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MILITARY DUKIES In honor of Veterans Day, learn about the work of Duke employees Sean Foley and Frank Walsh while serving overseas.
N E WS YO U CA N U S E
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DOING GOOD Duke’s employee giving campaign expands to community programs through the DukeDurham Neighborhood Partnership.
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SUSTAINABLE DUKE Got an idea to make the campus more eco-friendly? Get money for the project through Duke’s Green Grant Fund.
November 2008
Overcoming E-mail Overload Sue Wasiolek, Duke’s dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs, checks e-mail every six minutes. “An unanswered e-mail in my inbox screams at me,” she said.
FACULTY AND STAFF ARE SPENDING INCREASINGLY MORE TIME CHECKING, RESPONDING TO E-MAIL or Sue Wasiolek, an empty e-mail inbox provides the same sense of accomplishment as finishing an eight-mile run. As Duke’s dean of students and assistant vice president for student affairs, Wasiolek receives more than 200 e-mails daily. “An unanswered e-mail in my inbox screams at me,” Wasiolek said. “I don’t know if it’s an addiction or a self-imposed stressor, but I treat almost every e-mail as though it’s an overdue bill.” Wasiolek checks e-mail at least every six minutes, either on her laptop or iPhone. During meetings. While driving. At all hours of the night. And she’s not alone. Nearly half of all Americans say they’re hooked on e-mail, according to a recent AOL mail survey, and Duke staff and faculty are spending increasingly more of their workday checking and responding to it. The ease and convenience of email have prompted overuse, overdependence and information overload. But don’t blame technology for fragmented attention and growing anxiety, as today’s workers struggle to keep up with their constantly beeping inboxes. We have no one to blame but ourselves, experts say. “Most people let their e-mail manage them. They don’t manage it,” said Tim Pyatt, Duke’s university archivist and co-principal investigator of a four-year study of e-mail use at Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It’s just amazing how it’s come to dominate the workforce.” Pyatt now estimates that Duke faculty and staff spend as much as four hours a day on email, up from the average 111 minutes a day Duke staff reported in his fall 2002 survey. While tougher spam filters and other technological advances cut down on junk e-mail and help users better sort and search through the
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How much e-mail do you get?
50.6%
19.6%
(11 to 50 e-mails)
(51 to 100 e-mails)
Slightly more than half of Duke e-mail account addresses receive between 11 and 50 e-mail messages daily. Between students, faculty and staff, the average Duke e-mail address receives about 15 messages each day.
3.4%
24.9%
(101 to 250 e-mails)
.9%
(251 to 500 e-mails)
.5%
(501 to 1,000 e-mails)
.1%
(1,000+ e-mails)
(0 to 10 e-mails) Source: Duke’s Office of Information Technology
digital deluge, experts say the real problem with e-mail isn’t volume but etiquette and rising expectations in a 24/7 culture. “As technological performance gets better and servers deliver e-mail quickly, one side effect is that people have come to expect that other people will respond that quickly, too,” said Rob Carter, a consultant with Duke’s Office of Information Technology. Indeed, Duke users get fewer e-mails than they did just a year ago, due to tougher spam filtering implemented earlier this year. On an average day at Duke, OIT delivers about 1.5 million e-mails and blocks more than 22 million spam messages. Still, users feel overloaded because they rely too much on e-mail, using it as a tool for quick conversation and sharing comments on
2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
documents, instead of what it was designed to be: the electronic equivalent of a postal mailbox, Carter said. “It’s the equivalent of paper mail: a selfdocumenting, permanent record,” Carter said. “It’s designed to be reliable but not instant and conversational.” With the ease and convenience of e-mail, senders too often press “send” without considering the effect of their interruptions on others – and recipients feel a mounting sense of pressure to respond quickly. >> See E-MAIL OVERLOAD, PAGE 5
This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
Editor’s Note
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eginning with this edition of Working@Duke, you will notice a new effort to bring readers closer to the people and topics covered in the pages of this publication. Powerful technologies such as video, audio and photo slideshows enable Working@Duke to complement its print storytelling in compelling ways that extend beyond the page. When it makes sense, Working@Duke will include an online multimedia feature with an article. As an example, please see the Veterans Day article below this column. The article is about Duke nurse Frank Walsh, a lieutenant with the U.S. Navy Reserve who helped build a clinic in Afghanistan. He’s one of 36 Duke employees who has taken military leave in the past several years. In reporting the story, Working@Duke heard from Duke employee Sean Foley, a combat photographer with the U.S. Army Reserve. He served in Iraq, and his pictures offered Working@Duke an opportunity to develop an audio slideshow to provide a closer look at his time overseas. There’s a camera icon with the Veterans Day article, referring readers to hr.duke.edu to watch the slideshow. Sean narrates scenes he captured of every day life in Iraq, images of children kicking a soccer ball with a soldier and pastel-colored dresses for sale along a street curb, all set against a backdrop of war. It’s powerful imagery that can’t quite be conveyed through the printed word alone. Thanks for reading (and watching online), Leanora
Newsbriefs Free financial seminars address spending and retirement If current economic conditions have you concerned about credit, debt and retirement, the Duke Federal Credit Union may have a free financial seminar for you. December seminars include: Refinancing, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 2, in the Teer House; Building a Better Budget, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 2, in the Searle Center; Creditability: Build a Strong Credit History, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 9, Teer House; and Retirement Strategies for Women, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 9, in Searle Center. To register, visit dukefcu.org and select “seminar sign-up” under Quick Links. You can also register by sending e-mail to scottie.dowdy@duke.edu or calling (919) 660-9745.
