August/September, 2019 Working@Duke

HIGH HONORS 8

WEIGHT LOSS CELEBRATION 10

GET OUTDOORS 12

NE W S YOU CA N USE • A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2019

Demystifying Duke’s Finances working.duke.edu

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Editor’s Note

CONTENTS

LEANORA MINAI

The Power of Music This year, as part of my coursework in Duke’s Graduate Liberal Studies program, I took “The Experience of Music: Social, Emotional and Transcendental.”

Taught by Thomas Brothers, professor of Music and author of Louis Armstrong’s New Orleans, the class exposed me to the work of Armstrong, genres of African-American music and composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Schubert and Claude Debussy.

I loved the class because it sparked within me a new appreciation for music and helped me understand the deeper role music plays in our lives. As you’ll learn from our story on page 13, music touches us. It evokes a feeling, an emotion. It can help us feel calm and help us concentrate when we’re working on something.

In an article last year for The New York Times, “YoYo Ma Wants Bach to Save the World,” Zachary Woolfe points to the power of music. He describes how Yo-Yo Ma’s manager finds comfort from Ma’s performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello suites.

In the article, Woolfe quotes Ma’s manager: “It has helped me through challenging times, with a death in the family. It completely calmed me of ridiculous jitters the morning of my wedding. I was more than a little jittery, and I asked my husband to please put it on for me.”

Through my graduate school class, I found new music to love and discovered a hobby. I bought a record player. I purchased the analog machine because I want to transport myself through history, perhaps get a little closer to the real thing – pops, dust particles and all.

I now borrow a variety of records from Duke University Libraries. Among the selections are Debussy’s Greatest Hits and Don Shirley Plays Gershwin. Some nights, after I return home from work, I place an LP on the turntable, turn up the volume and relax and chat with my wife Heather about the day.

I’ve also expanded my library on iTunes. I enjoy a variety of playlists and albums, including “Amazing Grace: The Complete Recordings”

by Aretha Some vinyl records at home.

Franklin. You’ll find a song from that album, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand/You’ve Got a Friend,” on a special Working@Duke playlist we curated just for you on Spotify.

We hope you enjoy the songs; please listen at bit.ly/WorkingDukePlaylist.

Headshot courtesy of Jenn Chambers, Graduate Liberal Studies classmate.

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4 Demystifying Duke’s Finances

During the Great Recession, the Duke University endowment – the pool of invested money that’s the financial backbone of the university – suffered a 24.5 percent loss. With experts predicting another recession, we explore the factors that limit Duke’s financial flexibility.

8 High Honors

Across Duke’s workforce, there are staff and faculty who have reached the pinnacle of their craft, and for a select number, the triumphs have brought iconic mementos.

10 Celebration of Weight Loss

Duke’s bariatric surgery benefit helps employee Sherry Poret find wellness.

11 Save on an undergraduate academic class at Duke 12 Rent recreation gear on campus and get outdoors 13 The (musical) key to productivity 14 Hang onto these picture framing discounts Contact us Editor/Executive Director of Communications: 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

Jonathan Black Writer (919) 681-9965 jonathan.c.black@duke.edu

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

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) 681-4533.

Visit Working@Duke daily on Duke Today: working.duke.edu

Cover photo by Alex Boerner.

2017, 2014 Gold, 2019, 2015, 2013, Silver, 2016, 2009, 2007 Bronze, Print Internal Audience Publications and 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing

BRIEFLY Your best protection against the flu

A new way to ‘Learn IT’

Duke Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) will offer free flu vaccines to staff and faculty beginning Sept. 19.

For the 2019-20 influenza season, Duke will provide the quadrivalent vaccine and an egg-free option for individuals with allergies.

“Vaccination is the most important step to preventing the flu,” said Carol Epling, director of EOHW. “It protects us from contracting a lethal illness and from others whom we might infect.”

Seasonal flu activity often begins as early as October and November and can continue to occur as late as May. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the United States between December and February.

North Carolina had 208 deaths related to influenza during the 2018-19 season, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. About 34,000 Duke employees received a flu vaccine during the 2018-19 season.

You can get a flu vaccine from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (except noon-2 p.m. Wednesday) at the EOHW office in the Orange Zone of the Duke Clinic or at a roving clinic this fall. You must show a valid DukeCard ID. No appointment is necessary.

The flu vaccine, or an accepted medical or religious exemption, is a condition of employment in the Health System and for many School of Medicine employees.

The flu vaccine schedule is at flu.duke.edu.

The Office of Information Technology’s popular Learn IT @ Lunch series returns this fall with seven workshops aimed at showcasing tools to help make you more efficient and collaborative in your day-to-day work.

In a new twist, organizers will offer community members the option of participating online.

