December, 2006/January, 2007 Working@Duke

WORKING@DUKE

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PRIMETIME FORUM

About 350 Duke employees gather to hear how “Making a Difference,” Duke’s new strategic plan, affects them.

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COMMEMORATING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Duke hosts January events, including a speech by Andrew Young, former Atlanta mayor and United Nations ambassador.

TALKING WITH AARON GRAVES

Duke’s associate vice president for campus safety and security discusses sharing responsibility for safety.

NEWS YOU CAN USE :: Volume 1, Issue 9 :: December/January 2007

Duke’s Night Owls E M P L O Y E E S

K E E P

D U K E

R U N N I N G

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Duke Gardens and Central hey arrive for and East campuses. “When work as many you have the opportunity Duke employees to really help someone in call it a day. They’re here need, it’s rewarding.” when most of the campus On any given day, she is quiet and dark, when and other Duke officers many of you are fast respond to a variety of asleep. They tear down calls—student laptop thefts stages after special events. and car accidents to They drive students to campus doors propped residence halls after study open and traumas in the Wallace Burrows, lead food service employee in Dining Services, flips a spatula as he prepares omelets for breakfast in the sessions. They fix broken hospital emergency room.

East Campus Marketplace. windows. They patrol One minute officers are campus, keeping a look out. They cook breakfast as the sun rises over the helping students or giving directions, the next minute, they are driving to 1,395 acre Durham campus. backup a fellow Duke officer responding to a report of a suspicious person.

These Duke employees work the night shift. And these are some Last year, Duke Police responded to 57,367 calls for service. Tiffin, of their stories, culled over a week this fall: who rotates between day and night shifts, was among about 130 police and security officers who handled the calls.

Perhaps, Tiffin said, her most memorable call was in May when she and her squad assisted with a security detail during a New Black Panther The first call came over the police radio just after 6:30 p.m. as Duke Party demonstration outside the university’s Chapel Drive entrance. Tiffin police Lt. Shannan Tiffin pulled her squad car out of the parking lot for and her squad were there to ensure the safety of the campus and crowd a 12 2 hour shift. of onlookers.

A dispatcher told Tiffin that a Duke employee was in the lobby to The event ended peacefully. claim her lost credit card. The card had been found and turned in by another employee.

Tiffin, who has worked at Duke 16 years, pointed the Chevy Tahoe toward the station, where she greeted employee Kris Sheehan.

As Tiffin patrolled her beat, it was showtime on another part Tiffin checked her ID, retrieved the credit card from a secure locker of campus. and explained that the card had been found in Duke Hospital, where Just after 8 p.m., Heather Jernigan aimed a spotlight on Duke Sheehan works as a physical basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski therapist. as he walked across a stage in “It makes me feel better that it Cameron Indoor Stadium. A was found right where I work,” crowd of more than 850 erupted Sheehan told Tiffin. in applause as Krzyzewski, the “Call us back if there’s any keynote speaker, kicked off Duke activity on it,” Tiffin reassured her.

Athletics Night.

On this Monday in September, The evening, a reaffirmation of Tiffin’s shift started at 6 p.m. with a the athletic department’s principles, briefing with police and security included presentations by NBA star officers working with her. She Grant Hill, professional golfer ended the shift at 6:30 a.m. the next Candy Hannemann and ESPN Vice day, just in time to see her two girls President Laura Gentile. Duke also off to school.

“In police work, you’re helping SEE DUKE’S NIGHT OWLS, PAGE 4 and 5 people and making a difference,” said Tiffin, as she drove through

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6 p.m.

8 p.m.

Duke Police Lt. Shannan Tiffin returns a lost credit card to Duke Hospital employee Kris Sheehan.

This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber.

LOOKING

AHEAD @ DUKE

Newsbriefs Tax preparation offered at no charge to Duke employees

Partnership Campaign is accepting pledges toward its $1 million goal

Duke Law students and faculty and staff

www.hr.duke.edu/unitedway.

through Feb. 28, 2007. Employees may donate online at

members are offering free tax

DECEMBER 19 : : LIVE FOR

preparation services to Duke

Be prepared for severe weather, emergency conditions

LIFE HealthCheck, free 30 minute personal health assessment for Duke faculty and staff, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Duke North, 7th floor, staff elevator lobby.

employees. To be eligible, employees

Stay informed during the winter season by reviewing Duke’s severe

must earn $35,000 or less. The law

weather policy. It is the policy of Duke University and Health System

school’s Volunteer Income Tax

to maintain essential services and operations during any severe

Assistance program has been a staple

weather or emergency condition, while providing for the protection,

at Duke for many years. Employees may

safety and health of all patients, students, faculty and staff. Essential

JANUARY 18 : : 2007 Kenan

visit the Duke University Federal Credit Union, 1400 Morreene Rd., from

services include

Distinguished Lecture in Ethics.

