Working@Duke - September, 2006

8/14/2019 Working@Duke - September, 2006

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2006 North Carolina State Fair tickets for saleAdvance tickets to the 2006 North Carolina State Fair are available

for purchase at Duke from September 27 to September 29. Faculty

and staff who present Duke identification will pay $5 for adults and

$2 for children (ages 6 to 12), a $1 savings off the regular ticket

price for each group. A book of 24 ride coupons is available for $10,

an $8 savings. Tickets will be sold from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the

following locations: September 27, outside Duke Hospital Atrium

cafeteria; September 28, the Medical Center Human Resources

office, Room 1531A Duke South, Blue Zone; and September 29,

Trent Hall outside the Staff and Family Programs office. Payment

must be cash or check. For more on the fair, which is October 13 to

October 22, visit www.ncstatefair.org.

Go wireless in Duke GardensTwo wireless computing hot spots have been added to Duke

Gardens as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade and expand

wireless service around campus. The wireless coverage gives a

more complete, robust system, said James Nesbitt, who led the

wireless expansion for Dukes Office of Information Technology

(OIT). Faculty, staff and others can work on laptops or PDAs on thesouth lawn adjacent to Chapel Drive, the goldfish pond and around

the Terrace Caf. In the future, OIT will expand the wireless

network in the Gardens with coverage in the woods adjacent to

Undergraduate Admissions and around the Hanes Iris Garden.

Three Duke faculty receive White House honorsThree Duke faculty members have won the highest honor that the

U.S. government bestows on young scientists and engineers. Silvia

Ferrari, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, Jonathan

Mattingly, an associate professor of mathematics, and Tannishtha

Reya, an assistant professor of pharmacology and cancer biology in

the medical school, received a Presidential Early Career Award for

Scientists and Engineers at a ceremony in July at the White House.

According to the White House Office of Science and TechnologyPolicy, the awards recognize the most promising researchers in

the nation within their fields.

LOOKINGAHEAD@ DUKE

SEPTEMBER 10 : : FamilyDay at the Nasher Museum of Art;noon to 4 p.m. Free to Dukestudents, faculty and staff.Exhibit information is at

www.nasher.duke.edu.

SEPTEMBER 18 : : The Dukechapter of Phi Beta Kappa hostsan armchair discussion onCreativity and the ContemporaryUniversity. President Richard H.Brodhead, Pratt School ofEngineering Dean Kristina M.Johnson, various professors andstudents take on questions suchas, Where do you find it? Is itflourishing or imperiled? How doyou nurture it? 7 p.m., Griffith

Film Theater in the lower level ofthe Bryan Center.

OCTOBER 1 : : Founders Dayat Duke.

For more events, check theuniversitys online calendar

at http://calendar.duke.edu

NewsbriefsI found Ms. Minais recent article on the new chilled

water plant informative and interesting. Id only add

that an additional benefit of providing chilled water

from a central location is relief, all over the campuses,

from the noise generated by individual building chillers

(whether on the ground or on the roof).

Dewey Tull Lawson, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Auditory Prosthesis Research

Research Triangle Institute

Adjunct Professor, Department of Physics

Adjunct Assistant Professor in Otolaryngology

Duke University

Letters to the Editor must include name and contact

information. E-mail letters to [email protected] or mail them

to Working@Duke Editor, HR Communications, Box 90496,

Durham, NC 27708. Fax letters to (919) 681-7926.

lettersto the Editor

Kicking the smoking habit

Johnnetta Moore says that if she invested every dollar she spent on cigarettes, shewould own a second house by now.

I smoked at least a pack a day for 38 years, said Moore, a student account analystin the Duke bursars office. Thats almost $200,000. It all went up in smoke.

Moore, who kicked the habit two years ago with the help of a Duke smoking cessationprogram, had tried to quit many times. But she would end up reaching for a pack of DoralMenthol Lights.

An event that triggered her quitting was witnessing a cousins decline and death fromlung cancer. Moore took a weeks vacation and smoked her last cigarette on Dec. 28, 2004.

When she returned to work, Moore contacted Jason Horay, health education managerfor LIVE FOR LIFE, Dukes employee wellness program. She told him she needed to beaccountable to someone to strengthen her resolve. Horay told her about the programoptions, including classes and counseling sessions. He also sent her a QuitSmart StopSmoking Kit with a 96-page guide, relaxation and self-hypnosis tape and patented cigarettesubstitute with adjustable draw strength. She began checking in with Horay weekly.

