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RISING HEALTH CARE COSTS Duke’s vice president for Human Resources discusses what’s driving rising health care costs and how Duke is addressing them.
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CONSIDER REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNTS An employee can save $20 to $40 on taxes for every $100 deposited in a health care reimbursement account.
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SUSTAINABLE DUKE The Bull City Connector, the new fare-free bus service, includes stops at and near Duke, connecting Duke with downtown Durham.
September 2010
Connecting With Maps LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: DUKE MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES CREATE NEW KNOWLEDGE hen IT analyst Lenore Ramm was considering applying for Maps help create other jobs within Duke, she this culture of started by consulting a map. “I needed to know: Is there an collaboration, where accessible route, so I can get there in a everyone can contribute wheelchair? And where can I get to from their expertise to the that location?” asked Ramm, who has larger whole. That’s how a congenital disorder characterized by extremely fragile bones. new knowledge gets Ramm, who transferred last year created.” from Duke Libraries to the Office of — Victoria Szabo, Information Technology, found the Director of Duke’s ISIS program information she needed in new Webbased maps. These maps allow Ramm and other users to view and interact with a vast amount of data about Duke, including the whereabouts Lenore Ramm, an IT analyst in Duke’s Office of Information Technology, uses an interactive online map to find accessibility routes, building entrances and parking information. New online maps bring of 558 buildings, 264 disabled-accessible entrances and 42 miles together a range of data from Facilities Management and other departments to provide detailed, of campus sidewalks. customized views of the campus and beyond. More and more, Duke staff, faculty and students are putting online technologies to use in mapping the campus and Duke’s role in Durham and around the world. From virtual 3D buildings in Google Earth and a students study local stormwater for pollution or aiding engineers in project to map Durham civil rights history to representing Duke’s presence analyzing utility usage on campus. in other countries, multimedia-infused maps help share information in new “It’s one thing to look at information in a chart. It’s another to see the ways and give employees a state-of-the-art view. map, and to quickly be able to make more informed decisions,” said Adem “Any map is a geographical information system – a way to visualize Gusa, Facilities Management’s assistant director of planning and design. and understand a potentially overwhelming volume of data,” said Greg CONNECTING BEYOND CAMPUS Anspach, GIS manager with Facilities Management. “Mapping has come Duke mapping projects extend well beyond campus boundaries, a long way since the paper maps of the 1930s. Everything is really starting to connect the university with the local community and dozens of to mash together, and different map layers can include everything you can international sites. possibly think of.” Last spring, students in a Duke Center for Documentary Studies For example, with a few clicks, users can explore detailed views of course built an interactive Google map of historic civil and human rights campus including topological features, help phones, and physical sites around Durham as part of the Pauli Murray Project, which honors accessibility information about classrooms and buildings according to the the late interracial lawyer, activist, poet and Episcopal priest from Durham. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As these maps add more layers of information, they become an >> See CONNECTING WITH MAPS, PAGE 4 and 5 increasingly valuable tool and resource, whether helping engineering
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Editor’s Note LEANORA MINAI Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
Newsbriefs Learn IT @ Lunch seminars begin
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hank you, Bull City Connector. I took the inaugural ride of the new fare-free bus service, which introduced me to Golden Belt, one of Durham's last textile mills to be redeveloped. The seven-acre historic site has been restored into an urban arts hub, complete with 35 artist studios, 37 lofts, a central gallery, outdoor plazas and lots of available retail space. Golden Belt is among the bus stops on a route that connects Duke to key destinations in Durham, including the city’s historic downtown and Ninth Street. As part of the inaugural ride, we got a look at Golden Belt. I strolled by artist studios and fell in love with the creative energy and sustainable design, including exposed brick, tall ceilings, original heartpine beams and oversized windows. Phail Wynn, Jr., vice president of Durham and Regional Affairs at Duke, is on target when he says the bus service is a valuable benefit for Durham and Duke. “The Bull City Connector is an important component of our economic development and downtown revitalization partnership with the City of Durham,” he said. With a bus arriving every 15 to 20 minutes, the Connector features stops at or near Duke. Whether you’re at American Tobacco Campus, Smith Warehouse, West or East campus or the Medical Center, the Connector provides an easy way to get to work, travel to meetings or to visit downtown. In fact, take the bus to Golden Belt for “Third Friday” at 6 p.m. Sept. 17, and soak in the arts. Visit bullcityconnector.org for an interactive route map and service operating hours. And see our story on page 7 in this issue.