“The complex impact of diversity and inclusion cannot be portrayed by a single survey,” said Benjamin D. Reese, Jr., vice president, Office for Institutional Equity. “That being said, this top five ranking does highlight the commitment and diligent efforts of so many of Duke’s staff and faculty.”
Celebrate the holiday season Join other Duke staff and faculty for free refreshments and entertainment during this year’s holiday celebrations. Enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of the season from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in the Searle Center; 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Bryan Center; and 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Dec. 1 in the Duke Hospital Atrium Cafeteria. Also during the holiday season, full-time faculty and staff will receive a Duke suncatcher as a gift for their contributions and service. The 2008 Duke Suncatcher, distributed through Staff & Family Programs to offices, pays tribute to “Trustworthiness,” one of Duke’s guiding principles.
Mobile Farmers Market continues through winter
Enter Eat Wise and Exercise to win (and lose) big!
Summer may be over, but you don’t have to forgo fresh, local produce. Duke staff and faculty can enroll in the Mobile Farmers Market, which will continue through the fall and winter season. The fall/winter Mobile Market, organized by LIVE FOR LIFE, includes broccoli, cauliflower, squash and other produce from Brinkley Farms in Creedmoor; lettuce and arugula from Coon Rock Farm and flowers from Fernrock Flower Farm, both in Hillsborough. Orders can be picked up from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. For more information and to join, visit hr.duke.edu/mobilemarket or call (919) 684-3136, extension 1.
You or your department could win a 10-week lifestyle makeover by entering the Eat Wise and Exercise essay contest in November. In up to 500 words, explain why you or your department deserves the makeover. Essays will be accepted through Nov. 29. The contest is part of the Eat Wise and Exercise program sponsored by LIVE FOR LIFE. The individual essay contest winner will receive weekly consultations with a fitness specialist and nutritionist, a pair of athletic shoes and a six-month membership to a Duke Fitness Club facility, among other prizes. The winning department will receive presentations on nutrition, fitness and stress management, exercise DVDs and a discount on athletic shoes. To enter the essay contest, visit hr.duke.edu/eatwise. Submit an essay several ways: by fax, (919) 684-1852; campus mail, LIVE FOR LIFE, Eat Wise Contest, Box 3200 DUMC; or drop the essay off at LIVE FOR LIFE’s office on the ground level of the Duke South Clinic, room 04290 in the Red Zone.
Duke recognized for diversity DiversityInc., the leading publication on diversity and business, named Duke a top university for diversity, ranking it among five colleges that “stand head and shoulders above the rest.” Duke was highlighted in the October 2008 issue for strong work/life benefits, inclusiveness for same-sex domestic partners and its nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Other deciding factors include Duke’s philanthropic efforts in Durham.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include name and contact information. E-mail letters to working@duke.edu or mail them to Working@Duke Editor, Box 90496, Durham, NC 27708. Fax letters to (919) 681-7926. Please keep length to no more than 200 words.
From the front lines – serving Duke and country estruction from decades of war and poverty surrounded Duke nurse Frank Walsh when he arrived in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan. A lieutenant with the U.S. Navy Reserve, Walsh was deployed last year as part of a Navy Medical Service Corps training team that included health care workers, logistics experts and administrators from across the country. While embedded for a year with an Afghan National Army unit, Walsh and his team served as mentors for Afghan doctors, created a bilingual PowerPoint training guide for Afghan medics and built a small clinic to treat wounded American, Afghan and NATO soldiers. “Many Afghan doctors’ educations had been interrupted under the Taliban regime,” said Walsh, 54, who returned from duty this summer. “Their skills and technology were lacking in many ways, but the Afghan military personnel were very open and friendly, and seemed thankful for our assistance.” Walsh is among 36 Duke staff and faculty who have taken military leave from Duke since 2004. Duke’s military leave policy allows benefits-eligible employees to take time for military training and active duty assignments and return to work within 90 days of military discharge.