Johnnetta chose the option that best fits her needs, and LIVE FOR LIFE supportedher every step of the way, Horay said. We encourage employees to take personalinitiative, as Johnnetta did, and to seek opportunities that make it easier to practiceprevention and take personal responsibility for their health.

When the urge to smoke took hold, she would walk around the East Campus wall.Without nicotine, Moore enjoyed the taste of fresh fruit and vegetables, which led her tomake healthy diet changes. Her once-high blood pressure dropped 20 points, matching thatof her 28-year-old son.

Moore has become a mentor to others. She was tapped by her parish nurse to assist with a cessation program at church.And the Durham County Health Department has invited her to be trained as a health advocate.

Prior to quitting smoking, I couldnt walk half a block without getting tired or getting out of breath, said Moore, whohas worked at Duke since 1997. Now, and two months after quitting, I have been able to walk several miles during my lunchhour and return to work feeling great.

When challenges arise, Moore said she confronts them, reminding herself that if she can quit a 38-year smokinghabit, she can handle anything. Said Moore, I want to be a voice that helps to get the message out that life is betterwithout nicotine.

Nancy E.OatesWorking@Duke Correspondent

EMPLOYEE CITES RESOLVE AND A DUKE WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR SUCCESS

2

BY THE NUMBERS

413Smokers who registeredfor programs or receivedinformation on cessation

57QuitSmart Stop Smoking

Kits distributed

23Participants who

completed QuitSmartclasses

29Smokers who reported

quitting

30Number of mailings of

Stop Smoking PersonalAction Guide

Source: LIVE FOR LIFE, July 1, 2005

to July 17, 2006

HOW DO I GET STARTED?Call LIVE FOR LIFE at (919) 684-3136 and select option 1, or read more about the

smoking cessation programs online at hr.duke.edu/eohs/livelife/smoking.html.

I want to

be a voice

that helps

to get the message

out that life is better

without nicotine.Johnnetta Moore

Johnnetta Moore walks in downtown Durham.

Duke Farmers Market season closes September 29The Duke Farmers Market will close for the season on September 29

with a Harvest Festival. It will be your last pick of fresh fruit and

vegetables for the season until next spring. Pick up pumpkins, gourds,

apples and mums and treat yourself to roasted corn. There will be

music, a variety of farmers and food from area restaurants. That day,

employees can also sign up for the 2007 LIVE FOR LIFE Mobile

Farmers Market. Look for the Duke Farmers Market from

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Medical Center Bookstore alongthe walkway between Duke Hospital and the Duke Cinic.


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D

uke faculty and staff are not among employees across the country who facesignificant increases in health insurance costs.

Dukes premium increases for health insurance will be about one-third of thenational average in 2007, said Lois Ann Green, director of Benefits. Duke premiumswill increase no more than $2.50 per month for individuals, and no more than $10 permonth for families next year. And, there are no increases for co-pays or deductibles forhealth, dental and vision insurance.

This is the big news of annual open enrollment for health benefits andreimbursement accounts. Faculty and staff can make changes or enroll in health, dentaland vision benefits during open enrollment from Oct. 2 to Oct. 14.

We were able to keep the increase in cost low with no major plan design changesdue in large part to positive outcomes we have seen from our preventive health efforts,Green said. We are able to offer employees comprehensive coverage at a lower costthan what is available in the market or at many local and regional employers.

Open enrollment season is an opportunity for faculty and staff to choose health,dental and vision plans that best meet their needs. Faculty and staff who want tax

savings through a health care or dependent care reimbursement account must enrollseparately in these plans. They do not automatically renew each year.

Next year, Duke Select premiums, which cover the majority of Dukes health plan participants, will increase $1.50 permonth for individuals; $9.50 per month for family coverage. The monthly premium increase is slightly higher for BlueCare and Duke Options, depending on coverage selected. For the second straight year, Duke Basic participants will nothave a premium increase. And co-pays for all prescription drugs will not go up in 2007.

Also in 2007, an expanded provider network will be offered in Wake County for those enrolled in Duke Select andDuke Basic. This will include primary and specialty care physicians; obstetrics and most pediatric inpatient services will beprovided through Rex Healthcare.

Duke also offers vision coverage and a choice of two dental plans. The nationwide vision plan provides coveragefor prescription lenses and frames, contact lenses (in lieu of frames) and an annual eye exam. There will be no premiumincrease for the vision care plan in 2007. The premium for the more comprehensive dental plan will rise $1.33 forindividuals; $4.04 for family coverage. The cost for the basic dental plan remains unchanged.