The Office of Information Technology’s Learn IT @ Lunch series kicks off this fall with new seminars on web publishing, IT security, search engine optimization and new lecture and event capture options. The seminars, designed to showcase the many technologies available at Duke, are open to all Duke staff, faculty and students. Registration is not required, but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants may bring their own lunch. Upcoming seminars include: “Flexible web publishing in the classroom and beyond” on Sept. 15; “IT Security Weather in the Cloud: What Is the Forecast?” on Oct. 20; “Snagging the Top Spots: An Introduction to Search Engine Optimization” on Nov. 17; and “Lectopia to Panopto: The DukeCapture Transition” on Dec 8. Sessions are noon to 1 p.m. in the RENCI Conference Room. Visit oit.duke.edu and select the Computing & Printing tab, then scroll down for “IT Training.”
If you’re missing the conversation on Facebook, we’ll post a few snippets here each month – but please join and jump in at facebook.com/workingatduke.
Duke among 2010 ‘Great Colleges to Work For’ For the third consecutive year, Duke was named as one of the best colleges in the country to work for by The Chronicle of Higher Education. After an independent survey of employees for the 2010 “Great Colleges to Work For” program, Duke earned high marks for its commitment to workplace safety and facilities. More than 275 colleges participated in the program, and Duke was one of 97 institutions that received recognition in various categories. “Duke continues to strive to provide a healthy and productive work environment,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Duke Human Resources. “Being recognized as one of the best workplaces in higher education in the nation for the third year in a row is very encouraging and speaks well of what we’re accomplishing here.”
Mobile market continues in fall and winter Get a share of fresh fall and winter produce from local farmers through LIVE FOR LIFE’s Mobile Farmers Market. Register and pre-pay by Sept. 17 to get a weekly box of produce from October through March. Participants can pick up the harvest every Tuesday afternoon at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Faculty and staff can also visit the Mobile Market throughout the season, even if they haven’t registered. “The vendors always bring extra produce and meat to sell, and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about our local farmers,” said Diana Monroe, coordinator of the market. For more information, visit hr.duke.edu/mobilemarket.
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.
Pixels or print? E-READERS OFFER DUKE COMMUNITY NEW WAY TO READ esley Looper has always preferred the feel of paper-and-ink books, but she couldn’t resist the urge to try reading’s newest fad by borrowing an Amazon Kindle from Perkins Library. The Kindle is an e-reader, an electronic device the size of a magazine with text that looks like a newspaper. It’s one of the latest additions to Duke Libraries’ growing collection of borrowable items and also one of the most popular. There’s a waiting list of about 100 students, faculty and staff members anxious to test the technology. “You wouldn’t think it, but it really looks a lot like an actual book page rather than reading on a computer,” said Looper, the head of the Receipts Management Section for Duke Libraries. “I’ve always enjoyed using new gadgets, so it was pretty exciting to try out something new to read with.” Duke Libraries, among the first in the country to circulate e-readers, recently purchased six more Kindles and 15 Nooks (an e-reader sold through Barnes & Noble), bringing to 32 the total e-readers available through Duke Libraries. They’re split evenly between Perkins and Lilly libraries. Faculty and staff can reserve an e-reader by finding a title they want to read at guides.library.duke.edu/kindles. They can borrow an e-reader for two weeks, not the four weeks typically allowed for a printed book. Borrowers are required to sign an agreement to pay for any damages, the same agreement the libraries has for borrowing laptops. “Libraries have always been associated with circulating books, but our primary goal has always been to give people information they need in as many different forms as possible,” said Aisha Harvey, head of collection development for Duke’s libraries. “E-readers are an example of the book evolving – people say they love the fact they can carry dozens of books in their hand.”
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Lesley Looper, head of the Receipts Management Section for Duke Libraries, reads from an Amazon Kindle she borrowed from Lilly Library. More than 30 e-readers are available for faculty and staff to borrow.
