also holding down jobs at the same time, which can be very stressful.”
Elder Care Support Duke’s Aging Center Family Support Program provides free consultations by phone or in person for staff and faculty caring for elderly parents. To schedule a consultation, call (919) 660-7510 or email lisa.gwyther@duke.edu or bobbi.matchar@duke.edu.
go online
Recent statistics gathered by Employee Occupational Health and Wellness show that more employees from Duke University Health System are taking Family Medical Leave to care for parents than for children. Similar statistics are not available for the university. “People generally think of children when they think of balancing family and work responsibilities, but clearly among our workforce, there is also a need to care for parents or other aging family members,” said Carol Epling, director of Employee Occupational Health and Wellness. Gwyther said the consultation service is unique because of its responsiveness. “We usually meet with someone in-person or on the phone within 24 hours, which means we can help them when they are in crisis, as well as when they are just exploring,” she said. When Vuolo called last August, she told Gwyther that she and her sisters planned to sit down with their father and tell him he needed to move to assisted living. Gwyther suggested the sisters minimize disruption by making arrangements ahead of time and choose one person to explain the matter. She also recommended that the move take place within one week of the explanation. “Rehearsing the decision with her helped me explain it to Dad in a way that kept his dignity intact,” Vuolo said. A week after the discussion with their father, Vuolo and her sisters moved him from Vuolo’s home to Carillon Assisted Living in Hillsborough. “He’s happier now, and so are we because we know he is safe,” Vuolo said. “But I’ll be forever grateful for the support we’ve received from Lisa on this journey.”
For more information about the Family Support Program visit dukefamilysupport.org
By Marsha A. Green
today.duke.edu/working
13
A Biscuitville Breakfast PERQS employee discounts
Biscuitville Locations in Durham 1129 W. Club Blvd. 3203 N. Roxboro St. 2822 Chapel Hill Blvd. 3201 Hillsborough Road 1806 Holloway St.
Save on biscuits with the Duke employee discount
W
ith the smell of fresh biscuits and coffee filling the restaurant, Carol Lawrence and her friends bowed their heads for a brief prayer. “Amen,” said Lawrence, who reached into a brown Biscuitville bag and pulled out a hot whole-wheat English muffin with turkey sausage. For 1½ hours, Lawrence and eight church members had distributed literature and spread words of comfort to people at gas stations, laundromats and motels. Now it was time for a break at the Biscuitville restaurant on Hillsborough Road to recharge before hitting the road again. “We stop here almost every Saturday morning during our missionary work because I can get the Duke discount,” said Lawrence, a patient services associate at the Duke Children’s Health Center. “I love that I can use it to treat my friends to breakfast.” Duke staff and faculty receive a 10 percent discount at five Biscuitville locations in Durham through PERQS, the employee discount Carol Lawrence, center, and Ricky Fields, right, say grace before program. Biscuitville is one eating breakfast at Biscuitville. of 29 restaurants that offer discounts through PERQS to employees who show their DukeCard. Lawrence has devoted her Saturday mornings to missionary work with the Jehovah’s Witnesses for nearly 20 years. She said they cover different areas and occasionally have breakfast at one of the other local Biscuitville stores. The Hillsborough store is their favorite, she said. “They know us here,” she said. “It’s nice to come in and be recognized.” Ricky Fields, a staff assistant at Duke Clinical Research Institute and Jehovah’s Witness elder, introduced Lawrence to the savings at Biscuitville when she started work at Duke in 2010. “I’m here two or three times each week,” he said. “If I don’t eat breakfast at home, I eat it here because they make everything fresh. And it’s nice to get that extra little discount each time.” By Marsha A. Green
14
Working@Duke
go online
For a full list of PERQS discounts, visit hr.duke.edu/discounts
Sustainable uke YO U R S O U RC E FO R G R E E N N E W S AT D U K E
Sorting Trash for Sustainable Treasure
S
Duke introduces new way to recycle