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Duke nurse Frank Walsh, right, a lieutenant with the U.S. Navy Reserve, stands beside an Afghan doctor in front of a medical clinic that Walsh and his team built in Afghanistan.
“Many of our employees come back with even more talents and experience useful in their roles at Duke,” said Dexter Nolley, director of Duke’s Staff & Labor Relations. “With Veterans Day this month, it’s an ideal time for us to reflect upon the dedication of staff and faculty who have served our country.” After returning to Duke, staff and faculty receive a job equal in status, benefits and pay in accordance with federal and state laws. They also are credited with eligibility and benefit accruals. For Walsh, feeling secure in the field about the job waiting at Duke was a relief, even though he missed his wife, Coleen. “I was able to serve my country without worrying about my regular job,” he said. “That lifts a big weight off someone’s shoulders.” While on leave, Walsh helped create the first medical records system for the Afghan National Army. “Instead of it being a complicated computer program, we taught them how to use Excel spreadsheets and forms they could print,” he said. “We were determined to leave that portion of the world a better place.” Walsh returned to Duke in July as a nurse recruiter with Duke University Hospital. Supervisors and Duke Human Resources were supportive, he said, providing “clarity and certainty about what I could expect when I returned. I knew Duke would stand by its word, even though I’ve heard of other situations in North Carolina where people in the military had trouble returning to their jobs.” — By Missy Baxter Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services
2 AUDIO SLIDE SHOW: Visit hr.duke.edu to see photographs by Duke employee Sean Foley while he served in Iraq.
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New Duke scoreboard a slam dunk for fans A delicate balance between tradition and the sides and brass bars on the bottom to stay true to technology is helping bring Cameron Indoor Cameron’s classic feel. Stadium into the 21st Century. “There was a lot of thought to get from where Blue Devil sports teams and fans have an added we were with the old board to where we are now,” perk this season: Duke upgraded the 20-year-old Carrow said, joking that the old scoreboard was like scoreboard to a new, state-of-the-art version. The new a giant Lite-Brite. “This was truly an evolution.” board plays video on all four of its Duke coaches are buzzing with 6-feet-high and 10-feet-wide excitement for the new model. screens to go along with an Volleyball head coach Jolene Anything done enhanced scoring system that Nagel got to see the new board in in Cameron displays statistics. its first action during the annual needs to reflect the The new scoreboard with Duke Invitational tournament in LED lights dwarfs the old one September. She said initial reviews pride, the tradition and and hangs above mid-court at from fans were nothing but the excellence of Duke, about 15-feet tall by 14-feet wide. positive. “A lot of the people had and this does.” The old board was 4 to 5 feet been to Cameron before and smaller in height and width. — Joanne P. McCallie thought it was really exciting to “The project was tough have statistics up there,” she said. Head Women’s Basketball Coach because we had to have Cameron Joanne P. McCallie, head stay the iconic building it is and women’s basketball coach, said the enhance the experience,” said Mike Sobb, assistant new board accents and heightens Cameron’s athletic director for marketing. “The challenge with atmosphere. “Anything done in Cameron needs to Cameron is you have one of the true classic buildings reflect the pride, the tradition and the excellence of in America. Like Wrigley or Lambeau fields, Duke, and this does,” she said. Cameron is one of the great ones left.” Sobb said he is just as excited to see the board Stephen Carrow, a Facilities Management in action this winter when the Cameron Crazies get Department project manager, said that since to enjoy it as the newest addition to one of Cameron “is basically a museum,” it was important basketball’s best places to play. to find stability between the new technology and “We want Cameron to stay the iconic building retro feel of the stadium. While the new board has all it is and this enhances the experience,” he said. “It’s the bells and whistles sports fans expect nowadays, truly a special place.” the university made sure to add wood paneling along — By Bryan Roth
Writer, Office of Communication Services
Work without leaving home C
hristy Parrish drives a sport utility vehicle that gets 12 miles per gallon. With a 36-mile commute, she spends more than $50 a week to get to and from Duke. This summer, when fuel topped $4 a gallon, Parrish took advantage of telecommuting, a flexible work option, offered by her supervisor, Gilbert Merkx, vice provost for International Affairs & Development. For six weeks, he allowed his direct staff to work from home one day a week. “I had heard telecommuting was an option other offices were offering more because oil and gas prices were so high,” Merkx said. “It worked out very well for us, especially for those with long commutes.” The arrangement made a difference. Beginning in July, Parrish worked from home every Wednesday, saving about $125. She plans to buy a hybrid vehicle next year. “Because I live in an outlying community near Hillsborough, there isn’t a public transportation option for me, so telecommuting was a great alternative,” said Parrish, administrative coordinator and travel policy administrator in International Affairs. Telecommuting is among the most popular of nontraditional work arrangements offered by Duke. It allows eligible employees to work off-site – usually at home. But the option isn’t for everyone. Some positions, like those in patient care, don’t lend themselves to telecommuting. Duke provides flexible work option guidelines, and departments should establish their own policies, too. Employees must receive supervisor approval. Dexter Nolley, director of Staff & Labor Relations, said flexible work options are popular because they benefit the employee and the employer. “There is also evidence of increased retention from employees who work at home,” he said.
