Finding Strengths in Differences
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Black History Month
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Unpark Yourself Challenge
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WORKING@DUKE NEWS YOU CAN USE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015
Editor’s Note LEANORA MINAI
Contents
Valuing Our Differences
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he words on Ben Reese’s business card are printed in blue and black ink, but the card also features embossed braille. For Reese, who is not vision impaired, the braille is a symbol of diversity, one of Duke’s guiding principles. “It serves as a reminder to me about the importance of thinking of both overt and subtle ways we might be biased toward people who might have limited vision,” said Reese, vice president for Institutional Equity at Duke. Among his duties, Reese serves on job search committees for Duke’s senior leadership and talks about diversity and bias with groups and departments across the university and health system. Recently, he was the guest speaker at a meeting of Duke’s communications professionals. This issue of Working@Duke includes stories about the benefits of diversity, including “Finding Strengths in Our Differences” on page 8, and “Preserving Black Culture at Duke” on page 12. I talked with Ben about the lessons he’s sharing at Duke around unconscious bias, which he describes as a positive or negative attitude or association toward a person or personal quality that’s “hidden” or out of our awareness but impacts our choices, decisions and behavior. “Even if you’re religious, caring, loving — everyone not only has the potential for subtle implicit bias, but everyone exhibits it in certain situations,” he said. “To what degree you exhibit it depends on your own life experience.” Reese said that at work, unconscious bias is typically triggered during hiring or promotion but can occur while working on a team or project, or in every day interactions. He explained that someone’s height or weight, gender, race, accent, perceived sexual orientation, or organization affiliation might activate a hidden bias. “The goal in most jobs and work environments is to become increasingly more aware of our areas of bias and work to diminish them, but they never go away totally,” he said. To reduce potential for bias, Reese suggests: Taking the online “Implicit Association Test”
to reflect on current feelings or responses to individuals or groups. It’s free and can reveal attitudes at odds with conscious beliefs or statements. [implicit.harvard.edu/implicit] Finding ways to spend time with groups and
cultures different from your own. Inviting Reese to talk with your group.
F or diversity resources, visit web.duke.edu/ equity.
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Cover: Legacy of Leadership Lessons
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What does it take to create a winning work team at Duke? Working@Duke interviewed coach Mike Krzyzewski and solicited nominations from faculty and staff for employees who exemplify Coach K’s teamwork fundamentals.
Strength in Differences
For 2015, President Richard H. Brodhead has recognized diversity, one of Duke’s guiding principles, as one of his top institutional priorities.
F ree Financial Workshops
D uke Credit Union presents on a variety of topics about finances, including wise use of credit cards. This year, there will be a focus in workshops on steps to becoming a homeowner.
12 Preserving black culture at Duke 13 How assistant dean Baishakhi Taylor lives and leads well 14 Restaurant deals with employee discounts 15 Join Duke’s ‘Unpark Yourself Challenge’ Cover Image: Mike Krzyzewski, Hall of Fame head coach for the Duke men’s basketball team, believes in five key qualities to form a great team: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride.
2014 Gold, 2013 Silver, 2009, 2007 Bronze, Print Internal Audience Publications and 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing
This paper consists of 30% recycled postconsumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
Briefly
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Do you know a colleague who has made significant contributions to Duke University or the Health System in 2014? Consider nominating him or her for a Presidential Award, one of the highest staff and faculty honors at Duke. The person nominated must be a permanent, full-time employee who has served in his or her current position for at least one full year. The employee must not have had any disciplinary actions taken within the past five years. Jim Roberts, executive vice provost for finance and administration, received a Presidential Award last year primarily for his role in the development of Duke Kunshan University in China. “The award not only brings personal recognition and thanks, but it also is a way to feature the work and the outstanding quality of the particular units and programs we have at Duke,” Roberts said. Nominations are due Feb. 13. More information is available at bit.ly/dukeprezawards.
Receive tax prep help this season Duke employees with a household income of less than $53,000 may qualify for free tax preparation assistance through the Duke Law Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Last tax season, Duke Law VITA volunteers completed more than 340 returns and netted more than $466,000 of refunds for clients. Kim Burrucker, Duke Law’s director of public interest and pro bono, said appointments will be at both the Duke School of Law and Duke Credit Union. Individuals must bring their Social Security card, copies of tax documents, and have record of medical expenses and charitable donations. Duke employees with a simple return and a household income of less than $60,000 per year can receive guidance while preparing their own free tax returns using myfreetaxes.com. “People are not paying anywhere from $100 to $400 to have their income taxes prepared,” Burrucker said. “That’s money that stays in their pocket and helps stimulate the local economy. They get their full refunds to use to pay bills, put in savings or to go shopping.” To schedule an appointment, visit sites.duke.edu/dukelawvita.
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Get fit with spring Run/Walk Club Duke’s Run/Walk Club starts March 9, when employees can meet up for free exercise after work. The fitness initiative, organized by Duke’s employee wellness program, LIVE FOR LIFE, meets Mondays and Wednesdays on East and West Campus, Duke Regional and Duke Raleigh hospitals, and at the Patient Revenue Management Organization. The 12-week program is open to all fitness levels and ends May 27. LIVE FOR LIFE fitness specialist Katie MacEachern, one of the running coaches, ran her first half-marathon in Durham last fall. She completed part of her training with the West Campus Run/Walk Club. “Run/Walk Club is an opportunity for employees to improve their health, encourage each other and develop new relationships,” MacEachern said. Register and learn more at hr.duke.edu/benefits/wellness/runwalk.