Sir Jonathan (Henry) Sacks, Orthodox Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom's Jewish community, delivers the lecture.

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Reynolds Theatre in the Bryan Center.

11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23 and April 6. For more

maintaining hospital

information, visit www.law.duke.edu/student/act/vita/index.htm or call

operations, supporting

(919) 613-8526.

students in residence, operating research

JANUARY 20 : : Duke University Federal Credit Union “Shred-it” Event, free of charge shredding services for employees’ personal documents, (three box limit), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., DUFCU, 1400 Morreene Rd.

Want the skinny about Duke?

facilities and

“Duke at a Glance,” an online snapshot of the latest university facts,

providing necessary

figures and information, is available as an easy-to-print PDF file at

support and

http://dukenews.duke.edu/reports/glance.pdf. The colorful online

administrative services. To

brochure can either be read online

ensure continuous operations during severe weather

or downloaded to a printer. It

conditions, all jobs are categorized into one of three service levels—

includes more than a dozen

essential, reserved and delayed. Supervisors should confirm service

campus images by Duke

category assignments, review the department’s plan for severe

Photography, brief descriptions of

weather and emergency conditions and explain work expectations

campus buildings and quick facts

based on the assigned service designation for the job with all staff.

about topics such as enrollment,

Additional information is at www.hr.duke.edu/weather.

faculty, employees, finances and more. The brochure will be

New book club focuses on professional development

updated annually.

In January, the Professional Development Institute will host a book club for Duke employees. The club will meet monthly in the ACR room in the

For more events, check the university’s online calendar at http://calendar.duke.edu

United Way Duke Partnership Campaign ends Feb. 28

Duke Clinic (Red Zone, first floor) from noon to 1 p.m. on the third

Nearly a quarter of the children in Durham live below the poverty

Wednesday. The first meeting is Jan. 17. Employees can register at

line and many will spend this Christmas in a shelter or on the

www.hr.duke.edu/pdi/bookclub.html, write pdi@mc.duke.edu or call

streets. The Triangle United Way is leading the effort to eradicate

(919) 684-3798. Space is limited to 20 participants. The book-of-the-

homelessness and poverty in our community. The United Way Duke

month for January is I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not

This: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work by Julie Jansen.

First in series of Primetime employee forums fills Griffith Theater

t’s “Primetime,” live from Duke’s Bryan Center—no, not with news anchor Diane Sawyer, but with Duke’s administrators and employees.

The first Primetime forum on Nov. 16 in Griffith Theater drew about 350 employees who heard Provost Peter Lange explain Duke’s new strategic plan, “Making a Difference.” Another 60 employees on the coast listened to a live broadcast streamed to the Marine Lab in Beaufort.

“The large turnout showed the interest employees have in hearing directly from Duke’s leaders about what’s happening here and why,” said Paul Grantham, director of the Office of Communication Services, which publishes Working@Duke and developed Primetime with Duke Today, the online publication. “We ordered refreshments for 200 people and not a cookie was left. That’s a good sign. This is a great start to an ongoing conversation.”

Primetime, part of a larger effort to enhance internal communications at Duke, is meant to connect and engage employees and Duke administrators in two-way dialogue and offer employees context about issues relevant to Duke and working at Duke, Grantham said.

“Employees see quotes in the paper from the president, executive vice president and provost, but they don’t have as much opportunity to hear from them

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“

We will be a place where

you’ll want to work— that’s our goal.”

—Provost Peter Lange

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directly,” he said. “Primetime will help employees gain a better understanding of issues leaders consider when making decisions, and it will allow leaders to hear from employees first-hand.”

The Primetime forums will be held quarterly; the next forum is being planned for February. Each Primetime will feature a different senior leader, covering a topic relevant to faculty and staff.

During November’s Primetime, Provost Lange presented the new strategic plan’s missions and goals, including efforts to attract the best faculty and students.

The strategic plan invests $1.3 billion over the next five to eight years on faculty, student needs, programming and facilities. Lange discussed an increased focus on interdisciplinary studies and research, diversity, arts and civic service. He emphasized Duke’s commitment to increase ties with Durham and the world.