As a medical records coder for Duke, Teresa Webb works full-time from her home in Fountain, N.C. Her pets – Lily, a Tabby cat, upper right, and Honey, a Teacup Poodle – often keep her company.
The department of Health Information Management at Duke University Hospital discovered that telecommuting improves recruitment and retention, said manager Marie Thomas. Its 15 medical records coders have worked from home full-time for more than two years. “Medical coding is an extremely competitive market,” Thomas said. “We have the benefit of recruiting highly skilled coders, and the ability to retain them with no turnover in staff as a result of offering telecommuting.” Teresa Webb, a medical records coder, works from her home in Fountain, about 85 miles from Duke. “If I couldn’t telecommute, there’s no way I could work for Duke,” she said. “I’ve lived around here my whole life and really don’t want to move.” Webb said the arrangement has worked out wonderfully for her. “My office is painted my favorite color – pink,” she said, “and often my cat or dog sit on my lap or nearby.” — By Elizabeth Michalka Writer/Public Relations Specialist Senior Fuqua School of Business
Visit hr.duke.edu/flexwork for more information about flexible options.
Arranging Flexible Work Options ◆ Review options and determine if they are right for you and your position. ◆ Prepare a written proposal for your supervisor. ◆ If approved, a formal written agreement is completed. ◆ The arrangement is piloted for a defined period; you and your supervisor meet regularly to discuss it. ◆ At the end of the pilot, the arrangement is evaluated; either your or your supervisor may end the arrangement if goals are not met.
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A new way for ‘Doing Good’ DUKE EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN IS NOV. 3–DEC. 1 ike most 11-year olds, Camayia Daniels likes being at school, but prefers playtime instead. Lucky for her, both of those things come together at Student U, an academic enrichment program for middle school students that receives support through the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership. “It’s like school, but just fun,” Camayia said. “We do work that isn’t really work, and it helps us get a better understanding of the world.” From field trips to hands-on science experiments, Daniels said that her time at Student U helps excite her about being in school and learning new things. Daniels’ mother, Iris Arnette, said the changes she’s seen in her daughter have been great. “I feel like this program gives the children an opportunity to actually grow into successful adults,” Arnette said. “Student U gave her a voice and leadership skills.” Student U is one of many local programs enhancing the lives of people living in and around Durham that are now included as part of an expanded employee giving campaign at Duke called “Doing Good in the Neighborhood,” which runs through Dec. 1. Led by Phail Wynn Jr. Duke’s vice president of Durham and regional affairs, “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” will allow faculty and staff to give directly to programs that are supported through the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership and Duke’s Division of Community Health. The campaign also includes an option to contribute to United Way agencies. As part of giving to the Duke-supported organizations, 100 percent of employee contributions will be given to the neighborhood agencies, allowing contributions to do more good because no administrative fees are deducted. The Triangle United Way takes 14.5 percent from each donation to cover administrative costs. “There’s much more to be done in our Duke-Durham partnership, and the employee contributions will allow us to expand programs and start new initiatives,” said Wynn, who created a similar program while president at Durham Technical Community College. “This helps to strengthen and broaden this very important engagement the university has with the community.” Since 2001, Duke faculty and staff participation in the United Way campaign has declined, falling from a peak of 22 percent seven years ago to 7 percent last year. Monica Pallett, manager of staff and family programs at Duke, said that opening up “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” is an ideal way to get more employees involved in giving back to the community.
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Durham resident Camayia Daniels, 11, blows into a handful of CO2-filled soap bubbles as she takes part in a science project during the city’s Student U program. The program is one of about 40 that benefits from Duke's “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” employee giving campaign.