Send in your Presidential Award nomination
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Explore your brain March 14-22 The Duke Institute for Brain Sciences will host the seventh annual Brain Awareness Week at Duke March 14 to 22. Brain Awareness Week, an international effort to promote the progress and benefits of brain research, will feature brain-related activities led by Duke researchers and students. Everyone is invited to learn about human brains, neuroimaging, Alzheimer’s disease, brain origami and more. In addition to public talks, events include hands-on science demos at the Museum of Life and Science on March 14 and a family-friendly Brain Awareness Week Open House on March 22. For more information, visit dibs.duke.edu/BrainWeek
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Find alternative transportation that fits your needs On Feb. 10, the Duke community is invited to attend a free session to learn more about alternative commuting options at Duke. This new session from 9 to 10:30 a.m. is part of Sustainable Duke’s “Leading for Environmental Sustainability” series, which helps Duke departments find ways to ‘green’ their workspaces. Employees will learn about carpool permits, benefits of riding the bus, bike commuter courses and more. For fiscal year 2014, about 32 percent of Duke’s greenhouse gas emissions came from transportation, according to Sustainable Duke. “Transportation is really about individual choices,” said Alison Carpenter, manager of Duke’s transportation demand management program. “If people’s circumstances are right, alternative commuting is a great way to save time, save money and get fit. We want to make sure they see the benefits in it for them.” Find registration details at bit.ly/transportworkshop.
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A Legacy of Leadership Lessons Duke employees show how Coach K’s qualities of teamwork emanate beyond basketball
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hat does it take to create a great team? There are five fundamental Mike Krzyzewski qualities that make every team knows. “All of us together are stronger g reat: communication, trust, collective than we would be singularly,” responsibility, caring and pride. I like to Krzyzewski, Hall of Fame head think of each as a separate finger on the coach for the Duke men’s basketball team, said during an interview with fist. Any one individually is important. But Working@Duke. “Before you’re facing all of them together are unbeatable.” anything else, you’re fighting human nature to go beyond personal wants — Mike Krzyzewski and needs. There’s empowerment and Head Coach, Duke Men’s Basketball maturity in a willingness to put all that aside and focus on those around you.” One of Krzyzewski’s biggest leadership lessons is known as “the fist,” the idea that alone, one finger is vulnerable, but together, five clenched fingers can be unstoppable. Representing each finger, Krzyzewski believes in five key qualities to form a great team: communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride. What does it take to have successful work teams at Duke? Working@Duke solicited nominations from faculty and staff for employees who exemplify a Coach K teamwork fundamental. Here’s how these five employees make a difference for Duke and their colleagues every day.
She’s so devout on that stance, in fact, she has a presentation with dozens of photos and slides to lay out all the reasons why, from special events to the natural beauty of the campus. “I want new employees to leave our time together as passionate about Duke as I am,” said Streaty, program coordinator with DCRI’s Human Resources. “They think they come here for their jobs and go home, but if they know our history, our opportunities and all the
Communication Every month, Gina Streaty stands in front of a group of up to 25 new employees at Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) orientation and makes a pitch: Duke is the best place to work.
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Working@Duke
Gina Streaty, right, leads a monthly orientation for new hires at Duke Clinical Research Institute. She said a big part of her job is to communicate why Duke is a great place to work.
cultural depth of Duke, they’ll want to stay here forever.” Most of all, Streaty believes that every employee at Duke – from service staff to President Richard H. Brodhead – plays an integral role in making Duke a world-class institution. “The excitement, enthusiasm and sincerity that she reflects when speaking about her job and working on the Duke campus is quite contagious,” said Jenny Rich, a safety surveillance associate at DCRI who started at Duke last December. “New employees can’t help but feel that they found a job that they will retire with.” Streaty’s enthusiasm is so strong, she did not miss a minute of 105 consecutive monthly orientations for new DCRI employees from January 2006 to October 2014, when she took personal leave. “Anything I can do to communicate my passion for Duke, I’ll do,” said Streaty, who has worked at Duke 14 years. “My job is to make sure people know what they’re connected to and what that means. If I do that well, we’ll be the best team possible.”
Trust If building a team is about relationships, then strengthening a team is about trust. Just ask Chuck Hemric, director of volunteer services at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. He oversees about 300 volunteers who perform a range of tasks like planting flowers and leading tours at the 55-acre space.
dramatically, so he spoke with her about spending less time at the Gardens to focus on what’s more important. “Spending time on the front end of a problem gives you years worth of a relationship on the back end,” Hemric said. He cultivates relationships by staying in touch weekly or monthly with volunteers. For him, it can be as easy as an email about the latest tasks performed at the Gardens or as time-intensive as an in-person conversation to learn more about a volunteer’s family, interests and more. Building relationships creates comfort between Hemric and volunteers, which in turn allows his investment to create longstanding trust between him and others, Hemric said. “Trust is a two-way street, so it’s important to allow for individual freedom that brings creativity and growth,” he said. “We all have the same goal of making the Gardens better, so it’s about acknowledging our shared interest and the fact we’re working toward the same result.”