When the forum opened for questions, some in the audience asked about what improvements are planned to attract and retain employees. The strategic plan says Duke will focus efforts on learning more about the experience of employees and addressing issues that emerge “so that Duke is not only Durham’s largest employer but also its most respected.”

“It’s absolutely critical that our employees feel enriched and satisfied,” Lange said. “There are things we need to do for our employees … we are going to pay more attention to that. We will be a place where you’ll want to work— that’s our goal.”

— By Elizabeth Michalka Writer, Human Resources Communications

“I have a dream today...”

HONORING THE REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. JAN. 12–22 eal Paris was working for NASA in Washington when articles about a civil rights march appeared in The Washington Post. It was 1963, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was pushing for racial equality. King organized the march on Washington, where, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he gave the famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Paris, then 27, was on his feet in the massive crowd, inspired by King’s message. A year after the speech, the Civil Rights Act was passed, making it illegal to discriminate based on race in public places, Neal Paris such as theaters, restaurants and hotels. The legislation also required employers to provide equal employment opportunities. That year, King came to Duke, drawing an overflow crowd to Page Auditorium for the first lecture of the year’s major speaker series. Paris, who grew up in Durham and Raleigh, didn’t get to attend that speech; he joined Duke in 1967 and worked here 33 years, before retiring in 2000 as director of technical services for the Office of Information Technology.

Now 70, Paris recalled the “I Have a Dream” speech from his home in Durham. “I get emotional,” said Paris, his eyes welling with tears at one point.

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“I wasn’t sure what a march involved, but it was for civil rights, and it sounded good. It occurred to me that I could take a day off from work and go down there since it would be about a 20 minute drive.

“I packed a little lunch—a couple of sandwiches in a paper bag and drove down and found my way to the mall. There were lots of people milling around, and organizers had a stage set up. Performers were coming on. Peter, Paul and Mary came up and sang a song, then Lena Horne followed by Bob Dylan.

“There were people out on Constitution Avenue streaming in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial, and I joined them. There were all these The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Duke in 1964, people getting off buses. Organizers thought that filling Page Auditorium and receiving a standing ovation.

The overflow crowd listened outside as loudspeakers not too many people were coming, but they carried King’s messages about integration. “We have found out all these buses were backed up trying come a long, long way in America,” he told the Duke to get into Washington. They were hoping for audience, “but we have a long, long way to go.” Photos 100,000 and eventually had 200,000. are courtesy of University Archives, which has an audio recording of King’s speech.

“We got down to the Lincoln Memorial, and there was a huge mob on both sides of the reflecting pool. There were already speeches going on. I sat down under some trees near the reflecting pool and got out my sandwiches. There were other people sitting around, mostly black, and it was quite hot, high in the 90s.

“Then I heard Martin Luther King begin to speak, and when he started speaking, I got up.

At first, he was simply speaking. But then, he began to preach. He launched into the “I Have a Dream” part. He had been speaking with The 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. his intellect, but now he was speaking with his Commemoration emotions also. His voice grew stronger and the words repeated and resonated. It was what Events honoring King are Jan. 12–22 at Duke. The keynote speaker on Jan. 14 everyone, including me, had come for. Those words, is Andrew Young, former Atlanta mayor that speech, that day, have stayed with me always.”

— By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke

and United Nations ambassador. Visit www.duke.edu/today for the schedule.

e mployee spotlight MEET MARTHA BAKER, DUKE POLICE SECURITY LIEUTENANT AND ART LOVER artha Baker is as multidimensional and enduring as the art work surrounding her. She can captivate audiences with her poetic voice, make a stranger feel at home and inspire awe by sharing unexpected sage-like wisdom—all in a day’s work.

As a Duke Police security lieutenant at the Nasher Museum of Art, Baker helps keep Duke and its treasures safe. She’s also exposed to masterpieces and soaks in their brilliance and wonder.

“It’s my job to protect the art for generations to come,” Baker said. She understands that she’s not only watching over canvases and plaster, but she’s protecting artists and their legacies. “Art is very important. It’s a medium through which people can really express themselves and touch others.”

Baker has formed a personal connection to the art work around her. She’s developed an understanding of the artists and an appreciation for their creations. But she wasn’t always this way. She didn’t think of art much before she began working at the Duke University Museum of Art in 1998.

That museum closed last year, replaced by the Nasher.