“People have been asking for this for a while, so we’re going to try it out and see how it goes,” said Christine Vucinich, Duke OIT’s training and education practitioner and organizer of the Learn IT @ Lunch series.

The hour-long workshops, which start at noon on most Wednesdays, will be in Perkins or Bostock Libraries. There’s no need to register; you can bring your own lunch.

Last spring, Cherrita McCoy, a staff assistant in Duke University Hospital’s Pediatric Department, attended a workshop offering crowd-sourced tech tips. After wanting to check out a session for a while, it was the first time she was able to attend a workshop. She said it won’t be her last.

“We took a lot from it, and we really enjoyed it,” she said. “I thought it was great.”

For a full schedule and information on how to watch online, visit sites.duke.edu/training/learn-it-lunch.

Find your speed with Duke Run/Walk Club Socialize with colleagues and get your workout in when the Duke Run/Walk Club returns Aug. 12 to Oct. 30.

The 12-week program, which is organized by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, is free for staff and faculty at all fitness levels.

“The camaraderie is fantastic,” said Eve Marion, a research program leader for Duke Clinical & Translational Science Institute who has participated in Duke Run/Walk Club since 2012. “Having people to run with makes the workout so much easier and more fun.”

The club meets at 5:30 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday across from Whole Foods on East Campus and at the Al Buehler Trail on West Campus.

During the season, strength and fitness classes are offered each week.

“The Duke Run/Walk Club is here to help you maintain your cardio or reach a new fitness goal,” said Christian Kennicott, fitness specialist for LIVE FOR LIFE. Register at hr.duke.edu/runwalk.

Save the date: Duke Football

Employee Kickoff Celebration is Sept. 7

Enjoy free football and family-friendly fun Sept. 7 when Duke Football plays North Carolina A&T during the Duke Football Employee Kickoff Celebration.

Staff and faculty can reserve up to four free game tickets and four food vouchers for the game, which kicks off at 6 p.m. at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium.

Before the game, enjoy a celebration featuring music and other fun.

"Each year, we look forward to hosting the Duke Football Employee Kickoff Celebration because of the value we place on our relationship with the Duke community,” said Duke coach David Cutcliffe. “This initiative is one way we’re able to say thank you to the countless number of people who play a role in supporting Duke Football.”

Additional tickets can be purchased for $5 each. A ticket is required for stadium entry for any fan age 3 and older.

Details on venue, meal options and ticketing procedures will be available on hr.duke.edu in August.

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Demystifying Duke’s Finances A look at the Great Recession to current fiscal realities

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nside research greenhouses on West campus, string bean plants and Morning Glory vines shoot skyward, toward the sunny glow of overhead lights.

Near many, small signs bear the names of Duke professors studying them.

Elsewhere in the greenhouse operated by the Department of Biology, plants are labeled with bar codes, showing the plants belong to outside entities renting the unused space.

The idea to earn money off extra greenhouse space took root about a decade ago, when Duke faced a $100 million budget shortfall during the economic downturn of 2008-09 and university departments responded by finding ways to save money. While adhering to federal research regulations and maintaining the university’s non-profit status, the greenhouse is able to use revenue from unused space to offset operating expenses.

“It was like, ‘We’re all in this together. Let’s try to find a way to survive it,’” said Randy Smith, the manager of Duke’s Department of Biology who suggested the idea to lease the space.

In 2008, the nation experienced the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The U.S. Treasury estimated 8.8 million jobs were lost and $19.2 trillion in household wealth disappeared during the recession, which also shook Duke.

Tim Walsh, vice president of Finance The Duke University endowment – the pool of invested money that’s the financial backbone of the university – suffered a 24.5 percent loss. Meanwhile, Duke University leadership and departments found ways to cut around $75 million in annual spending.

While Duke managed the recession with responsible stewardship, many community members are not aware of the long-term effects, or of Duke’s financial realities and structures today. Duke has a strong balance sheet and ample resources to fulfill its mission, but with financial experts

“The need for cost-consciousness across Duke will be as urgent as ever in the coming years.”

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predicting another recession in the coming years, it’s important to understand the factors that limit Duke’s financial flexibility.

“The reality is that Duke is blessed with significant resources, yet our community members constantly experience pressure due to resource constraints,” said Tim Walsh, Duke’s vice president of Finance. “This is essentially because the vast majority of our existing resources are restricted as to use, and because there are always many ambitions across Duke to do new and exciting things.”

“Major things ... don’t make money” Debra Silver, associate professor for Duke Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, is fascinated by what happens as brains develop. Cells divide and connect, sketching the unique blueprint of someone’s mind.

Long, skinny neural stem cells drive the process, creating the web of neurons that communicate with the body. If they don’t create the right types of neurons at the right time, it can lead to diseases such as autism.