Collective Responsibility Dr. Ed Buckley knows that a great team takes more than one strong leader. Buckley, vice dean for education at the School of Medicine and the Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics, has administrative oversight for all of the education and degree-granting programs for the School of Medicine. “In our world of education, all our players are brilliant, successful individuals, and you’re not going to get a lot done with just a top-down approach,” he said. “What you have to do is build consensus and have a vision that everyone can buy into so we’re all moving toward the same goal – no matter the outcome.” A big part of success is sharing it, he said, especially making sure colleagues receive credit for each of their unique contributions to a project, like when Buckley and about 75 other faculty formed a committee to enhance curriculum after the creation of the Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Center for Health Education. >> continued on page 6
Chuck Hemric, left, oversees about 300 volunteers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens. That means building trusting relationships with each person.
“As a team, I can give some instruction, but it’s about trusting our volunteers to hold each other accountable and perform their jobs well,” said Hemric, a 31-year employee. “We empower volunteers, which helps them feed off each other’s dedication and really builds a strong team.” Hemric took this to heart last year, when a volunteer was dealing with family issues that began affecting her work at the Gardens. He said the volunteer’s mood and work ethic changed
Dr. Ed Buckley, center, said that for him to successfully oversee educational planning at Duke’s School of Medicine, it requires a team approach with contributions from others.
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Discussions have enabled the use of “flipped classrooms” for teaching, where students study material outside of class, and then come to class to solve problems with their new knowledge. Faculty also focus on encouraging students to take on tasks as a team, which is more realistic to post-graduate work and allows for more active learning in class, Buckley said. “It takes the collective wisdom of the group to come up with excellent educational opportunities, which are often unique, while making sure we meet the needs of all our students,” said Buckley, who’s worked at Duke for 31 years. “The more people who can make a substantial contribution, the more likely it’s going to succeed, and we feel better about our work.”
“I take great joy in other people’s successes, so if I can do something to help that, I will,” Neeley said. “It’s gratifying to know that I have value to others because that kind of connection is important to a successful workplace.”
Pride No matter the time of year, Celestina Torres is up before the sun, preparing to be on campus by 5 a.m. Along with a few coworkers, it’s her responsibility to ensure the Schwartz-Butters Athletic Center is clean and tidy for visitors – whether it’s a few passing through on a campus tour or the nearly 10,000 who may visit during a Duke basketball game.
Caring For more than a decade, the John Hope Franklin Center along Erwin Road wasn’t hard to spot, but it lacked signs to help visitors navigate their way. Melissa Neeley wanted to do better. “I see a lot in the details,” said Neeley, operations manager for the John Hope Franklin Center. “I’m a doer.” And “do” she did. Neeley worked with Facilities Management to install a five-foot tall sign close to Erwin Road with the building’s name and address, taking any confusion out of finding the center. “Our building is part of our brand – it’s a destination for international and interdisciplinary studies, people and events,” Neeley said. Neeley’s caring qualities don’t end with a building sign. She takes it upon herself to keep kitchens stocked with supplies like tea and coffee or Emergen-C when sick colleagues need a boost of vitamin C. She’s also coordinated with LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program, to set up exercise programs for yoga, walking and jogging and schedules annual visits from HealthCheck nurses.
With the potential for thousands of fans to pass through the Schwartz-Butters Athletic Center, Celestina Torres shows pride in her work to keep the space neat and clean.
Before many other Duke staff get to campus, Torres can be spotted hustling between trophy cases, Hall of Fame plaques and other sports memorabilia in Schwartz-Butters, where she cares for four different floors. Torres empties trash cans, vacuums carpets, cleans bathrooms and makes sure the concourse connecting to Cameron Indoor Stadium looks as good as possible. “My job is important for my life,” said Torres, a housekeeper specialist with University Housekeeping. “It makes me happy when people visit my building and I see their happy faces.” Torres, who has worked at Duke nine years, leaves every day around 1:30 p.m., but wants the appearance of her work to last until she’s back on campus the next morning. “I know my job is important to Duke, which is why it’s important to me,” she said. “When I hear from people they think my space looks nice, it makes me want to work harder. Working here means I’m a part of something big.” n By Bryan Roth
Melissa Neeley showed how she cared for her workplace by organizing an effort to have a new sign placed in front of the John Hope Franklin Center on Erwin Road.
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Working@Duke
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For leadership and professional development resources, visit hr.duke.edu/training
On Leadership: Q&A
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egarded as one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, Mike Krzyzewski’s resume is long, starting with 983 career wins entering the 2014-15 season. With each victory, he’s built something bigger – a belief that teamwork isn’t just needed to win basketball games, but also to build relationships that tie every person together. Coach K talked with Working@Duke (W@D) about leadership and what makes a successful team.
W@D: One of your most famous analogies for leadership is the idea of “the fist.” Tell us about the origin of that analogy and what each “finger” represents when clenched together.
Coach K: I don’t know how I picked it up exactly. It
Duke Leadership Academy Offers emerging leaders an opportunity to participate in a nearly yearlong development initiative based on the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics leadership model. hr.duke.edu/leadership
W@D: If great teamwork, one of Duke’s guiding principles,
starts with strong communication and honesty, what’s the best way to create that atmosphere with people?