Baker, who’s always enjoyed history, became interested in the stories and people behind the art. And some pieces, especially by black artists, remind Baker of her past, increasing the bond she feels between herself, history and art.

When she began working at Duke in 1972, Baker planned to stay for two years. She wanted to be a Durham police officer, but was turned down, she explained, because she lost part of her right arm in an accident when she was 5.

But Baker did not give up.

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“I grew up in the country,” said Baker, who is 60.

“I was strong. I was rugged. I was tough.”

Two years later, in 1974, Baker was hired as a public safety officer at Duke.

She quickly moved up, becoming the first supervisor of Duke Public Safety’s newly formed Security Division.

During the next 20 years, she served in various safety and security leadership roles. She pursued additional education, including graduate study in counseling at North Carolina Central University. But she never left Duke, even as she considered becoming a teacher.

“People ask me why I stay here with my degrees,” Baker said, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology and another in elementary education. “It’s because I feel like I’m making a difference.”

— By Elizabeth Michalka Writer, Human Resources Communications

Baker is intrigued by modern works, like this one—The Uncertain Museum. Dark fabric encloses the circular, interactive exhibit, which is alive with bright lights and spinning mirrors. Walk inside the space and shadows are projected onto the fabric—visible on the other side.

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DUKE’S NIGHT OWLS continued from page 1

paid tribute to former athletes and alumni—football player Rob Lenoir and lacrosse player Peter Ortale, who were killed on Sept.

11, 2001, in New York City.

At the end of the event, the crowd cheered. Jernigan smiled, knowing she contributed to its success.

“It took us two days to set up everything, and it’s over in less than 30 minutes,” she said, as she unplugged lighting equipment.

As a stage operations supervisor for Duke’s Event Heather Jernigan, stage operations supervisor for Duke’s Event Management department, sets up lighting for Management department, Duke Athletics Night.

Jernigan juggles an array of duties and a hectic schedule. Her responsibilities include technical tasks such as hooking up sound and lighting to making sure enough chairs and tables are available. This year, “Are you 10-8 for a pickup?” a voice crackled over a Jernigan and her crew will assist with more than 100 walkie-talkie hanging from a cup holder in Michael Hight’s events, sometimes working three or four a day.

SafeRides van.

“We handle all kinds “I’m 10-4,” Hight responded as he drove the van, of events, from graduation windshield wipers whirring rhythmically, toward the ceremonies all over campus Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, in May to the American You have some hardMedicine and Applied Sciences. He pulled up, and two Dance Festival events in the riders climbed aboard. working people here,” summer and tons of other “Hey y’all!” he said with a southern accent. things throughout the year,” “Bear with me now. I’m supposed to pick up three more Burrows said. “Whether people Jernigan said. “We set them folks here.” want to admit it or not, we’re like up. We run the show. When It was about midnight, and one rider needed to be it’s over, we pack it all up.” dropped off at a nearby apartment complex; another a family. We spend eight hours Her department also chatted on a cell phone. supports events off campus. together every day.”

Hight, who has worked the third shift at Duke for On Dec. 1, Jernigan assisted — Wallace Burrows nearly six years, drives a SafeRides van for Duke’s Parking with the Annual Teddy Bear Dining Services & Transportation Department. From 11 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., Ball, which benefits the he provides rides at no charge to a nocturnal cross-section Duke Children’s Hospital & of Duke that ranges from hospital orderlies ending shifts Health Center. to first-year students returning to residence halls from An East Carolina University graduate, Jernigan, who is parties to bleary-eyed engineering students finishing late36, studied theatre. Before joining Duke in 2001, she night study sessions. worked as a stage manager, production manager and “I kind of call my job being like a policeman, a taxi touring manager for theatrical and musical organizations, driver and a mom and pop all in one,” Hight said. including the Boston Lyric Opera.

During this recent shift, he made sure his When she’s not working special events, Jernigan passengers—a mix of employees and students— made it serves as stage management mentor for students in Duke’s inside when he dropped them off. He took each home Theatre Studies program. Her role at Duke, she said, is following an intricate mental map of the area. Balancing similar to past positions. locations of nearly a dozen apartment complexes, a maze “When it comes down to it,” Jernigan said, “it’s all of campus streets and passenger needs, Hight decided who live theatre.” got dropped off first.

11:30 p.m.

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Michael Hight, SafeRides van driver, spends his nights driving campus streets and shuttling employees and students to their destinations.