When Silver, who came to Duke in 2010, found factors that might alter neural stem cells’ behavior, she wanted to dive deeper.

“It was a completely new research direction,” she said.

Without external grant funding for this project, Silver was awarded $125,000 in bridge funding from Duke, which supports Duke faculty members whose promising research that has yet to secure external funding.

“It shows that Duke is willing to invest in the people who are doing good research,” said Silver, whose work on this project has since earned two government grants.

While bridge funding spurs innovation and empowers researchers, it costs money. Government and private sources fund the majority of the university’s research, but Duke typically spends between $100 to $150 million per year to cover remaining costs, which includes bridge funding.

Walsh points out that virtually all of Duke’s activities – including education and research – operate at a loss, which is not unique to Duke or higher education.

“The major things we do,” Walsh said, “simply don’t make money.”

For example, he explained, the “list price” for an undergraduate education, including tuition and living expenses, is about $75,000, but the cost of providing the undergraduate student experience at Duke is estimated to be approximately $125,000 per student. Furthermore, with Duke providing financial aid to about 50 percent of its undergraduate students, the university collects an average of around $42,000 per undergraduate.

In the current academic year, Duke will invest more than $175 million in undergraduate financial aid.

“In many ways, we’re trying to scrape together money for new things because of the disconnect between what we actually collect and what we actually spend on our students,” Walsh said.

“And that's true at almost any research university.” >> continued on page 6

Debra Silver, associate professor for Duke Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, explored new avenues of research thanks to bridge funding from Duke. working.duke.edu

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Fiscal Year 2018 University Operating Revenues by Source — $2.95 billion Other income 5%

“Need for cost-consciousness”

Net tuition and fees 17% Operating support from Duke University Health System 3%

Auxiliary enterprises 9%

Government grants and contracts 23%

Investment return designated for current operations 20%

However, Duke’s strong investment base, generous donor base, and support received from Duke University Health System for the research mission keep the university on firm financial footing.

Private grants and contracts 16%

When Sharon Kinsella arrived at Duke, she planned on majoring in biology.

But after joining the Hoof n’ Horn musical theatre group, she found her passion: the arts. Now a Global Cultural Studies major, she’s performed in and produced Hoof n’ Horn musicals, and sees her future in the arts.

As living proof of the vitality of Duke’s growing arts scene, Kinsella, now a senior, gives tours of the Rubenstein Arts Center to prospective students who, like her, didn’t realize the role arts play on campus.

“It’s cool to show them that ‘Yes, there is a place for you,’” Kinsella said.

Contributions 7%

Fiscal Year 2018 University Operating Expenses — $2.86 billion Depreciation 8% Interest 3%

Supplies and materials 4%

Other operating expenses 9% Salaries and wages 48%

Professional services 5% Subrecipient payments 5% Rent utilities and maintenance 7%

Duke student Sharon Kinsella is able to indulge her passion for theatre at the Rubenstein Arts Center.

Employee benefits 11%

Source: Duke University Financial Statements 2017/2018

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The Rubenstein Arts Center, which opened in 2018, is a campus-wide destination for the study and production of the arts. It features studio spaces, a 200-seat theater, film theater, radio studio and high-tech makerspace.

“It’s a beautiful building,” said Marcy Edenfield, senior director of the Rubenstein Arts Center. “It gives students a home base, a location where they can make art happen.”

The building is also an example of how money that flows into Duke is often tied to a specific priority and cannot be

used for other expenses. In 2015, a gift from philanthropist and Duke graduate David Rubenstein spurred the creation of the Rubenstein Arts Center at a cost of $50 million.

The money spent on the Rubenstein Arts Center – as well as other new construction such as the Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center and the Hollows Residence Hall – was part of $305 million in Duke’s capital spending in 2018. Financed mostly with debt and gifts, Duke’s new buildings aren’t part of the university’s operating budget, which was $2.86 billion last year with salaries, wages and employee benefits representing nearly 60 percent of that budget.

Duke University’s endowment – now valued at over $8.5 billion – provides around $500 million per year to support university operations. But virtually all of the endowment comes with stipulations and must go to specific purposes spelled out by donors.

While Duke has considerable resources to fulfill its mission, finding unrestricted money to devote to new priorities can be a challenge.

That becomes an issue in lean times, such as the 2008 financial crisis. Before the downturn, Duke had around $800 million in unrestricted funds in its endowment. Between the falling value of investments and the withdrawal of around $250 million of those reserve funds (or its rainy-day fund) to finance university priorities following the crisis, Duke lost or used more than half of the unrestricted money in its endowment.

With a Fuqua School of Business survey of corporate financial officers suggesting that a recession is likely by late 2020, Duke would have far less financial flexibility during another recession.