Providing a new way to read also saves Duke money. Instead of buying dozens of book copies, Duke Libraries can purchase one title to use for every six Kindles and one title to use for all the Nooks. There are currently more than 100 books in each e-reader. Looper, the head of the Receipts Management section, said the broad range of titles is ideal for her reading habits because she likes to read several books at a time. “It’s just great fun to have something new like that available to everyone at Duke,” she said. “I might even buy one in the future because my first experience was so great.” — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Duke is committed to ensuring equal access to programs, activities and opportunities for employees and students with disabilities. Contact the Disability Management System, (919) 668-1499, for more information.
Learn more at guides.library.duke.edu/kindles
Addressing Rising Health Care Costs at Duke
Q&A
with Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Duke Human Resources
Kyle Cavanaugh, Duke’s vice president for Human Resources, keeps close watch on the cost of health care provided to faculty and staff and their dependents through Duke’s insurance plans. Currently, more than 27,000 employees are enrolled in Duke’s health plans. Including dependents, the plans cover more than 57,000 individuals – a benefit that cost Duke approximately $145 million in 2009. Working@Duke sat down with Cavanaugh recently to discuss the road ahead for health care costs and benefits at Duke. How is national health reform affecting Duke’s health plans? There are many pieces still in motion, but we know we will see changes every year between 2011 and 2018, when the legislation should be fully enacted. For 2011, there will be two big changes for employees. The first is that Duke will offer coverage for children up to age 26, whether or not they are full-time students. The second is that in January 2011, under the new legislation, the government will no longer allow over-the-counter medications without a prescription as an eligible expense for a reimbursement account. That means, for example, that you won’t be able to use your WageWorks card to pay for aspirin or cough syrup unless you have a physician prescription for it. In addition, national health care reform legislation (the Kyle Cavanaugh, Duke’s vice president for Human Resources Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) requires significant increases in reporting requirements by employers to the federal government, including the reporting of employee and dependent social security numbers. Are there other ways to generate savings to counteract rising costs? The key is for people to understand how individual decisions around What is happening to Duke’s health insurance costs? healthy lifestyles and consuming health care affect Duke’s health care The good news is that Duke’s health care plan costs are lower than costs. These two related factors are critical for everyone to understand. what we see in virtually any other group we measure against – peer But we are also looking at other strategies for managing our costs. institutions, academic medical centers and local employers. We are selfThe physician network for Duke Select and Duke Basic, which most insured, which means we fund the plan based on how much it costs us Duke employees use, will be refined for 2011. One benefit of this will be to pay for the care our employees and their dependents use. that most of the physicians will access the same electronic records system, The bad news is that our costs are still going up. In 2009, we spent allowing them to better track a patient’s overall care and use aggregate $145 million on health care. That was $9.5 million more than we spent data to spot trends and improve treatments. in 2008. Although changes put in place for 2010 have helped mitigate increases, we continue to see increases in utilization. Will health insurance costs impact other benefits at Duke? We have arguably some of the most competitive health insurance We will continue to be as cost effective and cost efficient as we can, plans out there for faculty and staff, but we will be challenged in but ultimately there are going to have to be tradeoffs. Do we give a salary maintaining that status over the next few years. increase, or do we invest to maintain our health care benefits? In some years, we may not be able to do both. This is the new world order, and What is driving the costs? as an employer, we’re going to have to look vigilantly each year at the The primary drivers are the steady increase in the number of people costs and tradeoffs. in the plans, medical inflation and our increased use of health care services, However, we are incredibly fortunate because Duke University facilities and medications. Take the simple decision of whether you use a Health System provides the majority of the care our employees use. primary care physician, an urgent care facility or an emergency room for We know a lot about our population, and we have very collaborative care. Each has different costs and levels of care. Sometimes people access relationships with all the groups involved. If anyone has a shot at more costly options such as the emergency room for less severe issues. containing health care costs in a healthy, prospective way, Duke does. That decision, amplified over 57,000 people we cover, has tremendous — By Marsha A. Green cost implications. Similarly, each person’s choice to ask for generic rather Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services than brand medications when appropriate, amplified by thousands of prescriptions, has a huge impact on our costs. How is Duke containing costs? Last year we saw a significant jump – 18 percent – in the overall cost of medications. This compelled us to address the issue immediately. We created incentives to use generic medicines, which are less costly. In the first half of 2010, we moved from 69 percent use of generics to 75 percent. That’s important because for every 1 percent we move the needle, we save about a half-million dollars over the course of the year. We also focused on increasing the use of mail order for maintenance medications. We negotiated excellent mail-order pricing, and now offer that same pricing through Duke Pharmacies. Last year, only 24 percent of the population requiring regular medications used mail order. In the first half of this year, that rose to 48 percent. Because of these steps, we paid $2.7 million less for prescriptions in the first six months of 2010 compared to the first six months of 2009. That savings directly impacts the overall cost for health care at Duke for next year.
