WORKING@DUKE
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INAUGURAL STAFF MENTORING EVENT
Panelists who draw 200 Duke employees share inspiring stories about their careers.
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DUKE FOREST CELEBRATES 75 YEARS It grew from farm land 200 years ago to a premier research, teaching and recreational forest.
PROTECT PERSONAL DATA
Departments urged to consult with IT Security and E-Commerce offices for safety methods.
N E W S YO U C A N U S E : : Vo l u m e 1 , I s s u e 7 : : O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6
Former employees return to Duke ast year, about 3,800 employees left Duke. Some left to pursue career opportunities or more money; others left to go back to school, retire or relocate. But many returned, including people like Michele Solomon. Tempted by $7,000 more a year, Solomon left Duke in March 2005 to work for a private laboratory in Raleigh. She returned last April and accepted a job at the Duke Center for Living, where she earns slightly less than when she left. “I realized that the grass is not always greener on the other side and that money isn’t everything that you need to be happy,” Solomon said. Duke hired nearly 4,900 employees for positions across the university and health system in 2005, according to Human Resources. More than 520 of those new hires included people returning to Duke. Based on exit surveys conducted from March through August of this year, most people – 36 percent – left for career development or promotional opportunities, the most common reasons former employees who returned during the same time period cited for coming back. Of those who leave Duke, more than 60 percent said in exit surveys they would consider working here again and would also recommend Duke to others. For Solomon, Duke was the only place she considered when she was laid off from her lab job in Raleigh after less than a year. “I probably would have left down the road anyway,” she said of the Raleigh lab. “There was no patient contact. I was on the phone eight hours a day, stuck in a cubicle. It was just a very different environment.” Solomon feels more connected to patients in her role at Duke. “I’m the first person patients see when they come in the door to check in, and I’m the last person they see as they schedule their next appointment before leaving.” Coming back to Duke was always part of Hazel Richardson’s plan. She joined Duke as a pharmacy technician at Durham Regional Hospital in 2001 after graduating from North Carolina Central University with a chemistry degree. She left Duke two years later to earn a professional degree in pharmacy.
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Top: Hazel Richardson, a clinical staff pharmacist with Durham Regional Hospital, arrives for work at Lincoln Community Health Center in Durham. Bottom: Michele Solomon, a patient service associate at the Duke Center for Living, left Duke for a higher salary but returned less than a year later.
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I realized that the grass is not always greener on the other side and that money isn’t everything that
you need to be happy.” — Michele Solomon
After graduating from the UNC School of Pharmacy this spring, Richardson received several job offers before accepting a position with Durham Regional as a clinical staff pharmacist working at Lincoln Community Health Center, a primary care facility that serves the uninsured and underinsured population of Durham. “I interviewed with three retail pharmacies, all of which made higher offers,” Richardson said. “It’s hard to turn down more money, but for me it was more about quality of life. I have a one-and-a-half year old daughter and a husband, and this job offered me more stability than the other options.” SEE WELCOME BACK, BACK PAGE
This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber.
LOOKING
AHEAD @ DUKE
Newsbriefs Duke named among top family-friendly workplaces Duke University and Duke University Health System has been named
Duke Postal Operations introduces Web site and customer guide
one of the top family-friendly workplaces in North Carolina by
Did you know that Duke Postal Operations processes nearly
Carolina Parent. This marks the fifth
OCTOBER 14-17 : : 55th Annual Southeastern Regional Association of Physical Plant Administrators Conference & Exhibition, hosted by Duke University, Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Research Triangle Park, www.srappa.org.
LIFE HealthCheck, free 30 minute personal health assessment for Duke faculty and staff that measures cholesterol, blood pressure, height and weight. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Duke North, 8th floor, staff elevator lobby.