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The order is largely a question of geography. But employees who call for a ride every night sometimes get bumped to the top. Still, he added, “if I have a student who’s coming home from a party, I try to take them real quick.”

Hight is such a navigation expert that other SafeRides drivers call him for help finding unusual locations. Only on occasion does he consult maps stashed in the door next to his water bottle and peanuts.

Except for a few short breaks at a gas station, Hight spends his nights driving campus streets. Although passengers are often too tired to talk, Hight said the night shift is invigorating.

“I get to stay up all night and watch the sun come up,” he said. “It’s a real pretty time.”

2 a.m.

Two hours into Roosevelt Hall’s shift, and his beeper had already chirped four times. It was 2 a.m., and this call was about a door in Cameron Indoor Stadium. A security card reader indicated it was not locked.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Hall said, smiling as he hopped into a van packed with tools, ladders and other equipment.

Inside Cameron, he quickly adjusted the door’s locking mechanism. “Problem solved,” Hall proudly declared.

Next stop: the Wilson Center pool. He flipped on lights, plugged in an automated pool vacuum and eased it into the water, creating a small splash.

Vacuuming the pool once a week is one of the many

Hall switched to the night shift about three years ago to allow his wife to work because their son is in yearround school. By working at Duke, he is continuing a family tradition.

“My father and both of my grandmothers worked at Duke in housekeeping over the years,” he said. “Duke has been a very good place to work for me and my family.”

6 a.m.

While most students slept, Wallace Burrows sliced and diced in the basement of the Marketplace on East Campus.

It was 6:30 a.m., and one by one, Burrows fed green peppers, onions and sausage into a food processor in preparation for more than 100 omelets cooked to order every morning.

Burrows, who has worked at Duke for nearly 20 years, had already filled ice trays, thawed egg mix and prepped his grill station. He joked with co-workers as sounds from Foxy 107 resonated through the kitchen.

“It’s a blessing to do what you like and get paid for it,” said Burrows, who showed an interest in cooking as a child.

“When I was about 10, I tried to cook eggs and almost burned my grandmother’s house down. I thought you cooked eggs like you do fried chicken, so I dropped two eggs into a pan full of oil, and it flamed up and caught a rag on fire. Thankfully, I had a resourceful sister who knew how to put the fire out.”

In the Marketplace kitchen, about Just after 2 a.m., Roosevelt Hall repairs a door during a service order as a general maintenance mechanic for the Facilities Management Department.

15 other Duke employees joined Burrows in preparing breakfast. One woman flipped french toast, grilling three bread loaves at a time. routine service orders Hall completes as a general Near her, a man pulled five trays of hash browns from an maintenance mechanic for the Facilities Management oven. In another area, a woman scrambled 40 pounds of Department. While working from midnight to 8 a.m., he eggs while someone stirred a cauldron of grits. Upstairs, also responds to emergency calls for broken windows and others prepared freshly cut watermelon, pineapple, leaking water pipes. strawberries, cantaloupe and honeydew.

“About the craziest thing I’ve seen is when students “You have some hard-working people here,” Burrows do something like putting their hand through a window, said. “Whether people want to admit it or not, we’re like a and glass and blood wind up everywhere, and it’s left for us family. We spend eight hours together every day.” to clean up,” said Hall, 44. “I don’t mind, though, because At 7:30 a.m., the doors opened for the hundreds of I was young once.” students who filter through each morning. Burrows Hall’s dedication has prompted letters of appreciation. worked a spatula in each hand, shuffling several omelets When a ceiling collapsed at a fraternity section in 2001, a on a grill the size of a large coffee table. As each student resident adviser commended Hall for his rapid response walked up, Burrows struck up a conversation. and professionalism.

“Most of these students are a long way from home,” Hall began working at Duke in the early 1980s as a said Burrows, who has five children between the ages of member of the hospital housekeeping crew. He was called 5 and 21, including a son in college. “We try to keep the to active duty in 1994 for Operation Dessert Storm and line moving, but I also want to make them feel like returned to Duke in 2001. individuals and treat them the way I would want my son to be treated.”

Burrows, who also paints and sells air-brushed T-shirts, entertained students, flipping a spatula as he worked. “The first time I tried that trick, I lost the spatula and it fell behind the front of the grill.”

Burrows’ shift ended at 2:30 p.m., but his work was not done. He and his wife, Brenda, run an in-home day care.

“Sometimes when I leave here, my day is just getting started.”