Join the conversation Sept. 9 during Primetime What:
How is health care changing?
Who:
Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Human Resources, and Mike Cuffe, vice president for Medical Affairs
When:
Sept. 9, noon to 1 p.m.
Where:
Bryan Center, Griffith Theater (seating limited to 100), or watch the live webcast and submit questions at hr.duke.edu/primetime
Watch the live webcast at hr.duke.edu/primetime
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Connecting With Maps
pInteractive maps available through Facilities Management provide detailed geographic information about the campus, from topological features to utility usage, that can help employees make more informed decisions.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The award-winning project aims to “activate history for social change” by engaging the community, acknowledging the past and working together for positive change. The online map pinpoints about a dozen locations, including the Allen Building, the site of a 1969 student protest, with links to brief written or audio histories. Exploring the historic significance of everyday locations helps the campus community connect with history in more meaningful ways, said Barbara Lau, the project director and an instructor at the Duke Human Rights Center. “Adding map markers is one way to spotlight lesser-known stories,” Lau said. She hopes future classes and community members will contribute to the map. “This technology enables us to share cultural information and really get to know the places we live and work,” Lau said. “And it helps us connect history to contemporary issues. Why do we care what happened at the Allen Building? It helps us understand why things are the way they are today and pushes us to think about how they could be in the future.” Maps have an intuitive appeal, said Trudi Abel, a history professor who created a website of data, images and maps about Durham history called Digital Durham. “Maps have a way of transporting people and giving them a way of anchoring their knowledge,” said Abel, who worked this summer with a group of middle school students from Carter Community School on the Walltown Neighborhood History Project. Students in the Duke-sponsored camp learned how to use tools such as census data, property records and GPS technology to create a digital representation of Walltown as it was 80 years ago. Walltown, a historically black neighborhood near East Campus, was established in the late 1800s by George Wall, an African-American staff member of Trinity College (now Duke University) who relocated to Durham after the college’s move from Randolph County.
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Maps provide a unique way to connect the Duke community across research disciplines – from sociology and environmental science to documentary studies and public health, Abel said. For instance, both she and Lau study the African-American experience in Durham, but online maps enable them to juxtapose and present their research in new ways. “As 21st century citizens, we’re more exposed to visual images. A map is really an old visual format, but it’s evolving as these new Web applications help us visualize data and make it more accessible,” Abel said. “It’s an exciting time.” Multimedia maps also are helping highlight and connect Duke’s growing international presence, beginning with the DukeEngage program, which places hundreds of undergraduates in civic engagement projects around the world every summer. In collaboration with DukeEngage and the Duke Global Health Institute, Duke undergraduates this year constructed an online multimedia map to share narratives, photos, videos and research data depicting life in the rural fishing village of Muhuru Bay, Kenya. Students in Victoria Szabo’s Information Science + Information Studies (ISIS) class designed the map interface, focusing on key landmarks such as schools, churches and beaches. Then, DukeEngage participants in Kenya – with help from community residents – collected video interviews, audio recordings and photos to annotate specific locations. Different map “layers” focus on themes such as daily life in Muhuru, health and disease and the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research (WISER) program, which opened a new boarding school for girls earlier this year. The project illustrates how multimedia and geospatial technologies can help connect faculty, staff and students across global locations, said Szabo, an assistant research professor of visual studies and new media and director of Duke’s ISIS program. “We’re all bonding around the possibilities of new media, and many times the undergraduates are leading the way,” Szabo said. “Maps help create this culture of collaboration, where everyone can contribute their expertise to the larger whole. That’s how new knowledge gets created.”