NOVEMBER 15 : : Provost's Lecture Series, John Poindexter, former national security adviser, will speak on the topic of privacy as it relates to national security. 5 p.m., Love Auditorium, Levine Science Research Center (LSRC).
university and health system department? In an effort to help
consecutive year Duke has made
customers use its services, Duke Postal has developed a Web site
the list. The magazine, which
and customer guide for reference.
does not rank the 40 companies,
OCTOBER 24 : : LIVE FOR
12 million pieces of mail annually to students and virtually every
Customers can learn the ins and outs of receiving and sending
published the annual list in its
mail; locations of campus post offices;
September issue. With more
how to address an Inter-Department
than 27,000 faculty and staff,
envelope to ensure next day
Duke is the largest private
delivery; and other services such as
employer in the Triangle.
mail tests to determine how long it
“Duke University and Health System offers an extensive familyfriendly benefits package for its many employees,” editors for
takes to send an item through campus mail. Several thousand customer
Carolina Parent wrote. “And even more diverse options are being
guides were mailed to department
added almost all the time.”
business managers, staff assistants and administrative
Carolina Parent cited Duke’s Child Care Partnership among the
assistants in September. The guide is available on the new Web site
programs in its decision to name Duke. Nearly 370 families at Duke
at www.postoffice.duke.edu. For a printed copy, call Duke Postal
take advantage of the partnership, which provides placement at 29
Operations at (919) 382-4506.
area child care centers for children of Duke employees.
Open Enrollment for health benefits ends October 14 LIVE FOR LIFE health fair
It’s not too late to enroll in or make changes to your health,
Want to quit smoking, lose weight or have your blood pressure
dental and vision benefits. Open enrollment, which began Oct. 2, runs
checked? Attend the health fair hosted by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s
through Oct. 14. Duke’s premiums will increase no more than $2.50 per
employee health and wellness program, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov.
month for individuals, and no more than $10 per month for families
2 in the Searle Center.
next year. And, there are no increases for co-pays or deductibles for
More than 35 health representatives will be available to answer
health, dental and vision insurance. Open enrollment is an opportunity
questions. Employees can also receive a variety of free screenings,
for employees to choose health, dental and vision plans that best meet
including cholesterol. For more information, call (919) 684-3136
their needs. Employees who want tax savings through a health care or
(option 1).
dependent care reimbursement account must enroll separately in these plans. They do not automatically renew each year. Visit www.hr.duke.edu or call (877) 371-9963 for more information.
For more events, check the university’s online calendar at http://calendar.duke.edu
“
I think
Mentoring event draws 200 Duke employees
people
PANELISTS SHARE INSPIRATIONAL STORIES ABOUT CAREER PATHS
know whether you care about what you do or not.” —President Richard H. Brodhead
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VIEW EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Watch highlights from the Aug. 17 mentoring event online at www.hr.duke.edu/ training. Select Mentoring@ Duke.
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resident Richard H. Brodhead, a teacher at heart, was in his element, offering advice to a room packed with people wanting to succeed. Key to his success, Brodhead told 200 Duke employees, was doing what he loves and believing in it. “I am a person who really has always absolutely loved what I do and believed in it,” Brodhead said. “The only thing I ever wanted to be in my life was an educator. I succeeded in being that. I’ve really had very few days in a career of 30 or more years in which I didn’t believe in that. I think people know whether you care about what you do or not.” Brodhead was among the Duke University and Health System panelists who discussed their professional development during an inaugural mentoring event for staff in the Searle Center on Aug. 17. The event, which evolved from the Women’s Initiative, was the first in what is expected to become a quarterly event. Other panelists included Dr. Brenda Armstrong, associate dean and director of admissions for the School of Medicine; Kevin Sowers, chief operating officer for Duke University Health System; Ben Reese, vice president for the Office for Institutional Equity; Judith Ruderman, vice provost for academic and administrative services; and Deborah Roth, chief operating officer for the Duke Clinical Research Institute. The event was moderated by Clint Davidson, vice president for Human Resources.
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Panelists shared who influenced their lives; the factors that led to their success; recommendations for finding a mentor; and what “bumps and scrapes” they encountered. “Some key things that have helped me as I’ve gone through my career were to plan,” Armstrong said. “I planned my life in five year intervals and set out goals. Some of them are goals, and some are dreams. I have tried to be realistic about my dreams so that they are doable goals.” Every five years, Armstrong reviews the goals with her mentor and decides whether or not she accomplished them. If she diverted, she evaluates whether that path was good for her. Armstrong offered a quote from her father when she came to Duke as an undergraduate. “Be tough. Don’t let anybody see the moments when you feel like you’re ready to give up because that is when the next opportunity is standing waiting for you. Remember that anything that you get in life comes because you will make a sacrifice, so be prepared for sacrifice.” — By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke
The sellout mentoring event drew 200 Duke employees.