— By Paul Grantham, Kelly Rohrs, Missy Baxter and Leanora Minai Office of Communication Services

Wallace Burrows of Dining Services prepares omelets for students in the Marketplace on East Campus.

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A taste of culture at Duke PROGRAM RAISES INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS AMONG FACULTY, STAFF In 2005-2006 Duke Students Hailed from 106 Countries. These are the top 10.

312

China

216

South Korea

204

India

124

Canada

80

Japan

49

Singapore

49

Taiwan

44

Germany

42

Turkey

30

France

Want to enroll?

The International House is recruiting for its spring class through Dec. 15. Applications received after Dec. 15 will be considered for the Fall 2007 session. All applicants must be Duke employees and receive permission from supervisors to participate in the program. Application forms are available at http://ihouse.studentaffairs .duke.edu/index.html. Call (919) 681-6080 for more information.

he meeting room at Duke’s International House was packed with staff, students and a table full of food—a heaping platter of steamed rice, fresh vegetables, Asian cellophane noodles and Korean barbecue.

Students and staff Natives of South Korea meet with were gathered for a Duke staff and students during the International House cultural lunch in “cultural lunch,” one of October. six parts in the recently launched Intercultural Competency Program offered by the International House.

The program is open at no charge to Duke faculty and staff each semester.

Program participants examine Duke’s diversity, the challenges and needs of Duke’s international community of more than 2,000 students and scholars, cross-cultural communication and problem solving.

“As Duke’s international community grows and as internationalization efforts strengthen, it is important to create professional opportunities for Duke employees to develop and model their intercultural competency skills,” said Cloe Liparini, assistant director for programs at the International House.

During October’s cultural lunch, participants loaded plates with delicious delicacies from South Korea.

Participants were intrigued by the barbecue prepared by Hye Jin You, a visiting scholar. She was one of four panelists who spoke about their homeland and experiences in Durham and the United States. They also spoke of stereotypes, including the impression that Koreans are indirect and reserved.

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“Silence is taught in school,” said panelist Bok-Gyo Jeong. “That is why Koreans are more quiet … why Americans might think we are too shy.”

The International House, which promotes crosscultural interaction and helps internationals and their families acclimate to Duke, hosts two cultural lunches during the program. Each lunch focuses on a different country. Guest panelists from the featured country discuss their native language, cultural values, working styles and communication methods and take questions from the audience.

Intercultural Competency Program participants also spend one session going through the application process that international students complete in order to come to the United States, including applying for a student visa. Participant Jenny Snead Williams, an academic coordinator in Latino Studies, said the application exercise was her favorite part because it helped increase her understanding of and empathy for international students.

“All of us come into contact with ‘others’ on and off campus—‘other’ by gender, skin color, age, national origin, religion, family background, ability or any number of other factors,” Williams said. “We can all afford to increase our understanding and appreciation of ourselves and others in an effort to better communicate and work together.”

— By Elizabeth Michalka Writer, Human Resources Communications

Suncatchers bring holiday cheer

Suncatchers Over the Years

THIS SEASON’S ORNAMENT FEATURES THE NASHER MUSEUM OF ART

2006 Nasher Museum of Art logo 2005 75th anniversary of Duke Medicine 2004 Baldwin Auditorium

hen Starr Loftis walks around Duke’s campus, she often looks up, not at the Gothic spires, but at the windows where Duke suncatchers hang.

Loftis, an administrative assistant for the University Press, was among the Staff & Family Programs employees who first distributed store bought suncatchers to Duke employees in the early 1990s.

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2003 Davison Building 2002 Sarah P. Duke Gardens gazebo 2001 Three basketballs celebrating men’s national championships 2000 Duke Medical Center with the Duke Chapel 1999 New millennium with an image of two bells 1998 Duke shield with University and Health System emblems 1997 Dove 1996 Poinsettia

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Starr Loftis, University Press administrative assistant, collects Duke suncatchers.

“People loved the gift,” Loftis said. The next year, Staff & Family Programs, which is a unit in Human Resources, created something more customized—an ornament of Duke Chapel.

To make the gift more unique, members of Staff & Family Programs next developed the suncatcher with a promotions company. Over the past 14 years, the suncatchers’ popularity has grown, from 5,000 to 27,000 for distribution by Duke.

The suncatchers highlight buildings on the university or health system campus or commemorate special events

such as 75 years of Duke Medicine. This year, the suncatcher celebrates the opening of the Nasher Museum of Art and features an image of the museum’s logo, an abstract drawing of its gallery layout.