t A new global interactive map, which launched this summer at global.duke.edu/admin/map, provides a resource for employees to use in planning, tracking and coordinating global initiatives.
pDuke students constructed an online multimedia map to share narratives, photos, videos and research data depicting life in Muhuru Bay, Kenya, in collaboration with the DukeEngage program. The site is available at research.duke.edu/stories/muhurubay.
u tA redesigned version of Duke’s interactive map site will bring together Google Maps and geographic data from Facilities Management. The new site — maps.duke.edu — is expected to go live this fall.
Duke students built an interactive Google map of historic civil and human rights sites around Durham as part of the Pauli Murray Project (paulimurrayproject.org), which honors the late interracial lawyer and activist from Durham.
As Duke extends its global efforts, maps also provide a point of connection in a complex, decentralized work environment, said L. Gregory Jones, vice president and vice provost in the new Office of Global Strategy and Programs at Duke. His office developed a new global interactive map, which launched this summer, to provide “an inventory of who’s doing what where,” a resource that staff and faculty can use in planning, tracking and coordinating global initiatives. A staff assistant arranging travel itineraries for a research group, for instance, can search the map to identify Duke travelers visiting a particular country, as well as alumni living there. “It’s a high-definition version of the old globe you could spin around as a kid,” Jones said. “In addition to offering a better way to track, update and coordinate faculty, staff and student activities in different locations, it’s also celebratory: It shows how widespread Duke’s presence is around the world.”
MAPPING THE FUTURE – IN 3D As new technology-enhanced maps bring data together in new ways, those information “mashups” may yield new benefits not just in research but in day-to-day work, said Anspach, the GIS manager with Facilities Management. In the future, for example, campus police could analyze particular streets to see how many car accidents occur at a particular intersection – information that could be used to determine whether a stop sign is needed. Facilities workers could look for new efficiencies in everything from utility usage to snow removal and emergency planning. Campus officials are now in the process of redesigning Duke’s online maps to incorporate assembly points and evacuation zones, so building managers and emergency personnel can quickly and easily access the data. GPS-enabled mobile devices make map data available for users on the go. The latest version of DukeMobile, for instance, allows iPhone users to call up a map and take a do-it-yourself tour of campus (complete with audio guides and videos of significant locations) and navigate campus bus routes, in addition to locating nearby campus eateries and events. “The popularity of GPS-enabled devices allows us to offer a customized, personalized tour to visitors, as well as other services that will be of great value to students, faculty and staff,” said Michael Schoenfeld, Duke vice president for public affairs and government relations. And in the not-too-distant future, Duke maps will venture into an entirely new dimension. Last spring, students in another of Szabo’s classes used Google software to create 3D models of campus buildings
as part of a “Virtual Duke” tour, now available online through the popular Google Earth application. The students wrote how-to documentation so other campus users can submit their own 3D buildings and are now working to integrate the 3D buildings into Google Earth, which allows users to submit photos and other multimedia content. Geospatial technology tools – from GPS-enabled mobile devices to new location-based social networks like Foursquare – are making it easier for individuals to “make their mark” in customized maps that can create an immersive virtual environment, Szabo said. “You can envision massively multi-player maps, where the whole world becomes a place you can explore on multiple levels, from the comfort of your own home or office,” she said. — By Cara Bonnett Managing editor, News & Information Office of Information Technology
Explore Duke’s interactive maps u
Facilities Management: fmd.duke.edu/buildings_maps/index.php
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Pauli Murray Project: paulimurrayproject.org
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Mapping Muhuru Bay: research.duke.edu/stories/muhurubay
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Virtual campus tour: www.isismapping.org/duketour
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Campus map: maps.duke.edu
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Global: global.duke.edu/admin/map
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Digital Durham: digitaldurham.duke.edu
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Set aside pre-tax money for health care expenses Save on child and elder care, too Duke’s Dependent Care Reimbursement Account allows faculty and staff to set aside up to $5,000 per year to pay for dependent care that is necessary to work. Because Duke deducts contributions from pay before income taxes are calculated, employees save on taxes. Go to hr.duke.edu/benefits/ medical/reimbursement/ for eligibility requirements.