Coach K: I try to explain it as confrontation. People don’t
like the word “confrontation,” but confrontation is meeting the truth head on. In any organization or relationship, eventually you have to meet the truth head on or else there are elephants in the room. Getting to the truth or getting to a comfort level where you can express the truth in an instant is important. If you can do that, you have a pretty good relationship or team.
W@D: You’ve often talked about the presence of mind to
just kind of evolved over the years. The very first finger is communication. You communicate by telling the truth. If we can have eye-to-eye contact and tell the truth all the time, we’re going to get another finger and that’s trust. It’s the cornerstone of any unit, any company, any family and any team. The third one is collective responsibility, the question of ‘are we going to win or are we going to lose together?’ The fourth finger is caring. If I see that you’re down, it’s my responsibility to care for you and make sure that I try to get you up if you’re hurt. The final finger is to be a part of something bigger than you: pride. You can give up something for you, but if you’re a part of something bigger than you, it’s tougher to give it up.
Leadership Training Resources
with Coach K
change leadership styles based on the team around you. Why is that important?
Coach K: It’s not a preference – it’s a necessity. During
my West Point training, I saw all sorts of leadership styles. A huge part of being a leader is being able to adapt to the people that a leader has the honor and privilege to lead. It’s about seeing diversity within a team as strength. Differences are good, especially if you’re bringing different talents to the mix, because things like age, race, gender and life experiences help us become who we are.
Mike Krzyzewski n Pronounced “Sha-shef-skee” n Five books on leadership and basketball n F ounding partner of Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics
Learning & Organization Development Classes such as “Leading with Emotional Intelligence,” “Building Trust in the Workplace,” “Communicating with Diplomacy and Tact,” and more. hr.duke.edu/ learning
n P resents at annual leadership conference
Classes, workshops Other special development programs to enhance leadership skills include managerial development and career track programs, as well as Toastmasters, which develops skills to speak effectively and conduct meetings. hr.duke.edu/leaderskills
n Now in his 35th season at Duke
at Fuqua School of Business
n Father of three, grandfather of nine n 1969 graduate of U.S. Military Academy n Four NCAA Championships n F our Olympic and FIBA World Cup gold medals as USA Men’s National Team head coach
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Finding Strengths in O Seeking diversity aids problem solving and innovation
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hen it comes to attracting the best and brightest students to Duke, Susan Semonite Waters knows there is no one mold for what that might look like. Every new class of students offers a variety of backgrounds, gender and life experiences, which is why when Waters and her coworkers in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions recruit students, they make sure to emphasize how Duke’s workforce can be just as diverse. “It’s certainly harder to get somebody to come to Duke from an area or experience if they think they’re the first one paving the way,” said Waters, senior assistant director of admissions. “Knowing there are faculty and staff here who have lots of different backgrounds makes it feel more comfortable.” For Waters, resources like the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, Freeman Center for Jewish Life and the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture offer places and people to share with prospective students. She noted faculty and staff often meet with prospective students to highlight the broad personal and intellectual diversity of Duke. Diversity is a benefit not only for Waters and visitors to campus, but for faculty and staff as well. In a 2014 study by the Economist Intelligence Unit, an independent business within The Economist Group providing forecasting and advisory services, 82 percent of human resources executives surveyed from around the world said emphasizing diversity among employees allows access to the richest talent pool possible. Similarly, a separate 2014 Gallup poll noted that gender-diverse workplaces provide greater depth of knowledge, resources, insights and allow for better interaction among employees. “When you build a workplace that’s composed of people with different skills, competencies and perspectives, you create a foundation of broad excellence,” said Ben Reese, vice president for institutional equity. “We deal with complex issues every day at Duke and having many ways of analyzing and engaging problems contributes to creative solutions.” For 2015, Duke President Richard H. Brodhead has recognized diversity, one of Duke’s guiding principles, as one of his top institutional priorities. It includes supporting gender and ethnic diversity among senior leadership and Duke’s Board of Trustees. At the start of this year, senior leadership for the university, which includes academic positions like provosts and deans, and administrative leaders who oversee finances and development, featured 15 of 38 members who were female or under-represented minority, including 11 females and five male or female minorities. Nineteen of 36 trustees were female or minority, including 14 females and seven trustees who were male or female minorities.
Susan Semonite Waters, center in green sweater, chats with a collection of student interns abou event for prospective students.
“The educational environment is one of the most important places we communicate the importance of learning about the world and learning from people from different backgrounds brings a richness to our campus,” said Nancy Allen, vice provost for faculty diversity and faculty development. “When students see faculty and staff across campus who represent their own backgrounds, it shows they have an opportunity to succeed no matter what they want their careers to look like.”