“It was the perfect next step,” she said. “Now that Duke has well established community initiatives, it makes sense to provide Duke faculty and staff the option to give directly through our own philanthropic infrastructure.” Through “Doing Good,” faculty and staff can donate to about 40 organizations and programs through six categories: academic enrichment and youth development; neighborhood growth and development; community health; community arts and academics; university engagement and a community care grant making fund. Donors have the option of selecting as many categories to give money to, which then disperses the funds to several programs. Employees can submit a pledge form from a packet sent through campus mail or go to community.duke.edu for information or to make a donation online. With the help of increased giving, Arnette said that kids throughout Durham have a better chance of achieving goals and learning more – just like her daughter, Camayia. “The programs give kids the ability to know that not everything in the world is bad and there are a lot of people out there that care about them,” Arnette said. — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Donate at
community.duke.edu
Duke and the Durham community TALK WITH PHAIL WYNN JR. ON NOV. 12 onsider: Duke students have tutored more than 750 students in 38 Durham schools since 2006. This is just one of the many ways Duke is engaged with the Durham community, said Phail Wynn Jr., ffairs egional A R & am vice president for Durham and urh ent for D Phail Wynn, Jr., ice Presid regional affairs. with the V r. J “There are so many , n : Wyn unity ar Phail e comm Come he uke’s role in th community outreach efforts D discuss ? e across Duke,” Wynn said. “One nc focus? a differe mmunity making as of co ? is Duke re d a e of the things we need to do is w lv o e o H re v 䡵 t in e’s th u can ge are Duk v. 12, o N ways yo t , 䡵 What s y e better acquaint employees with a b d e nes are th 䡵 What . on WedBryan Center. .m p 0 all the things people at Duke :3 e 2 level of th d out at 1 Come fin ith Theater, lower are doing to help support the ff in the Gri community.” vided by ents pro Café. m He hopes to provide sh e fr ry re Refecto hes and Sandwic nt Catering/The more perspective on this issue, and a Bon Viv ways faculty and staff can get more involved in Durham community efforts during the Primetime forum on Nov. 12.
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During the event, Wynn will discuss three areas of focus: academic enrichment and youth development, strengthening neighborhoods and the new “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” campaign, which expands the options for faculty and staff to support community programs in Durham. “There is much yet to be done,” Wynn said. “Duke is uniquely positioned to play a transformative role in the community. It’s a role Duke can and should play as a thought leader, convener and facilitator. There is a lot of research, knowledge and energy on our campus that can be applied to real-world problems in our own community.” The event is from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Bryan Center’s Griffith Theater. Sandwiches and light refreshments will be served, and all attendees will be entered in a raffle to win two free tickets to a show at the new Durham Performing Arts Center.
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Submit questions for Primetime hr.duke.edu/primetime
E-mail Overload CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
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“We’re polluting the pool, and we don’t see the cost,” But e-mail, which has been said Dan Ariely, professor of behavioral economics at around at Duke since the midDuke’s Fuqua School of Business and author of the 1980s, isn’t going away anytime Predictably Irrational blog. “When you’re carbon-copying soon. 30 people on an e-mail, you’ve just “I’m a firm believer in e-mail,” stolen 30 seconds of 30 people’s said Provost Peter Lange, who lives. If we had to pay 25 cents per receives about 100 messages on an e-mail, we’d think more carefully average day. “A lot of my work is about what we wrote, and probably communicating with other people. Peter Lange write fewer e-mails.” When you’re just doing business, it’s Ariely faces a unique challenge: amazingly efficient. But you need to balance it with faceHis hand was damaged in an to-face and telephone communication and know when to accidental explosion that left him use which, with whom and for what purpose.” When it comes to avoiding e-mail overload, different Dan Ariely with third-degree burns over 70 percent of his body, and typing strategies work for different individuals. Productivity guru actually causes physical pain. He’s Merlin Mann, author of the made repeated efforts to reduce his 43folders.com blog, advocates time at the keyboard but admits developing “ninja inbox habits.” When you’re he can’t resist checking his iPhone not live in your inbox or use carbon-copying 30 your“Do while in line at the store and inbox as a to-do list or a calendar,” people on an e-mail, you’ve at red lights. Mann said during a presentation at E-mail motivates humans the Duke. “It’s a delivery system, not a place just stolen 30 seconds of 30 same way random schedules of to manage your tasks.” people’s lives. If we had to reinforcement motivated rats in OIT’s Carter, whose inbox typically pay 25 cents per e-mail, we’d experiments conducted by numbers more than 120,000 messages behaviorist researcher B.F. Skinner, (mostly automated server updates for the think more carefully about Ariely said. People check inboxes what we wrote, and probably many computer systems he monitors), obsessively in the small but touts this rule: “Employ all the spam write fewer e-mails.” irresistible hope of reward: an filtering you can, to avoid ever being important e-mail that requires interrupted by a message you’re not — Dan Ariely Professor immediate response. going to read.” Duke’s Fuqua School of Business “Most e-mails are not that Ed Gomes, associate dean for arts urgent or useful, but there’s that and sciences information technology, small chance that it’s important, takes advantage of automatic sorting that you’ve hit the jackpot,” Ariely said. “It’s very hard to features to organize his e-mail by category. “I also make a let it go.” concerted effort to go through e-mail once a week to make E-mail also can be addictive because processing it offers sure I haven’t missed anything,” Gomes said. a false sense of accomplishment, Ariely said: “E-mail gives But for Wasiolek, nothing beats staying on top of that you a sense of progression and is instantly rewarding, but it insistent ding – even if it means “conversing” with students can expand to take up your entire life.” through e-mail at 4:30 a.m. In the corporate world, e-mail overload has led to “This generation of students equates a quick response concerns about diminishing productivity, prompting a to e-mail with a high sense of caring: If you respond group of technology firms, including Microsoft, Intel and quickly to their e-mail, they believe you care about them,” Google, to band together to devise solutions. Intel has she said. “Each incoming e-mail is like a phone ringing. experimented with e-mail free Fridays, and Google You don’t just let it ring.” unveiled a Gmail feature that locks users out of e-mail — By Cara Bonnett for short periods of time. Managing Editor, News & Information Office of Information Technology