We want to continue to mitigate the increasing cost of health care in the years to come, Green said. We all play animportant role in achieving this goal. By understanding our personal health conditions and taking steps to improve our

health and reduce risks, both our quality of life and costs of health care will benefit. By Jen Mathot

Senior Communications Strategist, Human Resources

Dukes health premium increaseone-third national average

INAUGURAL EVENT DRAWS CURIOUS ONLOOKERS AND CHEERS

SIGN UP FOR HEALTH, DENTAL, VISION INSURANCE OCT. 2 TO OCT. 14

Lois Ann Green

Duke Postal employeessaddle up for a driving rodeo

Wearing brown suede chaps, straw cowboy hat and runners racing number 464 on hisshirt, Duke Postal Operations Clerk David Snotherly climbed into the van.

Thats the spirit, Dave! shouted Lamont Pearley, a Duke Postal Operations mail sorter.

Snotherly, one of eight drivers in the inaugural Duke Postal Drivers Rodeo, hit the

gas. He turned the wheel of the van right, then left, then right, snaking in and out of the

line of seven orange cones.

Then he did it again, in reverse, brushing a cone or two on his return, adding time to his finish.

Cut it hard! Cut it hard! said Rocky Taylor, Duke Postal Operations manager.

When Taylor checked his watch, Snotherly had completed the driving accuracy course

in 2 minutes, 21 seconds.

Not bad, said Snotherly, a 16-year Duke employee. At least I stayed on my horsey.

The competition, held in mid-August in the parking lots of Duke Publications off

Kangaroo Drive and the Duke Postal Warehouse on Hillsborough Road, tested driving

accuracy, parallel parking and dock loading and unloading. Duke Postal drivers competedin three heats in each of the van and Big Truck divisions and had the added pressure

of not knocking a cone with a fresh egg atop.

It was a time to burn steam before the start of the academic year when the amount of mail and packages

for processing increases. Duke Postal Operations delivers mail and packages to students and virtually every

university and health system department at Duke. It processes nearly 12 million pieces

of mail annually.

At the end of the rodeo, the proclaimed champ in both the van and big truck

competitions was Postal Clerk John DeLargy, who wore black gloves and a fierce look

of determination as he maneuvered the van and 50 feet long diesel box truck.

DeLargys total time for the three heats in each division was 3 minutes, 1 second.

He carried home a trophy and two gift certificates to Texas Roadhouse. By Leanora Minai

Editor,Working@Duke

How To Get MoreInformation

Open enrollmentpackets with details

about Dukes health,dental and vision plansand how to make changesor sign up for a plan willbe mailed to employees inmid-September.

Informationsessions aboutreimbursementaccounts and health,

dental and vision coverageare September 25 throughOctober 13. Find a sessionon the Duke HumanResources Web site atwww.hr.duke.edu.

Representatives fromthe Duke Open EnrollmentService Center areavailable from 8 a.m. to8 p.m. Monday throughFriday from September 27through October 13; and8 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 7and October 14. Call

(877) 371-9963.

Duke PostalOperations

By The Numbers

11.8 millionTotal mail processed

41,605Student parcels

1.2 millionInter-Department mail

1.5 millionMagazines and journals

3.9 millionFirst-Class letters

46Staff members

(Mail volume totals for 2004-2005)

John DeLargy, a Duke Postal clerk,

adjusts a side mirror on a postal van

before competition.

David Snotherly, Duke Postal clerk, weavesa van through cones. He came to the rodeo

dressed in a cowboy hat and chaps.


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s Michael Holt, a network administrator withUniversity Development, planned the arrival of hisfirst son, he figured he would spend a week or two

at home after the birth. When his vacation and sick timestarted to run low, he would return to work.

But a human resources representative let Holt knowhe had more flexibility to support his family as a new dad.

Thanks to Dukes parental leave benefit, Holt was ableto attach three weeks of paid time off to vacation and sicktime he used when his son, William, was born in 2004.

I was amazed that, as a father, I could actually getpaid time off to take care of my child, said Holt, whois 40 and has worked at Duke for three years. I assumedit would be available only for a mother.

The benefit, which resulted from the WomensInitiative, provides up to three consecutive weeks of 100percent paid leave to eligible employees who serve as a

primary caregiver. The benefit applies to both men andwomen following birth or adoption of a child.

Since the benefit was introduced in 2003, 927

employees have taken the paid leave. Of those, 106 werefathers; 821, mothers.