The chart at left shows the racial demographic of the university and health system. In addition, population. The chart at right shows the proportion of men and women in the Duke workforce. S
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Working@Duke
Our Differences
Allen noted that during the past 10 years, Duke has put several programs in place to encourage more diversity, like the Faculty Diversity Initiative, which led to a greater hiring rate of black faculty, and the Women’s Initiative, which enhanced work-life balance and professional development opportunities for women. Recently, Duke has increased efforts to add diversity among faculty in areas of science, mathematics and engineering. “A work environment provides an opportunity to be among diversity and inclusivity in a very deliberate way,” Reese said. “Even from the perspective of professional development, we’re able to enrich the lives of our employees by providing a way to broaden skills and competencies from a variety of different people. We should view it as a workplace benefit.” Ilene Farkas has seen that as administrative manager in the Department of Anesthesiology, where a special management group known as the “Business Office Leadership Team” meets weekly to address questions and concerns about budgeting, technology and operations within the department. Farkas said the variety of backgrounds in the group make for an eclectic but valuable team – from her as a New Yorker who’s worked at Duke for six years to coworkers from West Virginia, Iran and other employees who’ve worked at Duke for more than 20 years. “The group contains people who are extremely analytical, those who have deep personal relationships with employees, those with experiences from other institutions and those with years of Duke history and knowledge,” Farkas said. “All of this together makes us a dynamic and strong team and adds to our culture of collaboration. It’s reassuring ut Blue Devil Days, an annual personally and professionally.” So far, the Anesthesiology Business Office Leadership Team has conceptualized projects like a “datamart” to capture clinical outcomes data to developing a robust faculty reporting system and an integrated education tool for the department. “I feel it shows how special a place Duke can be when we know there’s an importance on diversity,” Farkas said. “Our ability to approach situations more openly has made us more considerate and understanding people and that’s a great goal.” Similarly, the broader diversity of the university has helped Waters and the admissions staff. In 2014, Duke welcomed about 1,700 new members in the class of 2018, which includes students from 47 states and 47 countries. “Students and families come from all over the country and all over the world, but we’re prepared for whatever comes in our door,” Waters said. “Drawing from resources across Duke, it makes us an attractive place for everybody.” n By Bryan Roth
Diversity Resources at Duke Office for Institutional Equity Provides leadership in enhancing diverse and inclusive work and learning environments. web.duke.edu/equity
Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity Offers education, advocacy and more for lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex, questioning, queer, and ally students and employees. studentaffairs.duke.edu/csgd
Center for Multicultural Affairs Promotes community engagement, multicultural education and leadership among students and employees. studentaffairs.duke.edu/cma
International House Cross-cultural programming to enhance Duke’s global mission. studentaffairs.duke.edu/ihouse
Jewish Life at Duke Celebrate holidays, enjoy meals, discuss Israel and connect to Jewish opportunities on campus and elsewhere. studentaffairs.duke.edu/jewishlife
Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture Promotes racial understanding and fosters an appreciation for knowledge of black history, culture. studentaffairs.duke.edu/mlw
Muslim Life Works to enrich lives of Muslim students and others through events and activities. studentaffairs.duke.edu/muslimlife
Women’s Center Dedicated to helping women become self-assured through programs on gender equity and social change. studentaffairs.duke.edu/wc
faculty and staff identifying as Hispanic ethnicity represent 3 percent of the employee Source: Duke Human Resources, June 2014.
go online
Access a diversity toolkit at web.duke.edu/equity/toolkit
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Get Free Help with Finances at Duke Credit Union
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icole Anderson has a plan. In the next two years, she’s going to save at least $10,000 and buy a house in the Triangle area. For help through the process, she turned to the Duke Credit Union. Anderson attended a free first-time homebuyer seminar and learned how to best prepare her finances to get a good credit score and have enough money for a down payment. “It was important for me to get a head start on my plans and find out what I needed to do so I’ll be ready to buy,” said Anderson, a nursing care assistant in Duke Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. “I needed to learn how to get better credit established so I have better options for interest rates.” Since the seminar last fall, Anderson has gotten rid of cable, is dining out less and ensuring all bills are paid on-time, especially student loans for an undergraduate degree from Raleigh’s Shaw University. “It was important for me to hear about ways to save and get better advice than what I’d find on the Internet,” Anderson said. This year, Duke’s credit union staff will present on a variety of topics about finances, including wise use of credit cards. There will be a theme to classes focusing on steps to becoming a homeowner. All programs are free for Duke community members but require online registration. On Feb. 17, Kecha Hill, a mortgage loan counselor with the Duke Credit Union, will lead “The Dream of Homeownership: Making it a Reality” and on March 19, she’ll present about the role real estate agents can play in the home buying process. Hill plans to present to participants about aspects lenders will consider like debt-to-income ratio, interest rates and will also explain why having a realtor involved can protect a buyer. “These programs allow people to get all the information they’ll need up front to make good financial decisions,” Hill said. “First-time homebuyers will learn a lot, but the process has changed so much in recent years even those that bought before may learn something new.” Anderson, the nursing care assistant at Duke, said she’ll be ready to buy a home once she’s saved enough. “These programs put you in the know and helped me become more responsible about what I needed to do to get to that place in my life,” she said. “It’s not something you can approach in a lazy manner.” n By Bryan Roth
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Working@Duke
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Duke Credit Union Workshops Duke Credit Union workshops are free and take place at Credit Union offices, 2200 West Main St. Feb. 17 The Dream of Homeownership: Making it a Reality March 10 Take Charge: Wise Use of Credit Cards March 19 Real Estate Agent Role in the Homebuying Process
Meet the New Credit Union CEO After 13 years with the Duke Credit Union, Daniel P. Berry was named the new CEO of the credit union in December 2014. He previously served as chief financial officer and chief operations officer. Berry is a CPA and holds an MBA from Duke University. The National Association of Federal Credit Unions named him ‘Professional of the Daniel P. Berry Year’ in 2008.