“It’s so appropriate that the museum is featured on the suncatcher,” said Wendy Livingston, Nasher’s marketing manager. “Sun will stream through the suncatcher like it streams through our windows.”

Livingston said she hopes the suncatcher will raise awareness of the museum and encourage employees to visit.

Each suncatcher is handmade in an intricate process that starts in late spring when the design is sent to PinLine, a family owned manufacturing firm in Rhode Island.

There, craftspeople fine-tune the design and create a steel die, or mold. Molten zinc is injected into the die. When it cools and hardens, it creates a frame for the suncatcher.

Using a needle, workers inject liquid epoxy into the frame’s cavities. Only one color of epoxy is added at a time, and it must cool over night before the next color is added. After the frame is filled, it is cured in an oven room. The suncatchers are inspected and later packaged and shipped before December.

Loftis said the suncatchers are popular because they can be displayed year round, not just during the holidays, and because they are personalized to Duke. She and her sister-in-law share a joint collection of all 17 suncatchers and ornaments from Duke.

— By Elizabeth Michalka Writer, Human Resources Communications

Q&A EXECUTIVE

AARON L. GRAVES : : Associate Vice President for Campus Safety & Security

What is the role of the Duke University Police Department?

We develop strategic and tactical initiatives to ensure an enhanced and integrated approach to safety and security at the university and health system. We do that with a police department with about 160 members who provide comprehensive services. We have police and security officers, a 24-hour 911 center and a criminal investigations unit, among other specialties. Last year, we responded to about 57,000 service calls. Our mission is to provide an environment where people feel safe, so they can go about their studies, their research, their teaching and their work. We help maintain civility at times, but we strive to do that in a peaceful manner, so people can learn from mistakes. I know that the police role, to some, is perceived to be to get people to comply, that if you break the law, the cops are here to enforce the law. But we work in a spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility to keep Duke safe and secure.

What are the most pressing security needs at Duke?

We have a very open campus, and we sit in the middle of a forest.

Some may feel unsafe because they can’t see behind every corner or building. We deal in this environment with the fear of people being victimized by a crime, more so than the occurrence. Duke is a relatively safe campus. Right now we’re experiencing a number of auto break-ins.

That is by far one of the most significant criminal activities we have to deal with and overcome. The other is larcenies. People leave laptops unattended; they come back, and they’re gone. We’re not faced with a lot of violent crime in our community. Those occurrences are extremely rare. In terms of deterring crime, we have to have a greater presence of security and police officers in the field. The more you see, the safer you feel. Because we are such a large, vast campus community, we have to position and utilize technology to the fullest of our ability to augment or supplement staffing.

Surveillance cameras are a great tool, and we will look at using them to fill some gaps where we can’t position an officer.

What are some of the challenges facing Duke Police?

Aaron Graves, right, talks with Duke senior Geordy Horton.

at Duke. We’re working to build positive relationships with you. When we go out, and we’re at places like the Plaza for a safety demonstration, stop and take the time to talk with us a little bit. We’re not about interacting with people by exception, when they’ve done something wrong. We’re trying to get out of the cars, get the face-to-face contact and not be of the community—but be part of the community.

What’s in store for Duke Police in the coming year?

I’d like to see Duke Police begin the process for accreditation. There’s an organization called CALEA. It’s the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, and it’s the credentialing authority that maintains a wide range of public safety standards for excellence. Our goal is excellence, to be a model among our peers. CALEA accreditation is going to help build credibility, so that when we talk to people from the outside about employment, they’re coming into an accredited agency that meets national standards. It is an accomplishment for an organization to go through this process and be nationally recognized, and as a department, we need to have that recognition. It builds credibility. The agencies that have gone through the process are much better for it.

The most pressing challenge we have is in the area of staffing. Across America, people are being more security conscious. You’re seeing that there are more and more challenges out there that relate to the fear of international terrorism. Airports have a high demand for security staffing, and businesses and industries are protecting their assets and adding more people in this capacity. This is a growth industry right now. Finding quality candidates to fill positions is by far one of our biggest challenges. We are currently competing with other agencies facing retirements and growth within their communities. We are working to market Duke as a preferred employer by talking about the university’s excellent health and tuition benefits and assets of GRAVES working in this environment.

How are police and security officers building relationships with the community?

We want to engage our community and help them embrace a philosophy that safety is a shared responsibility.