The purpose of this leave is to provide time forbonding with the parent and child, said Denise L. Evans,director of staff and labor relations for Human Resources.We recognize the importance of family commitmentwithin our work environment.

In addition to the parental leave benefit, otheroutcomes resulted from the Womens Initiative to supportemployees balancing work and family life. For example,the creation of the Duke Child Care Partnership offersemployees priority placement at 29 local child care centers;and flexible work options offer alternatives to a traditionalbusiness day, helping employees with work and home

responsibilities.For Holt, six weeks at home with his son was an

unforgettable experience. He appreciated the quality timewith his son outdoors, hiking in area parks.

That extra time really allowed us to bond, Holt said.Without this benefit, I never would have understood whatit meant to feel the joy and responsibility of caring for myson around the clock.

When Holt and his wife, Kathy, learned a secondchild was on the way, Holt applied for a second leave.Alexander was born in May, and Holt again was able tostay home to care for the newborn.

By Jon Goldstein

Communications Director, Duke Divinity School

As a black scholar whose research includes diversityin organizations, Fuqua School of Business assistantprofessor Ashleigh Shelby Rosette says issues of

diversity are frequently at the forefront of her mind whenmaking major life decisions.

When considering whether to join the Duke faculty,

Rosette asked many sources current faculty,

administrators, former Fuqua faculty and friends and

mentors about Dukes and Fuquas commitment to

attracting underrepresented minority and women.

Increasing diversity amongst faculty at an elite

institution like Duke is not always easy, Rosette said.

Although I believe there is still much work to be done in

this area, the responses to my inquiries were satisfactory,

and I have been quite happy with my decision.

Rosette arrived in 2005 as Dukes efforts to recruit

and retain faculty women were gaining momentum. The

Womens Initiative report in 2003 said women were notwell enough represented on the regular rank faculty and

noted that the percentage of Duke assistant professors had

remained stagnant over the past decade.

As a direct result of the findings, Provost Peter Lange

pledged at least $1-million a year to enhance the strategic

hiring of women and minorities. A Faculty Diversity

Standing Committee was established. And in 2005,

rheumatology and immunology professor Nancy Allen was

selected as the inaugural Special Assistant to the Provost

for Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development.

Allen, who came to Duke in 1978, said the university

has made major strides since she joined the faculty when

she was one of four women in a department of 125.

Looking around

the university today

you have a number of

women in important

leadership positions,said Allen, listing Pratt

School of Engineering

Dean Kristina Johnson;

Associate Dean and

Director of Admissions for the School of Medicine

Brenda Armstrong; and Dean of Duke Law School

Katharine Bartlett, among others.

This summer, Allen was named Vice Provost for

Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development.

She has long been attentive to faculty governance and

diversity issues. Among her responsibilities, she is chair of

the Faculty Diversity Standing Committee, comprised of

faculty and administrators from the university and medicalcampuses. The committee compiles and analyzes data

annually on recruitment, retention and promotions. It also

oversaw a faculty climate survey last year.

Allen and colleagues such as Ann Brown, associate

dean for Women in Medicine and Science at the School of

Medicine, also coordinate promoting best practices in hiring

and mentoring and work/life balance, among other matters.

The most powerful way that a university shows it is

committed to such efforts is having leadership that makes

diversity a priority, from the president to the provost to the

deans and department chairs, Allen said. And thats what

is happening at Duke.

By Bridget BooherWorking@Duke Correspondent

Michael Holt, a University

Development network

administrator, walks in Duke

Gardens with wife, Kathy, and

sons, William and Alexander,

who was born in May.