For more information and to register for seminars, visit bit.ly/dfcuseminars
Stressed? Find Your Zen
Mary Brantley, center in shawl, a teacher with Duke Integrative Medicine’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, leads “Experiencing Mindfulness” at Duke’s Center for Living Campus.
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typical day for Duke biology professor Kathleen Smith includes running a lab, conducting research on mammalian evolution, and juggling meetings with students and faculty members. “I have bad problems with both insomnia and migraine headaches,” Smith said. “It gets pretty physical when I’m overstressed. When I have a migraine, I can’t get out of bed.” Last fall, Smith participated in a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course by Duke Integrative Medicine. She learned meditation techniques and now does yoga or meditates for 15 to 30 minutes before and after work, hyper-focusing her senses and breathing. It’s helped her through tough situations, such as serving as primary caregiver for a sick family member, and minimized her migraines and insomnia. “I feel much more mindful,” Smith said. “You pay attention to your environment. On a nice day, I’ll take a walk to Duke Gardens at lunchtime, and I just notice things much more.” In a 2014 nationwide poll of 2,500 adults conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the
go online
Harvard School of Public Health, about half of people surveyed said they had a major stressful event occur in their lives in the past year. Health-related problems were the most common source of stress. People surveyed also cited too many responsibilities, financial concerns and work problems. Ongoing stress can lead to major health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression, especially for those with high-strain jobs, said Dr. Redford Williams, director of Duke’s Behavioral Medicine Research Center. “Research has shown over and over again that these effects of stress on our depression levels and anger puts you at a higher risk of heart disease and at greater risk of dying from it,” Williams said. “Stress can damage both your mental and physical health.” In addition to Duke Integrative Medicine classes, Duke staff and faculty
can find free programs and online tools to manage stress through LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program. LIVE FOR LIFE visits Duke departments and leads free stress reduction classes, which require a minimum of 12 participants and are available upon request. Julie Joyner, manager of LIVE FOR LIFE, said her team visited Duke Regional Hospital in 2014 when the health system was transitioning to Maestro Care, a new electronic medical records system. LIVE FOR LIFE staff led a meditation activity in which a few hundred nurses closed their eyes, focused on breathing and pictured themselves in a peaceful place. “Usually the activity is presented as a way for them to take a moment for themselves, just to relax, de-stress, and maybe just a moment to step away from the worry and anxiety,” Joyner said. n By April Dudash
Stress Reduction Resources Learn more about LIVE FOR LIFE’s free stress reduction resources for employees at bit.ly/dukemanagestress. Duke Integrative Medicine offers a 20 percent discount to Duke employees who sign up for stress reduction classes. For more information, visit j.mp/dukembsr.
Find mental health and stress reduction resources at bit.ly/dukemanagestress
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Black History Month:
Preserving Black Culture at Duke
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n the decade that Chandra Guinn, director of the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture, has worked at Duke, the university has celebrated firsts when it comes to black culture on campus. Among them, Duke – one of the last major universities to desegregate in 1963 – held a yearlong commemoration in 2013 of the 50th anniversary of the first black undergraduate students to matriculate at the university. “What Duke does for me daily is provide the opportunity for me to affirm my love of self and affirm my love of black people and black culture,” Guinn said. In celebration of Black History Month in February, here’s how Duke faculty members preserve black culture through words, movement and sound. Compiled by April Dudash
Words
Mark Anthony Neal, a Duke African and African American Studies professor, says he is a product of the black independent media movement of the late 1960s. He grew up in the Bronx watching Gil Noble, a TV host who examined the black experience in America, and listening to WBLS-FM, a black-owned radio station in New York. Since then, Neal started his own tradition at Duke. He interviews writers and artists for his weekly webcast series, “Left of Black,” which receives an average of 5,000 views a month. He focuses on books in African and African American studies, Caribbean studies, and others “you might not hear on an NPR interview,” he said. “There’s a way in which we kind of get caught in complaining about mainstream media and what they don’t do,” Neal said. “I’ve always come from the adage of, ‘If they’re not doing it, you can do it yourself.’”
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Sound
Movement
When Thomas DeFrantz wants to figure out what’s trending in dance moves, he looks to his 6-year-old nephew, TJ. Easy-to-learn, communal dances take hold in younger generations first, said DeFrantz, a Duke Dance Program professor who studies black social dances. The Dougie and Nae Nae, where dancers put one hand up and rock their body, are recent dances that have gone viral on the Internet. “Dance movements are almost never created in the board room or in the music studio,” DeFrantz said. “People are dancing and making music together.”
VIDEO
Sharing legendary music and musicians is one of John Brown’s missions as director of the Duke Jazz Program. He considers jazz to be one of the greatest gifts to the world by the black community. Jazz is heard on campus at orientation when the Duke Jazz Ensemble, directed by Brown, performs for freshmen at the Durham Performing Arts Center. During the academic year on Wednesday evenings, Brown, a Grammy-nominated bassist, and other musicians play at the Mary Lou Williams Center. “My objective is to make it so no one can pass through Duke University without being touched by jazz in some way,” Brown said. “The more we make the music accessible and visible, the more we will have the opportunity to exercise the inherent power in it.”