Want more information?
New bike repair station opens on the Plaza
Duke Bike Advocates www.duke.edu/web/ bikeadvocacy
FREE FLAT TIRE FIXES, BRAKE ADJUSTMENTS AND MORE OFFERED elissa Mills started biking to Duke last year after driving to the university for 21 years. “I live only a mile and a half away, but I didn’t make the decision to bike until it became a financial issue,” said Mills, special assistant to the Dean of Arts and Sciences. “Now I wouldn’t give it up, even for a free parking permit.” She is among Duke bike commuters excited about a new repair station, which opened in September on the Plaza on West Campus. The repair station was financed with a $20,000 grant from the Green Grant Fund, which is administered through the office of Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III. The station is staffed with a mechanic 15 hours a week for employees and students to get free minor bike repairs, as well as safety and bike route information. The idea evolved from Duke Bike Advocates, which works to make Duke more bicycle friendly through education and advocacy. Over the years, the group has sponsored periodic free bike fix-up days for faculty, staff and students. “But flat tires don’t happen on a schedule, and that’s the number one reason people stop riding their bikes,” said Michael Wolosin, a doctoral candidate in ecology and Duke Bike Advocate who wrote the grant application. “By providing campus cyclists a central access point for air, a new inner tube, or a brake adjustment, we hope to increase the number of students, faculty and staff who choose to ride their bikes to and around campus - and who leave their cars at home.”
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With high gas prices and the average Duke employee driving 26 miles a day to and from work, other commuting alternatives are growing more appealing. Peter Agre, Nobel Laureate and vice chancellor for science and technology at the School of Medicine, hopes the station will create more bike commuters. “We all have a moral and practical responsibility to reduce our resource use,” he said. “Biking is part of the culture in other countries and at many of our peer institutions. It’s time to make that a reality here at Duke.” Mills, who started biking to work last year, said biking is faster than parking and driving. She wears business clothes and keeps rain gear for wet days. A common refrain from coworkers is “how can you bike to work in heels?” She replies with a laugh, “You don’t pedal with your heels.”
Durham bike resources www.bikewalkdurham.org Triangle bike resources www.gotriangle.org
Initial Bike Station Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday
— By Tavey McDaniel Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
Aaron Stoertz, Duke bike repair station coordinator, left; Chris Oishi, Duke Bike Advocates member, and Melissa Mills, Duke employee and bike commuter, gear up for the station opening.
e mployee spotlight MEET DENNIS WOODY, FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAT AND AIR MEISTER ennis Woody gets paid to take Duke’s temperature. He’s in charge of controlling temperatures efficiently and to the satisfaction of thousands of students, faculty and staff on campus. Woody, who celebrates 24 years at Duke in December, came to the university as a HVAC control mechanic when Duke was changing from electrical heating and air conditioning to a system that utilizes chilled water and steam. Today, he can log on to any of the dozen or so personal computers from his office and around campus. From these computers, he can adjust the temperature in most any university building. He can even access the system from a laptop in his house. “I’ve been working with this system since 1982,” said Woody, an avid NASCAR fan. “It’s like raising a child. I’ve seen it through a lot of different phases.” Woody, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning coordinator, can adjust the temperature with remarkable precision in a specific office or room. In demonstrating, he called up the software program and typed in a building name. “It’s 73.5 degrees in that room, and the occupant has the thermostat set on 73.5,” Woody said. As Woody worked, a walkie-talkie sounded. A member of his team reported that someone wanted the temperature adjusted in a Bryan Center meeting room. It was too cool. Woody retrieved the building schematic on his computer screen. He clicked the mouse, slowed the flow of chilled water to that area, and the temperature changed accordingly.