“The need for cost-consciousness across Duke will be as urgent as ever in the coming years,” Walsh said, “with or without another financial downturn, if we are going to fully execute on the many ambitions of Duke.”

In the past fiscal year, Duke Stores brought in around $25 million in gross revenue. After covering operating expenses and the cost of goods, Duke Stores contributed $6 million to the university’s operating budget.

Only 9 percent of Duke University’s For 31 years, Willie Williams has given Duke University Stores total $2.95 billion customers a pleasant shopping experience. in operating revenue comes from “auxiliary enterprises,” such as dining services, parking and transit, and retail operations such as Duke Stores.

But in the context of how resources are allocated at Duke, the contributions loom large.

Duke University’s budgeting structure is driven by individual academic schools, which earn or are allotted money to cover their needs and commitments. A portion of their resources must be devoted to central administration costs such as maintaining infrastructure and paying wages and benefits for roughly 2,750 central administration employees who keep campus running.

“Retail with a higher purpose” On the Friday before 2019 commencement, Willie Williams watches a flood of shoppers in the University Store rush between racks of Duke jackets, hats and jerseys, clutching the keepsakes they’ll soon buy.

Williams, who has worked for Duke University Stores for 31 years and is an assistant general manager, knows how to keep this busy day from turning into chaos.

“We call ourselves coaches,” Williams said of his team.

“We’ve put together a game plan for how all of this is going to work. We’ve got all our positions laid out.”

For the rest of the afternoon, customers flow to registers, buying reminders of the university they hold dear. And each purchase helps Duke function a little easier. With 14 locations across campus selling an array of items such as snacks, school supplies, computers and thousands of Duke-branded garments and gifts, Duke Stores is one of the university’s handful of profit-generating units.

On commencement weekend 2019, students and their families flood into the University Store on West Campus.

The revenue from sources such as Duke Stores goes directly to covering central administration expenses, easing the financial load on schools and leaving schools better positioned to fulfill their mission.

“I call it retail with a higher purpose,” said Jim Wilkerson, Duke Stores’ director of trademark licensing and stores operations. “It’s retail within an institution that utilizes our dollars to support its goals and priorities for education, health care, research and doing good for society across the world.” 

By Stephen Schramm Photography by Alex Boerner

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High Honors

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From Olympic gold to Nobel Prize, Duke employees achieve rare awards

r ic Oberstein had plenty on his mind while on stage accepting the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album earlier this year.

Oberstein, who produced the winning album, “Back to the Sunset” by the Dafnis Prieto Big Band, needed to settle his nerves, thank several people and finish before the house band began playing.

“They let you know it’s time to get off stage,” said Oberstein, interim director of Duke Performances.

“They’re not subtle.”

Three months later, when his Grammy arrived – they use stand-ins at the ceremony – there was much less pressure. All he had to do was sign for it at a FedEx store.

Winning Eric Oberstein of Duke Performances won his second prestigious awards Grammy in February. can be the triumph of a lifetime. But after the ceremonies and celebrations, reality returns. The achievement – and the award itself – settle into the context of everyday life.

Oberstein, a Duke graduate who joined the Duke Performances staff in 2012, has a few such pieces. Prior to his most recent Grammy, he produced albums for friend and Latin jazz composer Arturo O’Farrill that earned two Latin Grammys and another Grammy.

“I find the skillsets for running Duke Performances and producing albums to be very similar,” Oberstein said. “Whether you’re presenting a performance or producing an album, there’s

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an artistic vision that, from a planning, strategic, marketing and budget perspective, you need to see through.”

Across a Duke workforce filled with bright, bold thinkers, there are staff and faculty who have reached the pinnacle of their craft. And there are a select number whose triumphs left them – and in some cases, all of Duke – with iconic mementos.

An enduring thrill Most current Duke women’s soccer players weren’t born when Blue Devils assistant coach Carla Overbeck finished her playing career.

In the 1990s, Overbeck captained the United States Women’s National Team that captivated the nation by winning two World Cups and Olympic gold.

On long van rides, or during down time, Duke players often have questions.

“They’ll ask what it was like to play in front of all of those people, or how cool it was,” Overbeck said. “Being an Olympian, was that really neat?”

Overbeck’s answer? An unequivocal yes.

The 1996 Olympics were the first to include women’s soccer.

And with the games played in the U.S., the women’s team won gold in front of friends and family.

“I don’t get all excited about stuff, or things, or awards,” Overbeck said. “But the Olympic gold medal is pretty cool.”

Overbeck loves sharing the thrill with others, often bringing her medal to speaking Carla Overbeck, assistant coach of the Duke women’s soccer team, with her Olympic Gold Medal.

engagements and, following the Olympics, letting a UPS driver who delivered her soccer gear see it. She lets players from Duke women’s soccer team have a moment with it, too, providing a rare chance to hold their sport’s ultimate prize.