Go behind the scenes with these Duke faculty members at bit.ly/bhmvideo
A series profiling leaders at Duke who balance work and life. Healthy habits boost mood and energy and combat diseases, which can also reduce healthcare costs for you and Duke as a whole. Through exercise or other behaviors, these leaders are role models.
Regimen:
I go to CrossFit three times a week, 7:30 to 8:30 in the evening. Usually in the classes, the first 20 minutes is some kind of skill work, whether you’re trying to do jump rope or pull-ups. The next 20 to 30 minutes are called big lifts, which is the heavy weightlifting. The last 20 minutes is the last workout of the day, which is a mix of high-intensity interval training. I honestly think I can feel the endorphins kick in. I am a much happier person if I work out. You have good days and bad days, and I feel I’m a much better person, and I carry around less negative energy because it’s so high-intensive, you get it all out.
How a healthy lifestyle affects my work:
I’m barely 5-foot-2; if I can lift 200 pounds, I feel like I can move mountains. It gives an inspiration that difficult tasks are very doable.
Biggest fitness accomplishment:
I ran a half marathon (the Ramblin’ Rose Women’s Half Marathon in downtown Durham). I had a bucket list of everything
Wellness mantra:
I very strongly believe that I have to be happy with myself. If I’m not happy with myself, I’m not going to be productive. If I’m constantly worrying about what I eat or how I look or why I don’t have energy, I’m not going to be happy at my work.
Top health and wellness goals:
I’ve got to gain 20 pounds of muscle and do one pull-up. I can’t do any pull-ups. I do want to feel strong, and I think that’s empowering. I have a master’s of women’s studies, and I generally come from a school of feminist thoughts where it is really about empowerment and to me, the
I wanted to do before I turned 40. As I’m getting closer to 40, I’m realizing that it was too ambitious of a bucket list, but one of them was to run a half. And the fact I didn’t give up on CrossFit. There were way too many times where I was like, ‘OK, I’m done,’ but I showed up.
Advice:
Try a lot of different things. When I say try, try for more than one class or two classes. Be open to the fact that you never know which one is the one. Just because all my friends run doesn’t mean running will work for me. Everybody is different. But everybody needs to find something that helps with their health.
physical empowerment matters. You just need to know that you can do it. There’s historical indoctrination of what’s feminine and what’s proper and what’s ladylike, and none of those are necessarily appealing to me. So I want to
Got a leader at Duke in mind for the Live Well, Lead Well series? Nominate him or her at bit.ly/lwlwduke
be strong. I’m getting older. This is the time biologically for women to have better bone
Interview by April Dudash
density and have better muscle.
Baishakhi Taylor
assistant dean, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences
working.duke.edu
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Dishing Out Restaurant Deals
PERQS employee discounts
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hen Jason Sholtz worked for Duke Athletics, he uploaded player biographies and videos to GoDuke.com. Now, as co-owner of Alivia’s Durham Bistro [aliviasdurhambistro.com], Sholtz helps with seasonal menu selections and kitchen upkeep at the bistro. “Durham is Duke. Duke is Durham,” said Sholtz, who grew up near Duke’s campus. “It’s nice to be smack dab in the middle of it.” Alivia’s offers a 10 percent discount, anytime, to Duke employees, and menu favorites include the pan-roasted salmon with a ginger-sesame glaze and nachos with homemade chips. Located a few blocks from East Campus, Alivia’s is named after Sholtz’s younger sister, who works at the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Sholtz’s father, Mike, is senior development counsel for the Duke Office of University Development. In addition to Alivia’s, Duke’s employee discount program (PERQS) offers savings at more than 15 food locations, ranging from barbecue to cakes. Here’s a look at a few spots.
A weeknight for Italian
Explore international tastes
After shopping, get your fill of gnocchi and Italian sausage or linguine and clams at Maggiano’s Little Italy at The Streets at Southpoint [maggianos.com]. The 10 percent discount is available Monday through Thursday for dine-in only.
Immerse yourself in Ethiopian dining traditions at Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant [queenofshebachapelhill.com] in Chapel Hill. Diners can use the traditional bread, injera, to pick up bite-sized portions off their plate. Try yemitten shiro watt, a dish of pea flour simmered in a sauce of onion, herbs and butter, or kitfo, very spicy, raw prime beef seasoned with butter and spices. Duke employees receive 10 percent off lunch or dinner by showing a valid DukeCard ID.
It’s a brunch date
Alivia’s Durham Bistro in Durham, offers a 10 percent discount to Duke employees. Alivia’s co-owner Jason Sholtz, above, previously worked for Duke Athletics.
When Tracy McNeil noticed Another Broken Egg Cafe [anotherbrokenegg.com] on the PERQS discount list, he took his wife, Annie, out for breakfast for their 12th wedding anniversary. By showing his DukeCard ID, McNeil received a 10 percent discount and shaved a few dollars off the bill. “I like the atmosphere and the change of scenery,” said McNeil, a financial specialist in Duke Student Affairs’ Resource Administration. Another Broken Egg Cafe is near Duke Hospital along Erwin Road. The menu includes the biscuit beignets, covered in powdered sugar and honey marmalade, and the lobster and Brie omelette – served all day.