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“Twenty years ago, most of it was local control in the buildings,” Woody said. “Buildings had individual chillers. There were time clocks for the buildings, so if there was a power outage or daylight-saving time, you had to send people around to update all these time clocks.” Now the system is centralized with a central chilled water system supplying thousands of gallons of water daily throughout the campus. In summer, chilled water flows through coils in each building. A fan blows air across the coils and into the ductwork, cooling the building. In winter, air blows on coils filled with water heated by steam. Woody can sit and watch all the parts of the heating and cooling system operate. Sometimes, he can repair a problem from his chair. Other times, he calls a mechanic on duty to make a fix at the site. After hours, his beeper may sound while he’s home. “In 1982, when I started,” Woody said, “we had about 2,500 points on the system. A point would be like the thermostat on the wall, a monitoring point. Now, there are around 100,000 points in the buildings controlled by our system. We’ve done a lot of growing over the years.”
Dennis Woody logs on to the software that allows him to adjust the temperature in most any university building.
— By Eddy Landreth Working@Duke Correspondent
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Duke Forest ue Wasiolek, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, has jogged the trails in Duke Forest for 25 years. Randy Boggess, who is 93, was among the pioneer researchers who collected leaf samples from the woods. And Judd Edeburn, forest manager, has watched the forest ecosystem develop and change over 28 years at Duke. For these Dukies and many more people, the 7,046 acre Duke Forest is a green jewel, premier research terrain that also draws more than 170,000 recreational visits annually. On Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, the forest celebrates 75 years since its establishment in 1931. The anniversary will be marked by an evening reception, Judd Edeburn, left, Duke Forest research symposium, field tour and scheduled book release, The manager, and Randy Boggess, a Duke Forest At 75: A Resource for All Seasons. pioneer forest researcher, celebrate “It’s not only a treasure for Duke University, but a treasure the 75th anniversary of Duke Forest nationally,” said Boggess, a member of the first master’s in forestry during a field event this year. class at Duke in 1938. “Forest land is disappearing. That is prime land, and if it was up for sale, it would be wiped out in a hurry.” In these woods grow more than 900 plant species and more than 100 tree varieties – pine stands more than 120 years old and hardwood trees more than 200 years old. At any given time, more than 50 studies are underway, research ranging from plant succession and dynamics of southern forests to the interaction between forest ecosystems and human activity. Thousands of trees each year, both young 7 , 0 4 6 — Acres g g and old, are harvested for paper pulp, Sue Wasiolek, assistant vice president for Student 75 — oriented strand board, lumber, even Affairs, jogs in the Duke Forest. Year s of telephone poles. Income from rese these timber management products supports the forest’s arc hg operating expenses. \1 “For most of us,” wrote Rachel Frankel in her Duke senior honors 70 seminar in 1984, “a walk through the Duke Forest is more than fresh ,00 0— air and tall trees…”
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By The Numbers
DUKE FOREST
Circa 1930-1932
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i Spec 900 —
Source: Duke Archives and Robert F. Durden’s “The Launching of Duke University, 1924-1949.”
the Duke Forest, the largest private research forest in North Carolina and one of the largest in the country, came to be in part by accident. In 1924, James B. Duke, who created Duke University, authorized the purchase of parcels of forest and abandoned small farms. He and others envisioned part of the property as a es o site for Gothic buildings and as a gateway into the new campus. f plants By late 1925, Duke had acquired about 5,000 acres. Five years later, Clarence F. Korstian was named the first forest director, and he and others began planting seedlings in open tracts. Pine and hardwood canopies now spread over Durham, Orange and Alamance counties, a patchwork of tracts purchased over 80 years from more than 100 landowners, including the Couch family who, for 200 years, planted corn, winter wheat and tobacco on its land. Remnants of the past dot the forest landscape: cemeteries, foundations of homes, stone chimneys. Old furrows from corn and tobacco crops line sloping terrain. “Since the time Duke bought the tracts and even before, there hasn’t been a lot of disturbance at these sites, so people can go back and do historical, archeological mapping and reconstruction of what was there,” said Edeburn, the forest manager. “These sites have information about life in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the 19th century. But in a lot of places because of subdivisions, parking lots and shopping centers, whatever record there is gone.” The historical and cultural roots are not the forest’s only assets. Duke maintains 75 miles of roads and trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Two picnic shelters stand among pine trees off Highway 751.