Highlights ofWomens InitiativeOutcomes

Work-Life Balance:: On-site Duke Childrens Campus

expanded, doubling capacity for

children

:: Grants to 29 off-site child care

centers enable parents who work

at Duke to receive priority status

for slots

: : Child care subsidies for graduate

students

: : Three weeks paid parental leave

for staff

:: Guidelines for flexible work

options established

Mentoring andProfessionalDevelopment: : Annual $5,000 tuition

reimbursement for faculty

and staff

:: Quarterly mentoring event

: : A Guide To Managing at Duke

training program in university

and health system

:: New pay and performance

appraisal sets goals and

evaluates behavior

:: Baldwin Scholars program for

undergraduate women aims to

support and inspire leaders

Gender andDiversity:: Faculty Diversity Standing

Committee

: : At least $1-million per year toenhance strategic hiring of

women and minority faculty

:: Newly created position of

Associate Dean for Women in

Medicine and Science at the

School of Medicine to increase

visibility of womens issues

Respect andCommunication:: Office for Institutional Equity

develops workshop, Enhancing

Respect in a Diverse Workplace

:: Enrollment process for same-sex

partner equivalent benefitsstreamlined so it more closely

mirrors married couples

Safety and Security: : Enhanced security in hospital

emergency room and psychiatric

area

:: Domestic violence protocol

:: Installation of at least 139 light

poles and upgrades to at least

85 emergency phones

:: Outreach position added to

Sexual Assault Support Services

4

A Look Inside T

Recruiting more women and minority faculty

Parental leave benefit gives new parents time at home

Ashleigh Shelby Rosette

On TheWeb

To find out more

about the

Womens Initiative,

visit

www.duke.edu/womens_initiative


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n 16 years, Shirley McCauley has had four different roles at Duke. Now

a patient account associate for Duke University Health System, shes

found a good fit.

Its a really good group of people, McCauley said.

McCauleys working group spent a recent Monday morning pondering

ways to foster its collegiality. The group, including the supervisor, took

Enhancing Respect in a Diverse Workplace, a workshop by the Office

for Institutional Equity (OIE).

For McCauley, the workshop was a chance to discuss with her co-

workers ways to acknowledge individuals differences.

I had thought about a lot of the issues, but I wasnt thinking that

Duke itself was thinking about them, said McCauley, who is 41. Its a big

deal that theyre paying attention to things like the importance of listening.

Since the fall of 2003, 1,735 employees have attended the Enhancing

Respect training. The program, which aims to improve office culture and

raise awareness of workplace interaction, was one of several programs

developed as

a result of the

Womens

Initiative.

When the Steering Committee for the Womens Initiative conducted

focus groups with employees, women at every level at Duke said they felt a

lack of respect from colleagues, managers and others. The problems were

not extreme enough to be categorized as harassment, said Polly Weiss,director of diversity and equity programs for OIE. But women repeatedly

described subtle ways in which they felt devalued in their work

environment.

To address this, Duke examined ways to shift the underlying climate

of the workplace. In addition to the OIE workshop, Duke enhanced the

annual performance management process to expand professional

development planning between employees and supervisors. Duke also

began for the first time to include employee behaviors in the annual

performance process. The behavioral standards of performance are

consistent across Duke and foster accountability for customer service,

diversity, teamwork, learning and creative problem-solving.

Linda McAbee, assistant vice president for Human Resources, said

these changes are indicative of Dukes commitment to creating a respectfulwork climate.

If absent a behavioral standard of performance, as long as you

accomplish the results, the way in which you do it isnt important,

McAbee said. It doesnt build teamwork; you dont necessarily value

inclusiveness in your performance. What were saying is, at Duke in terms

of our mission, values and work culture, these things matter.

By Kelly Rohrs

Public Relations Specialist

Office of Public Affairs & Government Relations

When Pamela Monds supervisor invited her to participate in

A Guide to Managing at Duke, Monds jumped at the chance.

Monds, a senior lead clinical research associate at the Duke

Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), said the professional development

program has given her more confidence in her work and helped her

appreciate the challenges of managing others.

It has been very exciting for me to have these opportunities to

grow at Duke, said Monds, who took the Learning & Organization

Development course in 2001. Im always looking for ways to provide

similar opportunities to others.

The Womens Initiative report in 2003 promoted the expansion of

A Guide to Managing at Duke, specifically in the academics units. Since

the release of the report, 1,110 supervisors, including 362 from academic

units, have participated in the program. The three-day interactive class

engages managers to help them better address issues of respect,

professional development and communication, which reflect findings

from the Womens Initiative.

During employee roundtables for the Womens Initiative, women at

Duke said they wanted training and educational opportunities and moreresponsibilities within their fields, key ingredients to job mobility.

As part of recent efforts on these fronts, Duke implemented a new

tuition benefit that reimburses staff up to $5,000 per year for courses

related to an employees job. The benefit can be used at any accredited

higher education institution in North Carolina, not just at Duke. And in

August, at least 200 staff members attended the first in a series of

quarterly mentoring events with President Richard H. Brodhead and other

Duke administrators.

We know that professional

development is key to developing

the skills and talent Duke needs for

the future, said Clint Davidson,

vice president for Human

Resources. Professional

development can take many forms.It doesnt always mean taking a class

or attending a conference. In many

cases, its getting the opportunity to

serve on a committee or work on a

new project. These experiences help

people grow professionally.