What’s in your inbox? Tips for Managing E-mail Minimize spam. Install filters to block e-mail from certain senders. Read first. Make sure you’re responding to the latest post and not repeating points already covered. Talk. When sensitive issues need to be discussed, face-to-face conversation or a telephone call may be a better communication choice than e-mail. Organize your inbox. Create three folders or labels in your e-mail client: Action, Later and Archive. Each time you check e-mail, delete messages you don’t need; respond immediately to the ones that take less than two minutes; and file messages that represent a to-do item in the “Action” folder, messages that need follow up in the “Later” folder, and those you want to keep in “Archive.”
E-mail By the Numbers 51 percent E-mail users nationwide who check e-mail four or more times daily
20 percent Users with more than 300 e-mails in inboxes
62 percent Users who check work e-mail over a weekend
41 percent Mobile e-mail users who keep cell phones near them when they sleep
67 percent E-mail users who check e-mail in pajamas in bed Source: AOL Mail’s fourth annual e-mail addiction survey, July 2008
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E-mail Overload Go to hr.duke.edu to watch a video and find out how Duke employees manage their e-mail.
Instant message. Consider alternatives to e-mail, such as instant messaging (IM) for quick questions or wikis for sharing opinions about documents. For IM details, visit oit.duke.edu and select “Email & Messaging”; for DukeWiki, select “Web & Multimedia.” Be concise. Clear, focused subject lines should reflect the content of your message. Limit carbon-copy. Copy only people who really need to get the e-mail. Restraint. Limit the times you check for and scan new e-mail throughout the day. Turn e-mail notifications off to avoid interruptions and consider setting aside time for processing e-mail.
5 Review Duke e-mail settings at https://webacct.acpub.duke.edu/online
A life’s work comes to fruition for Nasher curator t took her a little more than 20 years, but the wait was worth it for Nasher Museum of Art curator Sarah Schroth. This month marks the end of the exhibit, “El Greco to Velázquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III,” a collection of treasures Schroth worked to showcase at Duke during her 12 years here. The result was a critically acclaimed show that helped restore appreciation to a long-lost era of Spanish art between 1598 and 1621. “This period has been really slighted and people just haven’t understood its importance,” said Schroth, who began her work on the exhibit during her doctoral dissertation at New York University in the late 1980s. “In order to change everybody’s minds, I knew I had to do an exhibition. It just took a long, long time for it to come to fruition.” To bring the collection of more than 100 pieces to Duke, Schroth made annual trips to Europe over the past decade to persuade museum administrators and church leaders to lend their Spanish art. Schroth’s peers said that passion and dedication rubbed off on them. “It’s a joy working with Sarah because her enthusiasm for the subject is so infectious,” said Juline Chevalier, Nasher’s curator of education. “Anytime
I ________
Blue Devil of the Month
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Sarah Schroth
you have a teacher who’s excited about the subject matter it makes it exciting for you to be around it.” Schroth credited the support she received from Duke as a big reason why she was able to throw herself into her work to compile the $2 million exhibit. “There are few universities that would have supported this,” Schroth said. “I don’t think that if I worked at the Metropolitan Museum I would have had the opportunity to concentrate so hard on the scholarly component of the show. Duke is a very supportive place.” In addition to the Nasher exhibit, Schroth teaches classes that focus on Spanish art and has been presenting on her work to numerous clubs and organizations in the Triangle area. She
said she’s working on bringing an exhibit of works by Picasso to Duke. When it comes to her most recent show, though, Schroth said she couldn’t have been more pleased with its reception, adding that she’s been able to change the way people think about Spanish art during the turn of the 17th century. The exhibition, she said, helped to shape a revision of history that people otherwise never would have known about. “They’re all masterpieces that people just didn’t know anything about,” she said. “Even Harvard hasn’t done anything quite like this.” — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Nasher Museum Serving Duke, the Triangle and beyond Department: Nasher Museum of Art Years at Duke: Three years Who they are: The Nasher Museum is one of the top university art museums in the country – a major center for the arts that serves the university and surrounding region with exhibitions that you could find in major museums in New York or Europe. The museum features contemporary and post-modern artists from around the world. What they’re known for: Organizing edgy exhibitions that feature the contemporary work of international artists. Displays found at Nasher can often travel to other large universities around the country. What they can do for you: As part of Duke’s employee discount program, PERQs, faculty and staff at Duke can get reduced rates for exhibits as well as other entertainment and services around the area. Leslie Bryan, a palliative medicine fellow at the School of Medicine, said that having Nasher available to visit helps her to tap into her love for art, and the museum’s exhibits round out her busy life.