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n Forest placed under intensive management for research and education with Clarence Korstian as its first director n Of 4,708 acres, loblolly and shortleaf pines comprised most of the land - 1,690 acres n 42 acres of abandoned fields planted with 37,000 trees at $5.90 per acre n 10 forest fires burned 52 acres; suppression costs: $60.43 n 74 visitors from 11 states, England and 25 institutions toured the forest n Average income per acre from forest products for fiscal year: 6 cents n 61 Christmas trees sold n Duke faculty began buying wooded lots off nearby streets for houses. Lot price: $1,500 n 1,200 Oriental Chestnut trees planted near Highway 751
Annu al recr eational v isits g 13, 000 — Annual stu dent vis its Historians say
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75 years Top: A researcher studies tree growth as part of a project examining effects of elevated carbon dioxide levels on the forest. Middle: Researchers examine the growth of a sample plot established in 1934. Bottom: These logs along North Carolina Highway 751 are being loaded for lumber in 1935.
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ie trees g 81 — Butterfly spec es of eci
“One of the most beautiful parts of my run is just experiencing the sunrise through the trees,” said Wasiolek, the assistant vice president for Student Affairs who runs 40 miles a week. “And even on the most humid days, when there’s fog and haze, the sun just comes through the trees, and it’s just revitalizing. It lets you know you’re alive and the day is starting and you’re there to experience it.” In 75 years, hundreds of studies have been conducted, providing scientists with a record of ecosystem changes. One of the largest projects underway involves examining effects of elevated carbon dioxide levels on the forest. Vertical pipes shower trees with carbon dioxide, which fuels plant growth. Jen Morse and Elizabeth Sudduth are studying for doctorates in ecology at Duke. They are examining how land development affects Mud Creek, a forest stream. A subdivision covers much of the creek’s headwaters. Runoff drains into the creek, where the channel has eroded and not many insects, mollusks or crustaceans thrive there. But, their research shows, as Mud Creek moves deeper into the forest, away from development, it recovers. “It’s just so neat to have that resource right here,” Sudduth said. Perhaps, an account about a forest tour in the 1931 Alumni Register, sums up the forest best: “The members of the exploring party turned away from the forest, which is so old, and yet so new, whose life is young, old and middle-aged, with a feeling that perhaps they had been close to the heart of one of the greatest parts of this great institution.” — By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke
pines g dest l and trails O 25 oads sg d— l 0 r o f yea 150 years s g 75 — Miles o e rs o e r t s d ld — O woo ldest hard
DID YOU KNOW?
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75th Anniversary Events Oct. 19 WHAT: Recollections, stakeholder meeting and recognition of Duke Forest as a premier research, teaching and recreation site. WHEN: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Bryan Center Von Canon Hall B and C
Oct. 20 WHAT: Research Symposium; highlights of past and present research WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to noon. WHERE: Bryan Center Von Canon Hall B and C WHAT: Tour WHEN: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Research sites primarily in the forest’s Blackwood Division; reserve a bag lunch and transportation by calling (919) 613-8013 or writing dukeforest@duke.edu.
The Korstian Division was home to the largest black walnut tree on record in North Carolina in 1986. It stood 113 feet tall with a 33 inch diameter. Duke Chapel and other Gothic-style buildings on campus are constructed of “Duke Stone” quarry from the forest.
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BuildingBlocks Duke’s historic campus is changing and growing. Duke’s Facilities Management Department manages 200 construction projects annually. In Building Blocks, we offer periodic updates on significant projects.
he Old Art Museum on East Campus is getting its second makeover since it opened in 1927. For 42 years, the red brick building housed science classrooms. In 1969, much of the interior was gutted, transforming the Georgian building into an art museum with four huge skylights. Since then, galleries filled the renovated space until the Nasher Museum of Art opened last year on Central Campus. In August, crews started renovating the 60,000 square feet interior, while retaining original features: terrazzo floor, marble baseboards, wide hallways, wood molding and 11 feet high ceilings. All 194 windows will be replaced for more energy efficient ones with the same look. When completed in June 2007, academic departments will This is the two story art gallery in the Old Art Museum that will be occupy the space.