Monds was one of 200

participants from the Duke Clinical

Research Institute who went through the managing program. Typically

geared toward specific departments, such as DCRI, the School of Nursing

or Duke Hospital, the programs success is largely due to team synergy that

develops among course participants.

People leave the program with a sense of belonging, ownership

and dedication, said Monica Udell, director of Learning & Organization

Development. We engage people on a level where they can better

understand the overall goals of their entity and their responsibilities to

the greater organization.

By Tracey Koepke

Senior Writer, Medical Center News Office

5

e Womens InitiativeOffice for Institutional Equity workshops enhance respect in the workplace

Program equips managers to support work culture goals

Pam Monds

Departments that want to send a group through A Guide to Managing at Duke

should contact their Human Resources representative. To learn more, visit

hr.duke.edu/train/index.html or call (919) 613-7602.

Shirley McCauley, a patient account associate

for Duke University Health System, attended the

Enhancing Respect in a Diverse Workplace workshop.


6/8

6

After a year of drilling, dust

and detours, the Plaza is open.

Grab lunch or a novel and

head to this new outdoor space in

the heart of West Campus to relax

or meet colleagues.

The elevated Plaza is a natural

gathering place for students, faculty,

staff and other members of the Duke community,

said Treat Harvey, the Student Affairs director of

development who led fundraising for the $10million Plaza.

As a Duke staff member, I certainly see the

Plaza as a resource for people working at Duke,

Harvey said. There are not many places on campus

where you can sit at a table in the open air and work

or meet with colleagues, or just relax and eat lunch.

The 40,000 square foot Plaza, which features

mist fountains and a Brazilian hardwood walkway,

was one of more than 200 construction projects

managed by Dukes Facilities Management

Department (FMD) in fiscal year 2005-2006. The

old 9,200 square foot walkway to the Bryan Center

was demolished for a broad plaza that connects the

Bryan Center, Page Auditorium and West Union.

Want to surf the Web? Theres wireless access.

Want to hear live music? Take a seat in the grass.

Want to sit under a shade tree? Pick from 13.

Our plaza provides the best in form and

function, said Larry Moneta, vice president for

Student Affairs. The structure is in itself a

wonderful piece of art, but more important will be

the many activities to be featured throughout the

numerous gathering spaces. I hope that students,

faculty, staff, alumni and visitors will enjoy its

beauty and energy.

By Leanora Minai

Editor,Working@Duke

DesignerHargreaves Associates

ContractorD.H. Griffin

Construction Company

13,100Linear feet of Brazilianhardwood for walkway

7,980Tons of concrete

22Tons of structural steel

1,130Linear feet of stainlesssteel handrail

9,250Number of concretepavers

1,640Number of bluestonepavers

1,210Number of flagstonepavers

1,280Square feet Fescue sod

16Number of dark skyfriendly street lamps

13Trees: Red Maple (6) andLacebark Elm (7)

14 feet by 4 feet Dukebronze shield embeddedin Brazilian hardwood

walkway

$4.5 millionGift to Student Affairsearning naming rights toPlaza from Duke alumniAubrey and KatieMcClendon

Take a break

at

THEPLAZA

MEET VALARIE MORROW, DIVINITY STUDENT AND SENIOR RESEARCHASSOCIATE AT DUKE CLINICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

e mployeespotlight

Ahome in Hillsborough represents the work,

education, ambition and faith of Dr. Valarie Morrow,

a senior lead clinical research associate at the Duke

Clinical Research Institute.

Forward House is the transitional home Morrow

and her husband, Nelson, bought three years ago. It is

where they offer support and mentoring to the men who

come to live for a year after being

released from prison. Among other

ministry, they teach life skills and

hold Bible lessons.

Its hard to describe to people

what it feels like to see before your

eyes someones life change, saidMorrow, 44, mother of four.

Morrows passion for helping

others is evident at Duke, too.

She oversees a staff of 28

research associates in the Duke

Clinical Research Institutes

infectious disease group, which

monitors drug trials around the world. Trials currently

under her supervision include medicines to treat

pneumonia, HIV and adverse effects of liver transplants.

Were basically the police of clinical research,

she said about her groups mission to ensure the accuracy

of drug trials.

Im responsible for making sure that the morale

of the group is high and to make sure that the work getsdone, and you do that through relationships, she said.

In a typical day, I visit and talk with more than 15 to

20 people.

The clinical research institute may seem a world apart

from the Forward House, but Morrow sees connections.

The management skills Ive learned here have helped

me tremendously in setting up the ministry, Morrow said,

citing the A Guide to Managing at Duke program. It taught

her the difference between coaching and mentoring and

how to be a better listener.