Watch a Duke game with wings Cheer on a Duke athletic team while sharing bacon and cheese fries with colleagues at Satisfaction Restaurant [satisfactionrestaurant. com]. Located on West Main Street in Durham, the restaurant’s menu includes nearly 15 types of pizzas, from focaccia to barbecue chicken, as well as subs, burgers and hot wings. Duke employees receive 10 percent off food purchases. n Compiled by April Dudash
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go online
F ind more places to satiate your appetite at j.mp/PERQS_food
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
Join Duke’s Unpark Yourself Challenge
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Sustainability competition offers bike-electric vehicle as grand prize
his spring, a goal of reducing the driveshow off your alone rate by 1,750 motorists commitment to by 2018. sustainability and For the challenge, each “unpark” yourself from team must have a minimum the daily commute. number of five members, In lieu of driving alone, but no more than 20. At employees can walk, bike, the start of every week, carpool or ride a bus to competitors will receive an work as part of the “Unpark email prompting them with Yourself Challenge,” a new, a variety of actions to earn team-based competition to points, from 25 points for encourage University and correctly answering a oneHealth System employees question quiz up to 600 and graduate students to points for registering as a fullOne lucky participant in this year’s Unpark Yourself Challenge will win an ELF, a bikebecome familiar with and use time alternative commuter. electric vehicle that is road-safe, uses no gas and travels up to 35 miles per hour. sustainable commuter options. Duke community members Each week from March already signed up for programs hope is that by participating in the Unpark 16 to April 13, competitors earn points by or initiatives still earn points for those Yourself Challenge, we’ll introduce more taking actions to make travel to campus actions throughout the competition. Duke community members to the ease of more eco-friendly – everything from trying “Transportation makes up about a third alternative commuting options that can an alternative mode of transportation of Duke’s greenhouse gas emissions, so it’s save them money while also cutting Duke’s to sharing a photo of the commute on important to give people a reason to try carbon footprint.” social media. Prizes will be available to a new way of getting around,” said Casey According to most recent data Duke community members, from weekly Roe, outreach coordinator with Sustainable collected in April 2014, 71 percent of Duke giveaways like T-shirts and travel coffee Duke. “The Unpark Yourself Challenge University and Health System employees mugs to larger rewards like an Apple Watch. drive by themselves to work, down from 85 rewards big and small changes, which are The individual with the highest point percent in 2004. Even with the reduction in easier to make when you team up with your total at the end of the competition will friends and coworkers.” n single-occupancy vehicles, Duke still has receive an ELF, a recumbent bike-electric By Bryan Roth vehicle hybrid that uses no gas, is road safe, travels up to 35 miles per hour and parks at a bike rack. “The way faculty and staff travel to Registration for the Unpark Yourself Challenge begins March 2. The team-based campus is a pivotal part in Duke’s effort competition runs March 16 to April 13 and encourages participants to take actions to to become climate neutral by 2024,” said become familiar with and use sustainable commuter options. Completed actions are tracked online, and team and individual leaderboards will refresh each night. Alison Carpenter, manager of Duke’s Prizes range from T-shirts and an ice cream party all the way to a bike-electric vehicle transportation demand management called an ELF. program, which is co-sponsoring the For prizes, registration information and more, visit sustainability.duke.edu/unpark. program with Sustainable Duke. “Our
Unpark Yourself and Win Prizes
go
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WORKING@DUKE How To Reach Us Editor/Communications Director: 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/Videographer: Bryan Roth (919) 681-9965 bryan.roth@duke.edu Writer: April Dudash (919) 684-4639 april.dudash@duke.edu Photography: Duke University Photography and Bryan Roth and April Dudash 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:
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dialogue@Duke “ What do you think is an important ingredient for leadership?”
‘‘ ‘‘ ‘‘
or student services, I definitely think it’s teamwork. I work closely with a F cohort of four to five people in our office. We have about 800 students here at the law school. We rely on that team to collectively brainstorm ways to better serve students. You rely on everyone, with faculty and staff being part of that team, to be the eyes and ears, because I don’t see or hear everything.” Jason Belk Assistant dean for Student Affairs, Duke Law 6 years at Duke
ave a top-notch team. I’m very lucky to have that. All of my team takes H initiative. They’re flexible, they’re enthusiastic and thoughtful, and they all work well together. I seek out feedback from people who work with me and take an active role in trying to understand what obstacles they face to do their job and finding out what resources I need to give them, and then encourage and mentor them to be able to reach the highest level they can and not hold them back.” Terry Corliss Senior lab administrator, Duke Department of Biology 21 years at Duke
eadership is very interesting and also challenging because it entails, among L other things, encouraging our faculty and coordinating a curriculum that is inspiring for students coming in with diverse academic interests. We have had students who major in neuroscience, engineering, environmental science, math ... and so on, who are also doing a double major or a minor in dance. We’re guiding students who want to create really amazing and unusual interdisciplinary works. The director has to encourage and coordinate those kinds of emerging, new studies.” Purnima Shah Director and associate professor of the practice of dance, Duke University Dance Program 12 years at Duke
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