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One of the most exciting design features of the $10 million project is turning the two-story main gallery into tiers of offices. Rays of sun from a large skylight will stream from the roof through the open floors, an efficiency factor for a targeted rating of silver in green design. When the Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences opened in 2004, space was set aside for a state-of-the art Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF), which has a cleanroom and characterization facility. A cleanroom is a space where, combining the use of air filters and continuous air circulation, levels of airborne particles are much lower than atmospheric levels. Duke’s 6,110 square feet facility will include space that averages 360 air changes per hour. Consider: an office averages 12 air changes per hour. Researchers will be able to design and build new diagnostic tools for health care, ever smaller chip-scale systems (ladybug size) and machines comprised of parts that are the thickness of a cell membrane or the size of a virus. SMIF is a university-wide facility that builds on Duke’s strength in biologically-oriented material science and nanomedicine. It will enable opportunities for leading contributions in these emerging fields. Nan Jokerst, the J.A. Jones professor of electrical engineering, will be the executive director of SMIF, and Dr. Mark Walters is the director.
The Fuqua School of Business classroom addition will be complete in 2008. This is an architect's rendering of the view from Science Drive.
Construction on the $17 million facility began this summer and is scheduled to be done in July 2007. Visitors will be able to watch the work of scientists who will be dressed in coveralls that don't shed dust particles and look like space suits. The bulldozers are grading earth and excavating trenches for the installation of utilities for a new classroom building addition at the Fuqua School of Business. By fall 2008, the entrance off Science Drive into the Fuqua school will be new. The entrance will be at the base of a five story tower of Duke stone, precast concrete, metal and glass that rises above the addition’s roof line. Since 1989, Fuqua’s total MBA student enrollment has increased from 694 students to nearly 1,450 - without an increase in classroom or library space. The $40 million addition will be 91,000 square feet and will include, among other features, three, 65-seat tiered classrooms; two classrooms (for 140 and 120 students); team and seminar rooms for projects; new library space; and an outdoor terrace area. — By Leanora Minai Editor, Working@Duke
turned into tiered offices with the skylight.
United Way Duke Partnership Campaign underway FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR DUKE EMPLOYEES IS $1 MILLION uke employees contributed $1 million last year to the United Way Duke Partnership Campaign. This year, the goal is no different: raise another $1 million. “Duke employees help people meet basic survival needs, deal with crises and flourish fully as community members,” said Monica Pallett, Staff & Family Programs manager and United Way Duke Partnership Campaign coordinator. “Every pledge makes a difference in helping us reach or exceed our goal.” The United Way Duke Partnership Campaign began September 25 and ends November 3. The Triangle United Way works with local agencies, coordinating a health and human services response. Each year, nearly 3,200 Duke employees open their hearts and wallets to contribute to the campaign. Many pledge donations to the Community Care Fund, which provides for a broad range of services. Others donate to their favorite charities.
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How to Give A guide of Triangle United Way member agencies and pledge forms are available online at www.hr.duke.edu/unitedway. Employees who would like more information may write sfp@duke.edu or call (919) 684-1942.
Jo Ann Garofalo reads the newspaper to the Triangle Radio Reading Service audience. Photo by Bruce DeBeer.
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Here are two Duke employees’ donation stories: “Through the United Way, I support the Triangle Radio Reading Service, a local organization that disseminates news and information to more than 15,000 blind, low vision and physically disabled people in the greater Triangle area. About 150 volunteers, including myself, read 87 hours of programming per week that is broadcast over radio, television and cable. One of the programs includes reading local newspapers from cover to cover, from describing photographs to explaining grocery store advertisements. Our audience depends on this service to stay in touch with what is happening in their communities and helps to alleviate their feeling of isolation.”
assistance, tutoring, counseling, education programs and advocacy for change for those in need. Supporting Catholic Charities through United Way is a way for me to expand on the work I do at Duke with the Latino community, but the scope of the organization extends to anyone in the community regardless of religious, social or economic backgrounds. It is important for me to participate and give back to the community. I choose to support the United Way because I know my contribution helps to strengthen the lives of so many.” — Rebecca Reyes, Latino Health Project coordinator at Duke
— By Jen Mathot Senior Communications Strategist, Human Resources
— Jo Ann Garofalo, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery nurse
“Because of my work with the Latino Health Project at Duke, I have witnessed the impact that Catholic Charities has had on the growing Hispanic population in our community. Catholic Charities provides emergency
Rebecca Reyes, center, supports Catholic Charities.