I dont think I would have learned these pieces in

another environment, but theyre all part of the Duke

environment, she said.

Working at Duke has also given Morrow, a graduate of

Duke and UNC Medical School, another avenue to pursue

her passions.

With eight years at the clinical research institute,

she enrolled last fall in Duke Divinity School to begin a

masters of divinity degree. She plans to take courses in

the schools Theology and Medicine program.

People arent just the physical side, Morrow said.

A lot of health decisions, a lot of treatments are really

based on peoples spiritual belief system. Duke is a

wonderful place to integrate those two areas.

By James Todd

Writer, Office of News & Communications

The

management

skills Ive learned here

have helped me

tremendously in setting

up the ministry.Valarie Morrow

To learn more aboutThe Forward House, [email protected]

Valarie Morrow, divinity student and

senior research associate at Duke

Clinical Research Institute, right,

typically meets or talks with 15 to 20

people during the work day.


7/8

7

Most faculty and staff probably think of Finance only whenthey receive their paychecks. What other activities are youresponsible for at Duke?

Yes, payroll is the most widely understood of myresponsibilities. With paychecks to more than 30,000faculty, staff and students depending on us, wed betterbe on time and have it right. I also have responsibility forfinancial reporting, general accounting, paying suppliers,budgeting, cost allocations, cash management, employee

travel and reimbursement, grant accounting and reportingand administrative systems management. In many of theseareas, we are supporting all of Duke, including the healthsystem. Because ours is a supporting role, its imperativethat we minimize the cost of our service so more fundsare available to support the faculty and staff who aredirectly engaged in education, research or patient care.

How does your area help Duke save money?

One way we do it is by creating efficiencies forprocessing financial transactions. We are moving morepaper-based transactions and processes online throughour Administrative Systems Management group. A yearago, we introduced a web-based application called iForms

to process payroll and human resources transactions. Ithas eliminated a lot of paper, but its also improved howwe use resources. In the past, people often had to get intheir cars and drive around getting signatures on payrollaction forms. Often, errors in forms were not discovereduntil the end of the process, requiring paperwork to bereturned for correction. With iForms, documents arecreated, edited and routed electronically to the rightpeople for approval. iForms saves many people lotsof time. That saves Duke money.

What goes into developing Dukes budget for the new fiscalyear, which began in July?

Dukes budgeting process is complicated because

Duke is decentralized and large. Our decentralized structureis a strength because it encourages an entrepreneurial spiritamong faculty and staff, but it can create budgeting challenges.The process can be described as pulling together andbalancing thousands of different checkbooks. Each grant,each construction project, each department has its ownbudget. Size adds further complexity. Dukes annualoperating budget is a shade over $3 billion includingboth the university and health system.

Is the perception that Duke is a wealthy institutionaccurate?

I think its misleading. Certainly, we are in sound

financial condition. Still, Duke is always striving tobe better, and there are not enough resources to doeverything. We are well positioned to improve existingprograms and launch new ones, but its important to beselective. Thats where strategic planning enters the picture.

Our principal sources of operating revenue from yearto year are tuition, fundraising, patient care services andgrants from organizations like the National Institutes ofHealth and the National Science Foundation. But as a not-for-profit, we bring in money with the intent of spendingit to support and advance our missions. Were not acorporation that exists to create wealth for shareholders.So, over time, the checks we write for expenses tend tokeep pace with our operating revenues.

We try to set aside some funds in the operating budgetto enable Duke to take advantage of opportunities toimprove and grow. Its the same type of thing most people

do when they pay their bills. You spend the bulk of yourpaycheck on monthly bills for housing, food and utilities,but you try to put some aside for emergencies or for adown payment on a new car or home.

How does Duke budget for and invest in future needs?

Our primary source of funds to support longer-termneeds comes from non-operating revenue donationsfrom generous alumni and foundations and the investmentreturn on Dukes $6 billion of endowment and otherinvestments. Duke Management Company, a separatenonprofit organization responsible for managing theendowment, consistently ranks among the very best ofuniversity endowment managers.

Endowment can be thought of as a nest egg that isinvested much like you would invest in a certificate ofdeposit (CD). You commit your money for a longer periodof time, earn a higher return, and use that higher return onthe investment to supplement your income or add to yournest egg. Duke Management Company manages $6.2billion of university assets and uses a variety of investmentstrategies to earn higher returns. Last fiscal years returnwas roughly 20 percent, which we would not expect to earnyear in and year out. Earning conistently solid returns notonly helps support a portion of our current operations, ithelps fund strategic plans for Dukes future.