“I get enjoyment out of people’s reaction to it,” Overbeck said. “Most people don’t get to see one of these.”

Part of his story Occasionally, visitors to Richard Riddell’s Allen Building office ask about the small trophy sitting on a bookshelf. The silver medallion rising from a black base is instantly recognizable to any fan of theatre as a Tony Award, the American stage’s highest honor.

“It’s a reminder of a lot of great people working together,” said Riddell, Duke University senior vice president and secretary to the Board of Trustees.

In 1985, Riddell was a 35-year-old drama professor at the University of California San Diego and lighting designer for productions at the school’s prestigious La Jolla Playhouse. One show, “Big River,” reached Broadway and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical and, thanks to Riddell, Best Lighting Design.

“It was a lot of fun,” Riddell said. “We thought we had a decent chance of being recognized, but we were fortunate that it worked out the way it did.”

Part artistry, part engineering, using light to enhance stories on stage was an exciting challenge for Riddell. But as his academic career took him to Harvard and, in 1992, to Duke, his role as a teacher and administrator grew, leaving less time for professional theatre.

Now, the precise organization and preparation learned in theatre helps Riddell set the stage for the Board of Trustees to do its work.

Still, 34 years after the win, his Tony Award is part of a story that has enjoyed several more acts.

“It was a thrilling time,” Riddell said. “But also a very different time in my professional life.”

One of Robert Lefkowitz’ three replica Nobel Prize medallions hangs in a frame on the wall of his office.

Golden memories With no open space left on Robert Lefkowitz’ office walls, a backlog of framed certificates and plaques sits on filing cabinets and tables.

But the James B. Duke Professor of Medicine isn’t worried about his collection growing. There’s an unofficial rule in science circles that once someone wins a Nobel Prize, you don’t give them any more awards.

In 2012, Lefkowitz became Duke’s first Nobel laureate, earning the prize in chemistry for his breakthrough research on the protein receptors that help the human body’s cells communicate.

For Lefkowitz, 76, the experience was a joyous whirlwind.

“I was thinking ‘Am I dreaming? Is this all really happening?’” said Lefkowitz, who came to Duke in 1973.

When he tells the stories of meeting then President Barack Obama at the White House, sharing a stage with the King of Sweden, or explaining to customs agents why he was flying home with a solid 18-carat gold medallion in his carry-on, he does it with a can-you-believe-this mix of pride and astonishment.

Still at the helm of his lab, Lefkowitz’ life has long since returned to normal.

While his Nobel Prize is locked away in a safe-deposit box, he does have gold-plated replicas at home, in his office and in the lobby of the Trent Semans Center, displayed alongside the Nobel Prize that Duke biochemist Paul Modrich won in 2015.

“It gives me such a good feeling,” Lefkowitz said. “This is Duke’s. Science is a team sport. We won because of work performed under my direction by generations of Duke students and fellows. The Duke team won.” 

By Stephen Schramm Photography by Justin Cook

Before he became Duke University senior vice president, Richard Riddell was a Tony-award winning lighting designer. working.duke.edu

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A CELEBRATION OF

Weight Loss

Duke’s surgical treatment benefit helps employees find wellness

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ver the years, Sherry Poret tried diet programs, workout plans and other ways to get healthy. But with 278 pounds clinging to her 5-foot, 6-inch frame, she felt trapped in a body that didn’t allow her to live how she wanted.

She recalls a day when her young granddaughter, Lily, turned to her and said, “Mimi, you never play hide-and-seek with me.”

With her knees in pain due to her weight, Poret could only respond, “Baby, you know I can’t.”

Now, Poret is 100 pounds lighter and a much nimbler playtime partner.

“I wasn’t ready to feel that old,” said Poret, 60, clinical lead for the Early Phase Clinical Research Unit of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

In 2016, to address her obesity-related painful knees and Type-2 diabetes, Poret had bariatric surgery at Duke Regional Hospital. The surgery encompasses a variety of procedures that reduce stomach size or change the routing of the small intestine, altering the body’s internal signals controlling feelings of hunger.

The service, while pursued by a small number of employees each year, is available under several of Duke’s medical plans, including Duke Select, the most popular plan among employees. To receive the procedure, employees must have at least two years of service, meet certain medical criteria – such as a body mass index greater than 40, or greater than

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35 with other health problems – and complete a three-month Pathways to Change health coaching program. There is a $2,500 surgical co-pay.

“Bariatric surgery is no magic bullet,” said Dana Portenier, division chair for metabolic and weight loss surgery for the Duke Department of Surgery. “Obesity is truly a chronic disease. It’s always fighting to come back, so patients have to use every tool in their toolbox to fight that. Bariatric surgery puts a big dent in it, but they need to continue the lifelong attempts at all their behavioral therapies to beat it back.”