The Nasher Museum of Art opened its new building designed by architect Rafael Viñoly on Oct. 2, 2005, creating a major new center for the arts on campus.
“When I got the PERQs discount, I thought it was going to be a great motivator to get outside the hospital,” she said. “Art is important to maintain one’s mental and emotional well being. Nasher is a place to fortify me.” Number of employees: 29, plus part-time security guards and student staff Hidden department fact: Duke gave up a big art collection to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill nearly 70 years ago. Following the death of author and art collector William Hayes Ackland, Duke officials rejected a gift from his estate, which would have established an endowed museum in his name. The museum was never built because Ackland’s will stipulated that he be buried in his museum. So, Ackland’s art collection and burial site ended up at the Ackland Art Museum at UNC. Significant achievement: Partnering with Boston’s Museum of Fine Art on “El Greco to Velázquez: Art during the Reign of Philip III,” a major exhibition of art from the Golden Age of Spain. “The exhibit helped to change the history of Spanish art as we knew it,” said the exhibit’s co-curator Sarah Schroth. “It helped to open up all these new avenues for research.” Big goal: Having every Duke student and faculty and staff member visit the museum at least once during their time at the university. How they make a difference: “We bring in a diverse audience,” said Wendy Hower Livingston, Nasher Museum’s manager of marketing and communications. “Nasher is a gateway to the community, and because we’re open to the public, we welcome everyone. It’s an easy and wonderful way to learn about art and Duke history.” — Interviews by Bryan Roth, Office of Communication Services
6 Learn about the Duke’s Nasher Museum of Art at nasher.duke.edu.
Sustainable uke Y O U R
S O U R C E
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Computer science professor Robert Duvall drops a can into a recycling bin at Blue Express in the Levine Science Research Center. The bin and others on campus were financed through Duke’s Green Grant Fund.
Green Grant Fund seeds eco-friendly projects W
hen computer science professor Robert Duvall eats at Blue Express in Duke’s Levine Science Research Center, he makes sure to drop his used plastic bottles, soda cans and other recyclable items in the cafe’s recycling bins. For Duvall, the routine dates back to his childhood. “My mother would stop the car on the side of the road, and we’d pick up bottles and cans and turn them in for recycling,” said Duvall, 37. “As someone who considers taking care of the environment a priority, I’m glad to see more recycling going on at Duke.” The recycling bins, enclosed in labeled wood cabinets, were installed at Blue Express and nine other campus eateries last year to reduce the amount of trash in landfills. The project, overseen by Duke Dining, is among 29 initiatives launched in the past three years by faculty, staff and students with money from Duke’s Green Grant Fund. The Green Grant Fund, established by Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III, supports projects that yield environmental, social and economic benefits to Duke’s campus and the Durham community. Duke allocates $50,000 each year for the
Green Grant Fund, which is available to Duke community members to pay for projects or activities that reduce Duke’s environmental footprint. Since the program began in 2006, Duke has awarded about $120,000 to seed a myriad of new programs and projects. Grants have ranged from $500 to nearly $20,000, and recipients include a bike maintenance and repair station; a Duke student group that refurbishes computers for Durham schools and community centers; and an organic garden and compost system at the Marine Lab in Beaufort. Grants have also funded research and provided education and training for Duke students, staff and faculty. “At Duke, we recognize that it’s not just the big moves toward sustainability, but also a series of smaller changes that will get us where we want to be,” Trask said. “By encouraging the entire Duke community to think creatively about sustainable solutions and by providing funds to pursue projects, we make it possible for good ideas to become reality.” The latest grant will allow a Nicholas School of the Environment student group, called Farmhand, to promote a week-long local food
challenge, which runs Nov. 1-8, and a sustainable agriculture festival at Woodcrest Farm in Hillsborough on Nov. 8. The grant will also finance a series of speakers and workshops in the spring on topics such as canning, gardening and cheese-making. “By supporting projects like this, Duke is proving that it is serious about improving our campus, our community and our world,” said Gretchen Kroeger, a Nicholas School graduate student who helped the group apply for the Green Grant. Duvall, the computer science professor, has been instrumental in boosting recycling efforts in his department. With his help, the Computer Science Department received the Best Recycling Department Award from Duke’s Environmental Management Advisory Committee in 2004. “It’s great to know there’s money set aside at Duke to support projects like this,” Duvall said during a recent lunch at Blue Express. “The best way to make a difference is to raise awareness and encourage everyone to think about how their actions impact the planet.” — By Missy Baxter Senior Writer Office of Communication Services
Learn more about Duke’s Green Grant Fund at duke.edu/sustainability or contact sustainability outreach coordinator Ryan Powell at ryan.powell@duke.edu.