A

HOF MILAM : : Vice President for Finance

E X E C U T I V E

Q&

Joined Duke: July 2003.

Duties: Oversees the central accounting,

financial and reporting services for Duke.

Education: Bachelor of science degree

in accounting and an MBA from Wake

Forest University.

Past Experience: Senior vice president, chief

operating officer and chief financial officer at

QualChoice of North Carolina, the HMO

affiliated with Wake Forest University Baptist

Medical Center. Assistant dean for planning

and resource management at the Wake Forest

University School of Medicine.

Hobbies: Enjoys cooking, playing guitar and

sailing. Captain of sailing charters in the

Caribbean and Mediterranean and, until

recently, owned a sailboat in Oriental, NC.

Fun Fact: Can often be seen at Cats Cradle

in Carrboro listening to real musicians.

MILAM PROFILE


8/8

I think they have taken very positive steps for the environment for women at Duke.

It is probably something long overdue.

Neil Vidmar Ph.D.

Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology19 years with Duke

How do you see the environment for womenat Duke?

Fair. In all those areas, parental leave benefits, workplace workshops, child care. It has

improved. I see the recruitment of women faculty increase.

Deborah Ferettino

Administrative Coordinator for Romance Studies

25 years with Duke

By Eddy Landreth

Working@Duke Correspondent

Its a good environment, but Im worried about when I go on maternity leave if Im going

to have enough time, what will I do financially? The three weeks that they will pay for me to

be out comes after I use my own time for the first three weeks. And I definitely will not have three

weeks worth of vacation and sick leave. I have to use my sick time for my appointments.

Beanah Bass-Beatty

Staff Specialist in the Office of Student Affairs

2 years with Duke

dialogue@DukeHOW TO REACH USEditor: Leanora Minai

(919) 681-4533

[email protected]

Director: Paul S. Grantham

(919) 681-4534

[email protected]

Graphic Design & Layout:

Paul Figuerado

Photography: Jon Gardiner, Les Todd

and Megan Morr of Duke University

Photography.

Support Staff: Mary Carey

and William Blackburn.

Working@Dukeis published monthly

by Dukes Office of Communication

Services. We welcome your

feedback and suggestions for

future story topics.

Please write us at

[email protected] or

Working@Duke, Box 90496,

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Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.

WORKING@DUKE

For the latest news and information,D U K E T O D A Y

PERQSEMPLOYEE D ISCOUNTS

On the weekly drive to Camp Bow Wow, Spice Girl pokes her head out of the window

and sniffs the air as the Ford Explorer gets closer to the day and overnight camp.

She knows were in the neighborhood, said Duke employee Joyce Arcus, who

adopted the brindle shepherd mix from the Animal Protection Society of Durham.

Spice Girl has been visiting Camp Bow Wow on Bennett Memorial Road in Durham

since October when an e-mail from Duke Human Resources announced a PERQS

discount of 20 percent at the boarding facility.

Arcus usually selects a package of day camp visits 20 for $340. With the PERQS

discount, she pays $272.

Ive used some other PERQS discounts for the Broadway shows and movies, butthis one for Spice Girl and me has been most beneficial, said Arcus, a registered nurse

and patient resource manager for Duke University Health System.

On a recent Thursday, Spice Girl, who was named after the swirl of spices in Arcus

cabinet, jumped out of the Explorer and headed straight for Camp Bow Wows front door.

With wagging tail and wiggling body, she greeted Camp Bow Wow director Jason Smith.

This is a weekly ritual. While Arcus works, the 50-pound hound plays. Arcus used

to check the Web sites Camper Cam on work breaks to see if her 4-year-old bundle

of energy was behaving. Not anymore.

Spice, said Arcus as she bid farewell to her beloved pup, Ill see you tonight.

By Leanora Minai

Editor,Working@Duke

Duke negotiates reduced rates and discounts on hundreds of

products and services as an employee benefit.

To learn more about PERQS or to join the mailing list for discount

e-mail alerts, visit www.hr.duke.edu/discounts.

Joyce Arcus, a registered nurse and patient resource manager for Duke University Health

System, bids farewell to her beloved Spice Girl on a recent Thursday at Camp Bow Wow.

Local doggy day care offers bargain rate

Camp Bow Wow4310 Bennett Memorial Rd.(919) 309-4959Durhamwww.mycbw.com/chapelhill

Working@Duke - September, 2006

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