A variety of services are available to Duke employees to fight chronic conditions. LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, provides free consultations with nutritionists, discount rates to gyms and group fitness opportunities such as the Duke Run/ Walk Club.

Three years after her surgery, Poret’s new diet consists of small meals targeted toward her nutritional needs. Her Type-2 diabetes is gone, and, after surgery on her right knee, she’s able to exercise on a recumbent bike.

And she’s not missing any fun of being a grandmother. She’ll visit Walt Disney World with granddaughter Lily this fall and celebrate her daughter’s master’s degree on a cruise in January.

“I’m just happy and proud that I can be a part of all this,” Poret said. 

By Stephen Schramm At top, Sherry Poret with her granddaughter Lily in 2016.

Below, Sherry and Lily in 2019. Photos courtesy of Sherry Poret.

Take control of your health at hr.duke.edu/wellness

Take an Academic Class at Duke Program offers reduced tuition rates for undergraduate courses

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lugh Jordan, who grew up playing the piano and started cello lessons four years ago, wanted to enhance her physical movements during public performances.

Last fall, she audited a Duke University Music Department undergraduate course, “Alexander Technique for Performing Musicians,” a practice for improving posture, movement and breathing.

“When I performed in front of people, I would forget to breathe and feel my back tense up,” said Jordan, a senior cost accounting analyst for Duke Financial Services. “The course helped me focus on being in the present moment.”

Jordan audited the undergraduate course for personal enrichment using the Special Employee Tuition Rate Program offered through Duke Continuing Studies. With the program, Duke employees can enroll for academic credit in most undergraduate courses starting at $975, depending on the number of credits per course. An undergraduate course currently costs $6,976.

Employees can also audit most undergraduate courses – for no assessment or grade – for $100. To audit, employees must obtain prior permission from the instructor.

Since the program began in the 2012, 221 Duke employees have taken nearly 400 courses.

Kim Price, director of academic services for Duke Continuing Services, said the program was created to help employees who need a pre-requisite course for graduate or medical school and to help those who need to finish requirements for a bachelor’s degree.

“Learning is an integral part of working in higher education,” Price said. “The Special Employee Tuition Rate Program makes learning from Duke’s expert teachers more accessible to everyone here.”

An employee may apply for reimbursement for an undergraduate course using the Employee Tuition Assistance Program – a separate program run by Duke Human Resources – but there are limits each semester to the number of courses allowed for reimbursement. The Special Employee Tuition Rate Program cannot be used for graduate or professional school courses at Duke.

This year, Jordan audited another class, “Introduction to Music Theory (Beginner),” also using the Special Employee Tuition Rate Program, to learn about harmonies, reading music and developing rhythm.

Klugh Jordan, who plays the cello, used the Special Employee Tuition Rate Program to take an undergraduate music course at Duke. Photos courtesy of Klugh Jordan.

Since taking the courses, Jordan has seen improvements in her cello movements when she performs with the “Really Terrible Orchestra of the Triangle,” a musical group created for amateur musicians.

“I feel a lot more joy when performing now,” Jordan said. “I’m not imagining everything that could go wrong during the concert.” 

By Jonathan Black

Special Employee Tuition Rate Program Enroll in an undergraduate course for credit or audit a class at a special rate. The special rate cannot be used for graduate or professional school courses at Duke.

For full details, visit learnmore.duke.edu and select “University Coursework.”

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Get the Gear, Get Outdoors Rent camping and sports equipment from Duke Recreation

Meagan Arce, left, rented a cook set from Duke Recreation & Physical Education to camp at the Lake of the Ozarks in Arkansas. Justin Frye, right, rented a tent for a trip to Uwharrie National Forest. Photos courtesy of Meagan Arce and Justin Frye.

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ustin Frye grew up camping with his family in the mountains surrounding their West Virginia home.

With his equipment left behind in West Virginia, Frye rented a tent, lantern, camping chair and other gear from Duke Recreation & Physical Education for a camping trip this year with friends to the Uwharrie National Forest. Cost for the gear: $30.

“I absolutely love the outdoors,” said Frye, a physician assistant for Duke Infectious Diseases. “I’m trying to camp more often and knowing I can rent equipment so cheaply is going to make it easier.”

With a valid DukeCard ID, staff, faculty and students can rent anything from a corn hole set and three-person canoe to a full camping set as part of Duke Recreation’s equipment rental service. A Duke Recreation membership is not required to rent equipment.