In October, faculty and staff can change medical, dental and vision insurance plans and enroll in reimbursement accounts during the annual benefits open enrollment period.
ast year, Taylor Hemphill took a close look at the increasing health care costs for himself, his wife and their children. With his youngest child moving out of free well-baby visits, and his two older children ready for regular dental visits, Hemphill was facing a hefty increase in out-of-pocket expenses. And that didn’t include vaccinations and medicines he and his wife needed for a church mission trip to Kenya. “We just knew it was going to be a more expensive year,” said Hemphill, a performance analyst for DUMAC, LLC, the investment organization that manages Duke University’s endowment assets. To help manage costs and save money, Hemphill enrolled in Duke’s health care reimbursement account during the annual benefits open enrollment last October. The account allows faculty and staff to deduct money from each paycheck – before state and federal taxes are deducted – and put it in an account. The account, administered by WageWorks, provides a Health Care Card that works like a debit card. When participants use it for eligible expenses like co-payments and
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Taylor Hemphill with wife, Ashley, and their children, Leo (in his arms) and Max, left, and Phoebe, right, earlier this year.
medical, dental and vision care, money is taken from the account. Faculty and staff can enroll in the health care reimbursement account during this year’s open enrollment in October. Under new federal health care reform, the requirement for requesting reimbursement on some eligible expenses will change. Effective Jan. 1, 2011, participants cannot use the WageWorks account to purchase over-
the-counter medicine without a prescription. However, the card will still cover thousands of other items such as bandages, contact lens cleaning supplies and reading glasses. “Even with the health care reform changes, reimbursement accounts continue to be an excellent way for employees to save money," said Sylvester Hackney, associate director of benefits at Duke. Because the money is deducted before income tax is withheld, an average employee can save $20 to $40 on taxes for every $100 deposited in the reimbursement account. Hemphill said he appreciates the reduction in taxes and the increased flexibility over how and where he spends his health care money. “Insurance only covers specific things, like dental costs, or medical costs,” he said. “With the reimbursement account, I control where and when I spend the money. It’s like having a good chunk of change set aside to pay down those co-pays and dental expenses whenever and wherever they arise.” — By Marsha A. Green Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services
VIDEO: Watch how you can save at YouTube.com/workingatduke
Employee giving campaign begins Sept. 2 Doing Good in the Neighborhood strengthens communities hen the call came last year to help support the Durham community through Duke’s employee giving campaign, Kathy Wright didn’t hesitate to contribute. It’s a way for her to connect with the city she’s called home for more than 20 years. “When I was a Duke student in the 80s, I volunteered in the community, and I served as a Cub Scout leader for five years after college,” said Wright, special events coordinator for the Nasher Museum of Art. “Now, even though I don’t have time to volunteer, I still want to support these services.” In the difficult economy of 2009, Wright and other Duke faculty and staff contributed a total of $543,319 to the “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” campaign, about 10 percent more than in 2008. The 2010 campaign kicks off Sept. 2 and runs through November. Led by the Office of Durham and Regional Affairs, the campaign allows participants to donate to local organizations through the Duke Community Giving options or the United Way. The Duke Community Giving options assist local agencies supported by the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership and Duke University Health System. Donors can direct their money to one of five general areas: Schools, Youth, Neighborhoods, Health, and the Community Care Grant Fund, which provides competitive, one-time grants for non-profits throughout Durham.