Duke departments urged to protect personal data CONSULT WITH IT SECURITY AND E-COMMERCE OFFICES FOR SAFETY METHODS memory stick with 6,500 student social security numbers was stolen from a faculty member. Names, addresses, social security numbers and birthdates of 21,000 federal loan borrowers were inadvertently exposed on a Web site. And credit card information from nearly 19,000 online store customers was stolen. Fortunately, these examples of data breaches were not at Duke, but they offer an important lesson: if sensitive information had not been stored on these electronic devices, the data may not have been exposed to fraud or abuse. In an effort to protect confidential information at Duke, the university is reminding departments not to store personal data such as social security and credit card numbers in any form - electronically or in paper files. The University IT Security Office and Treasury & Cash Management, in collaboration with Chief Information Officer Tracy Futhey and Executive Vice President Tallman Trask III, are asking departments to review their use and storage of sensitive
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information, including passwords. If confidential data must be kept, departments should consult with the University IT Security Office for safe ways to store and access the information. Several years ago, all departments were asked to discontinue collecting and storing social security numbers to protect students and employees from identify theft. Only a handful of departments retain social security numbers for legal or tax reasons. “Every employee at Duke must take responsibility for the security of sensitive information collected and stored within their department, in addition to protecting their own personal data,” said Chris Cramer, University IT Security officer. The North Carolina Identity Theft Protection Act of 2005 requires businesses and other groups to take measures to protect against unauthorized access or use of personal data. The act also requires groups to notify users whose personal information has been compromised. Cramer said Duke has made significant progress raising awareness among departments to not offer social
security or bank account numbers by phone or electronically. Human Resources introduced a new applicant tracking system that no longer requires job seekers to enter social security numbers. And Duke, which adheres to industry standards for credit card security, has also eliminated avenues for data theft by focusing E-Commerce efforts on the DukePay system. “DukePay is the single approved method for processing internet payments for the university,” said Christa Stilley Poe, E-Commerce director. Prior to DukePay, some departments hosted Web sites with online bill pay options that processed personal data through multiple servers. Now departments are required to use DukePay, so all credit card information is collected and processed on a third-party server that is centralized, remote and secure, removing the risk of transmitting data from a Duke Web site. — By Dave Menzies News & Information Manager Office of Information Technology
Technology security questions? University IT Security Office www.security.duke.edu Send e-mail to security@duke.edu Report abuse of network or computing resources to abuse@duke.edu
Credit card security questions? Treasury & Cash Management Send e-mail to ecommerce@duke.edu
GladyouAsked “I know all of you are working hard to find discounts for Duke employees and your efforts are appreciated. What is being done to find PERQs discounts for those of us who live outside the immediate Durham area in counties such as Wake, Person and Orange?” We talked with Monica Pallett, manager of Staff & Family Programs, to find out how businesses are selected for PERQs, Duke’s employee discount program. The PERQs program provides discounted products and services offered by participating businesses, including stores, hotels, restaurants, theme parks and entertainment providers throughout the Triangle and beyond. “Since its inception in 2000, the program has been very successful, and we’re adding new discounts almost on a weekly basis,” Pallett said. “We have 12,950 employees currently on the e-mail list to receive notification when new discounts are offered, and that number continues to grow.” Pallett explained that although Duke occasionally solicits businesses for the PERQs discount program, businesses generally approach Duke. The PERQs program is available to any business that meets Duke's requirements, including a review process and good standing with the Better Business Bureau. If faculty and staff have a favorite restaurant, business or service they want added to the program, they should contact Staff & Family programs or direct the business to the vendor registration Web page at www.hr.duke.edu/discounts/vendors.html. From here,
businesses can view program requirements and submit their discount offers. “We are always looking to broaden the range of discounts offered and encourage employee participation to help this happen,” Pallett said. “Faculty and staff Monica Pallett, manager of can also send us e-mail at Staff & Family Programs sfp@duke.edu with discount suggestions. If the suggested business meets all of the requirements, they will be added to the PERQs program.” Pallett explained that recently, several restaurants in Raleigh were added to the program. There are also discounts offered for entertainment outside the Durham area such as the North Carolina State Fair, Biltmore Estate, Chimney Rock Park, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Six Flags. Duke is able to provide an array of discounts at no cost to Duke employees because employees represent an attractive market for area businesses, Pallett said. “Businesses want to market their products and services to large audiences, and they are willing to offer significant discounts for the opportunity to do so,” she said. To learn more about PERQs or to join the mailing list for discount e-mail alerts, visit www.hr.duke.edu/discounts or call Staff & Family Programs at (919) 684-9040 for more information.