Duke Recreation, which allows rentals for up to a week, has stand-up paddleboards, rock climbing shoes, coolers and backpacking and camping packages that include tents, sleeping bags and cooking sets. Prices range from $3 for a headlamp for

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three days to $97 to rent a four-person camping package for a week. Duke-affiliated groups receive a discount on equipment rentals. There is no charge for sports equipment such as bats and tennis rackets.

“We hope to encourage people to spend time in the outdoors exploring, relaxing and enjoying themselves,” said Austin Morgan, program assistant for Duke Recreation.

Meagan Arce turned her multi-day drive to Oklahoma in April into a camping expedition. Arce was meeting her parents to pick up her dog, Duke. On her way to Oklahoma, she camped at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for two nights.

She rented a small cook set with pots, pans and a stovetop to cook eggs, potatoes and peppers. The package cost $5.

“I don’t go camping enough to warrant buying all my own equipment,” said Arce, assistant director of sports marketing for Duke Athletics. “After being cooped up in the car so much for that trip, it was nice to cook and sleep outdoors.”

Equipment requests are made online at recreation.duke.edu and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. 

By Jonathan Black

Get the full equipment list and details at recreation.duke.edu

The (Musical) Key to Productivity

H

ilary Bouton-Verville’s fingers hover over a computer keyboard as she works on a report about influenza research. To concentrate, she inserts earbuds, and the music of Frédéric Chopin and Johann Sebastian Bach spill out.

“Music drowns out distractions. It helps me focus,” said BoutonVerville, associate director of Duke Human Vaccine Institute Program Management.

Music helps a majority of us feel more efficient, according to a 2018 survey by Accountemps, a subsidiary of the human resources firm Robert Half. The study found that 71 percent of U.S. employees feel more productive when listening to music. People who listen to music at work also feel a boost in happiness, according to a Spotify survey.

Anthony M. Kelley, an associate professor of the practice of music at Duke, said music leads to improved productivity and positive feelings because it has qualities that are linked to a more relaxed mental state.

Kelley said soothing instrumental music is good for engaging in work that requires critical thinking because the tone isn’t distracting. Energetic and upbeat music is better for repetitive tasks that don’t take a lot of brain power.

“Music is a gateway to get you into a sense of relaxation,” he said. “You think clearer when you’re not anxious.”

Jennifer Chamberlain, a financial analyst for the Duke University School of Nursing, listens to Pandora playlists such as “Relaxation Radio,” “Tranquil Music Radio” and “Musical Spa Radio.” The spa playlist features songs with instrumental chords playing over rain, wind and chirping birds.

“Music transports me away from my worries,” she said.

“It brings me calm, relaxation and balance. I just feel better when I have something playing.”

At work on Fridays, Chamberlain listens to music with lyrics.

She alternates between favorites by Duran Duran and new tracks

by BTS, the Korean pop band she started LISTEN: Tune into our listening to after attending the group’s curated Spotify playlist at concert with her 12-year-old daughter.

She listens with headphones but also bit.ly/WorkingDukePlaylist plays music on low volume in her office.

“I always laugh when people walk in and say how nice and calm it seems,” Chamberlain said. “I can tell a difference when I don’t have music on.” 

Jennifer Chamberlain listens to Pandora playlists like “Relaxation Radio” at work.

Photo by Jonathan Black.

By Jonathan Black

working.duke.edu

13

PERQS EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS

Hang onto These

Picture Framing

D

Discounts

arell Bigner was cleaning his mother’s attic about five years ago when he came across a dusty box containing memorabilia from his career in the Navy Medical Corps.

The items – a pair of white gloves, gold shirt buttons and black ornamental shoulder pieces – brought back memories of his service from 1962-64 when he taught students in what is now the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute.

Bigner and his wife, Rita, had the gloves, a certificate of appointment and photograph of Bigner in uniform sewn onto a mounting board and framed by Bull City Art & Frame Company in Durham. The keepsake sits on a bookshelf in Darrell Bigner’s office in Medical Sciences Research Building I. “It’s a better way to preserve those items than putting them away in a box for storage,” said Darrell Rita and Darell Bigner used a discount from Bull City Art & Frame for memorabilia from Darell’s service in the Bigner, Duke’s E. L. and Lucille F. Jones Cancer Navy Medical Corps. Photo by Jonathan Black.

Research Professor and Director Emeritus for The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center.

FastFrame Bull City Art & Frame Company (bullcityartandframecompany.com) specializes in museum FastFrame (fastframe.com/durham) offers a 15 percent quality custom framing of fine art, certificates and family discount on all framing orders. The business on University Drive treasures. The store in Durham’s Brightleaf Square offers a 10 in Durham frames artwork, photography, flat-screen TVs and percent discount on custom framing to Duke staff and faculty. memorabilia.