taff and faculty in the The recycling and waste program Sanford School of Public may roll out to other buildings in Policy, Smith Warehouse the future, Buchholz said. The pilot and the Wilson and Brodie complements Duke’s normal recycling recreation centers are taking part efforts, which service about 1,600 bins in a trash and recycling pilot across campus. program to help cut waste, increase “Typically speaking, businesses recycling and get the community that use mixed recycling see a 20 to thinking about composting items 45 percent increase in collections like coffee grinds and paper towels. when switching to a mixed recycling Participants in the pilot collection,” she said. “By collecting project are switching to singlepost-consumer compost and mixed stream recycling, which allows recycling, we want to get as much out paper, plastic and aluminum to of our waste stream as possible.” be collected in one location. Over As part of the pilot project, the summer, employees working in compost bins have been placed in Nancy Shaw, human resources manager in the Sanford School of Public Sanford and Bays 1 to 3 of Smith break rooms or bathrooms in Sanford, Policy, is among the first Duke employees to begin using new mixed recycling bins. Warehouse received new recycling Smith Warehouse and Wilson and bins and smaller wastebaskets that Brodie recreation centers to collect could have been composted. That means will be emptied by each user at a centralized only 12 percent of what was thrown away materials like coffee grinds and paper towels station in each building. For example, and cups. was actually trash. employees in Sanford can empty their trash Karen Kemp, assistant dean for “We knew that a significant portion at drop-offs in hallways. communications and marketing at Sanford of the waste stream would be compostable “Recycling is very important, so it’s and a co-leader of the school’s “Green material and recyclables, but didn’t realize exciting that we get to set an example for Team,” said the pilot helps sustainability it would be such a large percentage of the whole university,” said Nancy Shaw, efforts by reducing confusion about what the waste,” said Arwen Buchholz, Duke’s human resources manager at Sanford. She can and can’t be recycled. recycling and waste reduction coordinator. drops off recyclable items like drink bottles, “Pursuing sustainability is connected to “Based on research from other universities paper and more. Duke’s academic mission and it’s important and municipalities, we’re confident that The pilot was created after waste making the switch to single-stream recycling for us to walk the walk,” Kemp said. “The audits by Facilities Management’s Recycling waste we generate is our responsibility, will help us better capture the 40 percent of and Waste Reduction Unit in Sanford, so making us responsible for recycling or recycling that was put in the trash.” Biological Sciences Building, Fuqua School composting our own trash may make us The findings were presented to of Business and the School of Nursing think twice about what we’re doing.” members of Duke’s Campus Sustainability showed 45 percent of items thrown away Committee, which supported the By Bryan Roth could have been recycled and 43 percent implementation of the project.
go
Learn more about water conservation at sustainability.duke.edu/waste 15online Working@ Duke
today.duke.edu/working
15
WORKING@DUKE How To Reach Us Editor: 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 Senior Writer: Marsha A. Green (919) 684-4639 marsha.green@duke.edu Senior Writer/Videographer: Bryan Roth (919) 681-9965 bryan.roth@duke.edu Photography: Duke University Photography and Marsha Green and Bryan Roth of Communication Services.
Working@Duke is published every other month by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and story ideas. Send email to working@duke.edu or call (919) 684-4345. Visit“Working@Duke” daily on Duke Today:
today.duke.edu/working This publication is available in alternative format on request. Please call (919) 684-4345.
dialogue@Duke “ Duke football went to its first bowl game in almost 20 years in 2012.What do you think the team will accomplish in 2013?”
‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
Hopefully they’ll find the success of last season. I hope they repeat it, if not improve. Coach Cutcliffe has definitely turned the program around, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they got to another bowl game.”
Abel Cuevas Senior payroll clerk, Corporate Payroll Services 5 years at Duke
I always want them to accomplish as much as they can. They’re moving in the right direction, and I hope for the best because they’re definitely improving and doing better.”
Charlene Wang Research administrator, Office of Research Support 10 months at Duke
I ’m expecting them to go back to a bowl game and build on the momentum from last year. There’s a good nucleus of players coming back and a lot of experience and depth in the positions they need. If everyone stays healthy, I expect a repeat from last year.” Andy Silberman Director, Personal Assistance Service 35 years at Duke
Follow Us on
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
facebook.com/workingatduke • twitter.com/workingatduke j.mp/workinglinkedin
DukeTODAY
For daily news and information, visit
today.duke.edu/working