Have a Question?
Each month, Working@Duke selects a question about working at Duke. We’ll research and print the answer. Send us your questions by email at working@duke.edu; by fax at (919) 681-7926 or by campus mail at Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham,NC27708
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WORKING@ DUKE
HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu
Director: Paul S. Grantham
dialogue@Duke How do you think Duke’s health benefits compare to other employers?
(919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu
Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado
Photography: Jon Gardiner, Les Todd and Megan Morr of Duke University
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I think they’re pretty good. They’re not as good as some, but they are a lot better than some others. Their coverage on medications is quite good.”
Donna Ruger Staff assistant Department of Physics 21 years with Duke
Photography.
Support Staff: Mary Carey and William Blackburn.
Working@Duke is published monthly by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future story topics.
“
All I know is that it is really good insurance. I’m pleased with mine.”
Mary Torain Housekeeper specialist 16 years with Duke
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.
“
I worked for another major company, and they’re comparable as far as I’m concerned. I’m retired from IBM.”
Gerald Gunnell Traffic enforcement 12 years with Duke — By Eddy Landreth Working@Duke Correspondent
BACK TO SCHOOL Why did they leave Duke? 36% Career development/ promotional opportunity
20% Relocation 16% Return to school or changing career
10% Supervisor 10% Compensation 3% Location (traveling distance)
2% Difficult co-workers 1%
Personal health
1%
Benefits
1%
Maternity
Source: Exit survey data from the university and health system, March to August 2006
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Based on her prior employment, Richardson already knew about Duke’s benefits and felt comfortable with the work culture. “In some settings, the driving force may be the dollar,” she said. “Here, the driving force is patient care.” While in school, Richardson also saw the potential for career growth at Duke while working eight different rotations at Duke Hospital, including the intensive care unit, hematology and inpatient medicine. “There is such opportunity across Duke,” she said. “You can advance within a career path without ever leaving Duke. The sky’s the limit.” In a poll conducted during Duke Appreciation Week in May, more than 450 employees were asked about their perceptions of working at Duke. Results indicated that those who worked at other employers had a more favorable impression of working at Duke than those who only worked at Duke. “Many people spend their entire careers here,” said Clint Davidson, vice president for Human Resources. “Our average tenure among employees is 10 years. While that’s a remarkable statistic, longer-term staff may be less familiar with what’s happening at other employers. Duke is pretty unique in continuing to offer the level of traditional benefits for things such as retirement, health insurance and education. But it also has expanded professional development programs with the new tuition benefit, the mentoring initiative and the Professional Development Institute.” For Scott Franklin, associate director of finance and budget planning for the Office of the Provost, benefits were a key factor when he decided to return in 2000. He worked at Duke from 1991 to 1998, but he was lured away by a small firm that contracted with the University of
D U K E T O D AY
“It’s hard to turn down more money, but for me it was more about quality of life,” said Hazel Richardson, a clinical staff pharmacist with Durham Regional Hospital. She works at Lincoln Community Health Center in Durham.
North Carolina to manage its off-site primary care clinics. The business was later sold, and UNC decided to bring the management of the clinics in-house. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a state employee,” Franklin said. “When I looked at the Duke benefits, the retirement plan was much better, and I have a son, so the tuition benefit was also a factor.” Like Solomon, Franklin was initially lured away by more money. When he decided to return to Duke, he considered more than just the pay and benefits. “Working at an outside company gave me some perspective that I didn’t have before I left Duke,” Franklin said. “Duke is such a large and interesting place to work. I’ve been exposed to a lot of things that I wouldn’t have been by working at a small company. Things that may not be directly related to my job but help me learn and grow in ways I probably couldn’t find some place else.” — By Paul Grantham Director, Office of Communication Services
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