The Bigners use the discount to frame pieces of local art, work by Russian-French artist Marc Chagall and lace doilies J & J Frame Studio made by Darell Bigner’s mother. The Bigners appreciate the J & J Frame Studio (jjcustomframe.com) has preserved art, attention to detail that Bull City Art & Frame Company photos, needlework and other objects for nearly 55 years. The co-owners Tiffany and Lewis Bowles give to art from ensuring Durham-based store offers 10 percent off of all custom frame measurements are correct to matching frame colors with orders.  home decor.

By Jonathan Black “The discount really does make a difference,” said Rita Bigner, administrative coordinator for Duke Neuro-Oncology.

“Bull City is just fabulous. They go the extra mile to make sure Get a Discount you’re happy.”

Visit hr.duke.edu/discounts for a full list of savings. Your Check out these other discounts for your next framing NetID and password may be needed to access deals. project.

14

WORKING@DUKE

SUSTAINABLE DUKE YOUR SOURCE FOR GREEN NEWS AT DUKE

Inspired Illumination Duke Chapel’s exterior lighting is part of a larger sustainability shift

A

the Brodhead Center, two n important on the roof of Rubenstein sustainability Library, two smaller lights movement on the roof of covered that’s visible, walkways linking the yet hard to Chapel to Page Auditorium notice, is sweeping across and the Duke Divinity Duke’s campus.

School, and two mounted Improved reliability at the rear of the Chapel. and quality for energy efficient LED lights, Switching out the fixtures, which was done combined with a lower earlier this year, was price, have made LEDs somewhat easy. But fine an easy choice for tuning the direction and incorporating into new color of the light took work and existing campus buildings. And now, and observation. Finding Duke University Chapel is shown here illuminated at night in early 2019. Photo by University the precise shade of white when darkness falls, Communications.

Duke University Chapel to match light fixtures on Abele Quad and also is bathed in the LEDLighting systems at campus landmarks produced light. highlight the Chapel’s 17 hues of Duke such as Brooks Field at Wallace Wade stone took a number of attempts.

“I think it says a lot about Duke’s Stadium and Baldwin Auditorium have commitment to becoming climate neutral “A lot of things can happen after already switched to LEDs. Planning has light travels a few hundred feet,” said Ben that it’s implementing a project like this begun for Cameron Indoor Stadium to Stephenson, electrical engineer with the at Duke Chapel,” said Belle Farish, project do the same. manager for Duke’s Facilities Management Facilities Management Department. “It’s But shifting the lights at Duke Chapel not always going to be as uniform as you’d Department. presented a unique design challenge due to Duke recently completed the first like. So we want to be able to control the the building’s location in the heart of West light.” phase of a retrofit project that replaced Campus and its spire that can be seen for lights in 14 campus buildings – covering Now, when dusk descends on campus, miles. around 1.35 million square feet of building energy use is slashed, and Duke Chapel The LED fixtures were mounted in looks as regal as ever.  space – with LEDs. That project cut those the same locations as the previous lights to buildings’ lighting system energy use by

By Stephen Schramm illuminate the Chapel: two on the roof of 52 percent.

For more on Duke’s sustainability efforts, visit sustainability.duke.edu

working.duke.edu

15

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SOCIAL

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Duke Center for Healthcare Safety and Quality

News You Can Use:

@DukeHSQ • Jul 10

“The average doctor interrupts within the first 17 seconds of a medical interview. You need to understand a patient’s family history, culture and beliefs to accurately understand their health.” -Dr. Prose #PatientExperience @WorkingatDuke @DukeDermatology

Blue Devil of the Week: Showing Empathy through Communication Name: Neil Prose Title: Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics and Research Professor for the Duke Global Health Institute Year at Duke...

Sherwood Evans  Working@Duke

Duke University OIT @DukeOIT • 13 Jun 2019

July 12 2019

My family and I were able to celebrate a momentous time in our son’s life with #DukeTimeOff. As a high school graduate of 2019 his graduation trip included Disney World as well as a Disney Cruise to the eastern Caribbean. We all had a BLAST!!!! We all work hard and it is so wonderful to be able to take time to play hard. We were able to visit the British Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, St. John and Disney’s private island located in the Bahamas. We snorkeled, toured, played a ..See More

This woman!

Debbie and a few cronies have been baking cakes and treats for OIT staff every month for years. She is a birthday break saint! Thanks Debbie! @WorkingatDuke

Safety App Gets Update Duke’s LiveSafe app gets a comprehensive update that includes new functionality and an easier-to-use home screen. bit.ly/LiveSafeUpdate 3 Resources to Beat Stress Wellness resources include stress management classes, chair massages and selfpaced learning. bit.ly/ BeatStressResources Quick, Easy Getaways Day trip destinations that give you and friends or family a chance to experience the outdoors. bit.ly/GetAways2019

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