Want To Apply? Download an application for Duke’s Green Grant Fund under “campus initiatives” at duke.edu/sustainability. The fund is a revolving account with $50,000 allocated each year.
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WORKING@ DUKE
HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado Photography: Bryan Roth, Office of Communication Services; Duke University Photography; and Stewart Waller. Support Staff: Mary Carey
Working@Duke is published monthly by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite 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.
The Biltmore Estate 1 Approach Rd. Asheville (800) 411-3812 biltmore.com
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dialogue@Duke “What’s your best tip for how to manage e-mail?”
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If people are like me, they might be obsessed with checking their e-mail. Just make sure you’re responding. If they’re away from their desk, people should have a schedule to check in the morning, around noon and before you leave. I don’t like to see a lot of e-mails sitting in my inbox, so it’s helpful to check it often so you’re not overwhelmed. I’ve also learned to make a lot of folders and to transfer a lot of e-mails to them so not to clog up my inbox.”
Tatia Ash Admissions and recruiting associate, Master of Public Policy Program 3 months at Duke
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I’m not very good at deleting e-mails, but I check mine fairly often because that’s how I regularly communicate with people. I tend to print out important e-mails and I tend to keep some important ones open so I can see them at the bottom of the screen. That way they stay on my radar.”
Becky Smith Administrative assistant, Pathways 6 years at Duke
Synch to your BlackBerry and use folders for everything. Also, set up rules … like if e-mails from certain senders go to certain folders. And checking your inbox like an obsessive compulsive. Also synching your calendar to your Blackberry.”
Gavin Jocius Director for IT and web services, Alumni Association 3 years at Duke
Have ideas for stories? Write
working@duke.edu Call
— By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
681-4533
PERQS E M P LOY E E D I S CO U N TS
Fast Facts
Experience Biltmore’s grandeur at a savings
a One million visitors tour Biltmore Estate every year.
a Tours of the Biltmore winery are included in admission.
a Estate covers 125,000 acres, including three farms, a dairy, village and church.
a The house has 65 fireplaces, a banquet hall with 70-foot ceiling, a library with 10,000 volumes, plus an indoor pool and bowling alley.
Want To Go? Discount tickets are available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at Staff and Family Programs, 154 Trent Hall; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Medical Center Human Resources, Room 1527 Blue Zone, Duke South.
hen JoAnn Kempel bought four tickets to Biltmore in 2003, she expected to use them right away. And she finally did use them – five years later when she gave them to her daughter, Debbie. “I really didn’t think the Biltmore would honor my tickets after so many years,” said Kempel, an administrative assistant for the Department of Biochemistry. “But when they say there’s no expiration date, they mean it.” The largest privately owned home in the U.S., Biltmore’s 250-room French-style chateau is a popular Asheville attraction. Kempel bought her tickets through Duke’s PERQS program, which provides faculty and staff with discounts on services and entertainment. Through Duke’s discount, faculty and staff save $9 on adult admission. Children under 10 are admitted free of charge. JoAnn Kempel, left, with Peggy and Al Melzer, two friends from Kempel and her husband, Ken, visited Biltmore twice during New York, at the Biltmore. Kempel and her husband, Ken, who the holidays and once in the spring. They plan on visiting again on took the photo, visit the mansion each year. New Year’s Day. “The architecture is just so impressive,” she said. “I love the details, the gargoyles. My husband enjoys the exhibit that shows how Biltmore was constructed.” Kempel’s fondness for Biltmore extends to family and friends who visit for the holidays. “I buy my tickets with the Duke discount and share this beautiful piece of history with them. It makes the holidays even more special.”
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— By Jill Jenkins Senior Communication Strategist, Human Resources
For daily news and information, visit duke.edu/today