It’s part of our culture. The men and women of Duke Police are working with you—we’re not here just to oversee you. It’s about all of us working together, versus this notion that police have the ultimate responsibility for safety. Of course, we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety. But you, as a community member, must also play a role. Call us to report suspicious activity. Institute our recommendations after we give a security assessment. Practice our safety tips. It’s more than us doing it—it’s a covenant with the community that we’re all going to make it safe and secure

PROFILE

Duties: Oversees the Duke University Police Department and develops strategies and initiatives for enhanced safety and security at the university and health system.

Methodist University in Texas; executive director and chief of public safety at University of Southern California before joining Duke.

Joined Duke: January 2006.

Hobbies: Works out at the Center for Living with water aerobics three or four days a week.

“It’s very relaxing at the end of the day.”

Education: Bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from North Carolina Wesleyan College and a Master of Liberal Arts from Texas Christian University.

Favorite TV show: Not Cops. “The only cop show that I really enjoy is “Law & Order.” I’m a “Law & Order” junkie.”

Past Experience: U.S. Air Force veteran of 20 years; former police chief at Southern

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WORKING@ DUKE

HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai

dialogue@Duke

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

Director: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534

What are your work resolutions for the coming year at Duke?

paul.grantham@duke.edu

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Photography: Elizabeth Michalka of

Working@Duke and Jon Gardiner, Les Todd and Megan Morr of Duke

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I’m retiring in about two years. I’d like to just stay healthy and keep my mind on the Lord. That’s all.”

Willie Rigsbee Grounds Equipment Operator, Facilities Management Department 4 years with Duke

University Photography

Support Staff: Mary Carey and William Blackburn

Working@Duke is published monthly

by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future story topics.

Please write us at working@duke.edu or

Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708 Call us at (919) 684-4345.

Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.

To get to know more of the new Duke employees and students so that I can make a difference in whatever way I can. That is the reason why I’m still here.”

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Marian Starnes Assistant director of Student Service Center 36 years with Duke

To further the IT relationship within the Department of Economics, and to help the faculty to embrace more of the technology that is available.”

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What Question Would You Ask Write

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Jeff Stoltz Help Desk Manager, Department of Economics 6 years at Duke — By Eddy Landreth Working@Duke Correspondent

Teamwork/Diversityawards The winners of the Diversity Award and Teamwork Award for 2006 were presented by President Richard H. Brodhead on Nov. 1, 2006. The Diversity Award recognizes work that makes Duke a more fair and equitable place to work. The Teamwork Award honors employees who collaborate and work together on a project or significant effort that advances departmental goals and/or the university mission. In addition to the university staff recognized, the Diversity Award was also presented to Linda Belans, director of the Health Arts Network at Duke Hospital. Members of the Durham Regional Hospital Surgical Care Improvement Project Team received the Teamwork Award.

Carol Spruill, left, thanks the audience during an awards luncheon with Clint Davidson, vice president for Human Resources.

Members of the Facilities Management Department with President Richard Brodhead and Provost Peter Lange, center.

Diversity Award

Teamwork Award

Carol Spruill

Facilities Management Department General Maintenance Shop Team

(Kenneth Bridges, Jeff Connolly, Lester Matte, Kenny Nichols, Tommy Hamacher, Devon Jenkins, Charles Mead, Kevin Brinn, Roosevelt Hall, Robert Wallace, Bill Wheless)

Associate Dean, Public Interest and Pro Bono Senior Lecturing Fellow, School of Law

Spruill founded the Law School Pro Bono Project when she came to Duke in 1991. The Pro Bono Project connects volunteer Duke law students with attorneys to provide legal assistance to underserved populations.

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Carol does not preach diversity; she lives it in every aspect of her personal and professional life …She integrates diversity of background and points of view in the speakers she brings to campus, the multitude of activities she organizes, and the pro bono opportunities she cultivates for students ….

She has earned tremendous respect throughout the Law School community and the public interest legal community to which she has been so committed.

—Nominator Katharine Bartlett, Dean, A. Kenneth Pye Professor of Law

” D U K E T O D AY

The General Maintenance Shop consists of 10 mechanics who provide coverage for all routine and emergency general maintenance service calls from departments throughout the university, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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The GM mechanics have built a reputation for quality work, dependability, and have maintained the highest standard of providing excellent customer service …Each team member is knowledgeable in his trade and dedicated to working as a team to maintain and protect the university buildings, as well as responding to emergency situations in order to keep Duke safe at all times.

—Nominator Kenneth Bridges, FMD supervisor and team leader

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