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No administrative fees are deducted from the Duke Community Giving options; all contributions go directly to support local programs such as affordable housing, after school programs and community health clinics. The United Way has an administrative fee. Phail Wynn Jr., Duke’s vice president of Durham and Regional Affairs, said the giving campaign engages employees and provides an easy way to make a difference in Durham through community-based philanthropy. “We hope this community giving opportunity not only strengthens the existing bonds between Duke and Durham, but creates new passion for and participation in the university’s community engagement efforts,” Wynn said. Last year, Wright participated in the Doing Good in the Neighborhood campaign by checking boxes on both her United Way and Duke Community Giving pledge forms, for programs that support youth. She intends to do the same this year. “I’ve always been drawn to helping the children of the community,” she said. “With my previous employers, I donated through United Way. Now I can easily give through both United Way and through Duke’s programs. It just feels like the right thing to do.” — By Marsha A. Green Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services
Pre-K students in the Stepping Stones program wear Duke caps, donated by Duke Stores. Stepping Stones is a kindergarten readiness program funded in part by Doing Good in the Neighborhood.
HOW TO GIVE • Pledge packets are being distributed to employees through campus mail the week of Sept. 6. Review the material and submit a pledge form. • Faculty and staff can also visit doinggood.duke.edu to make a donation, or visit community.duke.edu to find volunteer opportunities.
VIDEO: See how your donations help at community.duke.edu
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Duke and Durham launch fare-free, sustainable bus service The Bull City Connector fare-free route features hybrid buses serving 32 stops linking Duke to areas throughout Durham, including downtown, Ninth Street and Golden Belt.
essica Johnstone had never ridden a bus in Durham before she and a co-worker tested out the Bull City Connector three days after the fare-free bus service launched in August. She’s glad she did. “I’ll definitely be using it again,” said Johnstone, a staff assistant in the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “The bus was nicely air conditioned, it looked shiny, bright and new, and it had a friendly and safe feeling, which was good.” Johnstone rode the Connector from outside her office at the Durham Centre on West Morgan Street to a stop near Erwin Road and 15th Street, where she walked a few minutes to the North Pavilion for a meeting. The door-to-door trip took about 25 minutes, which Johnstone said is about the same amount of time it takes to drive her car and find a parking spot. “Driving can be so stressful when you have to worry about traffic, stoplights and parking,” she said. “This way, you can just get on a bus and enjoy the ride.” Johnstone was among the more than 1,400 passengers who used the Bull City Connector in its first three days of operation, according to the Durham Area Transit Authority. The bus route features 32 stops that link Duke, downtown, Ninth Street and Golden Belt. The Connector provides service with hybrid buses every 15 minutes Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and every 20 minutes from 6 p.m. to midnight. On Saturday
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and holidays, buses will arrive every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to midnight. The service does not operate on Sunday. Phail Wynn, Jr., vice president of Durham and Regional Affairs at Duke, said the service is a benefit for Duke students and employees. “This fare-free, Duke-todowntown Durham transit connector will be of tremendous benefit to not only Duke students but also to the nearly 2,000 Duke University and Duke University Health System employees working in downtown Durham,” Wynn said. Under an agreement with the city, Duke provided $375,000 in matching funds so the City could receive a $3 million federal grant and a $375,000 state grant to buy new hybrid-diesel-electric buses for the Bull City Connector route. Duke will also contribute toward annual operating costs of the service; the City and Triangle Transit will manage the service. Delivery of new hybrid buses is expected in early 2012. Until then, the service will use hybrid buses already in the DATA bus fleet. The Bull City Connector holds about 60 passengers each. The buses feature wheelchair securement, an entrance ramp and a kneeling feature in addition to a video surveillance system, talking bus features for the visually impaired and bike racks. “Duke is always looking for new ways for students and employees to cut back on the university’s carbon footprint and this is just one of them,” said Casey Roe, outreach
coordinator for Sustainable Duke. “But it’s not just about saving money and making a sustainable choice, these hybrid buses are a great way to travel between Duke and Durham too.” — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Want to hop on the Connector? East Campus Main Street at Swift Avenue (eastbound) Main Street at Iredell Street (westbound) Main Street at Campus Drive Main Street at Buchanan Boulevard (eastbound) Main Street at Watts Street (westbound) Central Campus Erwin Road at Alexander Avenue West Campus Erwin Road at Anderson Street (eastbound) Erwin Road at 15th Street (westbound) Duke Medical Center Flowers Drive at Trent Drive (eastbound) Erwin Road at Trent Drive American Tobacco Campus 515 W. Pettigrew Street
For more information, an interactive route map or to download a map, visit bullcityconnector.org
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WORKING@ DUKE
HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai
dialogue@Duke
(919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President:
“What’s the last book you read and would you have read it on an e-reader?”
Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado Photography: Bryan Roth, Marsha Green and Leanora Minai, Office of Communication Services, Duke
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I read “Too Big to Fail” by Andrew Ross Sorkin on my Kindle. I used to read regular books before the Kindle came out, but for me, it’s a convenience thing. I travel a lot and the first book I downloaded was “Pillars of the Earth,” which was about 900 pages. It was easier just to carry the Kindle. I also like it because I can download a book during a layover in a few seconds and the books are cheaper. You’re not going to want to carry five or six books along with everything else when you’re running around.”
Karin Sullivan Regional development director, Central Development 1 year at Duke
University Photography, and Christa Twyford Gibson of Durham & Regional Affairs.
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.
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For the reading I’m doing now for class, I prefer to read a physical book. Typically, I read journals or something for my MBA program and the comfort and familiarity with a printed item is probably what I’d prefer to keep using. For one of my programs, we didn’t buy a hard-copy of text because it was all online. We did have the option to download a PDF one chapter at a time, and I do that because I can highlight and make notes in something I’m reading.”
Scooter Freeney Human resources manager, Office of Information Technology 4 years at Duke
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working@duke.edu
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I recently finished “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson and I would not read it on an e-reader based on how I like to read. I like to read at home, on my couch, curled up. I like the feeling of books in my hands – the crack of the spine when you open it for the first time or even the smell. I guess I’m old school. But I think if I had a Kindle, I’d use it.”
Heather Bennett Director, Parents and Young Alumni Programs 14 years at Duke — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
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Club is a ‘perfect’ place to play DUKE GOLF COURSE AMONG BEST IN COUNTRY or nearly 30 years, Tom Craig has spent weekends riding and walking the grassy, rolling hills and putting greens at the Duke University Golf Club. After spending many days racking up countless birdies and pars, it’s easy for him to name his favorite hole. All of them. “It’s impossible to pick just one,” said Craig, merchandise manager for Duke Stores. “If I could play anywhere in the world for the rest of my life, it’d be the Duke golf course.” In March, the course was named as the best in the Durham-Chapel Hill-Raleigh area by readers of the Triangle Business Journal. It’s also been named by the Golf Channel as one of the top-10 college golf courses in the country and has been highlighted several times by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine as a top-10 college course. Recognized for its beauty and challenging play, both the men’s and women’s golf teams at Duke benefit from the course. The women’s team practices there while the men’s team practices and hosts an annual tournament. Since opening in 1957, the course has hosted NCAA and ACC championships and numerous men’s and women’s intercollegiate tournaments, among others. Dan Brooks, head coach for Duke’s women’s golf team, said the layout of Duke’s course – surrounded by Duke Forest – is one of the best he’s ever played because golfers can concentrate on their game instead of blocking out noise or other distractions. “It’s like you’re in your own little world while you’re out there,” Brooks said. “It’s got all the challenge you could hope for from a championship course and you’ll need all the clubs in your bag to play all the shots you encounter over a round of golf.”
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D U K E T O D AY
Former Duke golfers Yu Young Lee, left, and Amanda Blumenherst walk the fairways at Duke University Golf Club, where the Duke women’s golf team practices each season. The course was recently named the best in the Triangle and is regularly cited as one of the best in the country.
Duke faculty and staff receive discounts of up to $30 off each round through PERQS, the employee discount program. With the discount, a daily fee for golf is $75, plus employees get a free golf cart. The course was designed in the 1950s by Robert Trent Jones Sr., one of the world’s most famous golf course architects who designed more than 500 courses around the world, including Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. and the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. “Duke’s golf course is simply a perfect and true golf course,” said Craig, who averages a 75 on the par 72 course. “Walking along the grass and greens is great because there’s just so much beautiful terrain.” — By Bryan Roth Writer, Office of Communication Services
Learn more about the Duke University Golf Club and employee discounts at
golf.duke.edu
For daily news and information, visit duke.edu/today