2008-Working@Duke - September, 2008

8/14/2019 2008-Working@Duke - September, 2008

1/8

3 7ITS TIMEStart consideringplan options: openenrollment forhealth plans andreimbursementbenefits beginsin October.

2SUSTAINABLE DUKECollect plastic cupsfor recycling duringDuke home footballgames and helpchildren and theenvironment.

This paper consists of 30% recycled

post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.

2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing

2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters

NEW CALENDARDuke launches anonline calendar thatserves as an archwayto campus, highlightingevents, lectures, artsand more.

Go ahead, tell him.

Tell Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe he cant succeed.Tell him that Duke is destined to be the doormat of the Atlantic

Coast Conference and the NCAA. Remind him that Duke entered the2008 season with a 25-game losing streak in the ACC and that Dukehasnt had a winning season or played in a bowl game since 1994.

Cutcliffe, appointed in December as the 21st head football coach inDuke history, has heard it all, knows hell hear more but hes lovingevery minute of it.

This is fun every single day to take this on, Cutcliffe said. Ive hadpeople who had the audacity and I love it when they say it because it

just fuels the fire Yeah youre having fun now. Wait til the games start.I even had somebody within the university Im not going to say who say, Well just see.

Im going to pick up the phone and call him once we start playingand say, Hey, I just wantedyou to know were still havingfun playing.

For those who thinkturning around Duke football

wont happen, Cutcliffe says:You can accept conditions asthey exist, or take responsibility

in order to bring about change.I want people to

understand that Duke istaking football seriously, saidCutcliffe, who turns 54 thismonth. I have also done this:I have taken the time to makesure that they understand this culture change is not just about the players.

Weve got to change the fans culture.The change began when Duke hired Cutcliffe, sending a signal that it

would no longer allow the program to be a punch line. Cutcliffe joined Dukeas a coach with 22 bowl game appearances, including the 2007 and 2008Outback bowls, and a Southeastern Conference coach of the year honor.

His resume includes serving as assistant head coach and offensivecoordinator at the University of Tennessee, and six years as head coachat the University of Mississippi, where he compiled a 44-29 record andappeared in five bowl games.

Among his collegiate credentials are mentoring Super Bowl MVPquarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.

Cutcliffes football roots began at an Alabama high school as a linebacker.His father died in his sophomore year and football coaches became the most

important men in his life. He knew hed be a coach one day.After high school, Cutcliffe went on to the University of Alabama,

where he was a student assistant under head coach Paul Bear Bryant. Hereturned to his high school alma mater and became head coach and won astate championship. After two high school seasons, Cutcliffe joinedTennessee and helped the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship.

Duke is such a

vibrant part of

Durham, and Durham such a

vibrant part of Duke. Thats

why I enjoy talking to thepeople who work here

every day.

David Cutcliffe,

Duke Head Football Coach

>> See DAWN OF A NEW DAY, PAGE 5

Among Coach David Cutcliffes collegiate credentials are mentoring Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks

Eli Manning, left, and brother, Peyton Manning, right.

DUKE FACULTY AND STAFF ARE THE EXTENDED TEAM, COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE SAYS.

N E W S Y O U C A N U S E : : V o l u m e 3 , I s s u e 7 : : S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 8

Dawnof a New

Day


2/8

Got a lecture you want the Duke communityto attend or want to find something fun todo at Duke this weekend?

Go to Events@Duke, the universitys new calendarat calendar.duke.edu.

Launched in August, the calendar highlights campus

events ranging from arts and athletics to lectures, religiousevents, university ceremonies and more.We worked with students, faculty and staff from

across campus to identify what people really want in anonline calendar, said Deborah Johnson, assistant viceprovost, who led the project in partnership with theOffice of Information Technology and BlackwellInteractive. We hope the calendar will encourage morepeople to take advantage of the many concerts, films,lectures, games and other events that make Duke such anexciting place to work.

The new calendar is more functional and appealingthan its predecessor, Johnson said. It enables Duke officesto enter events just once and have them also appear ondepartment, school or unit calendars and even private

group calendars. The new system also is compatible withstandard personal calendar tools.Calendar viewers can sort quickly through all

upcoming events and view them within dates or specificcategories. Ongoing events, such as art exhibits, arefeatured in a separate area on the home page, reducingclutter in the daily event listings. Viewers also cansubscribe to RSS feeds to receive notification aboutevents posted by specific groups, or in particular timeperiods or categories.

Designated individuals may enter events for thenew calendar for their school, department or unit, asmay any Duke community member with a valid NetIDand password. Submissions will be individually reviewedand published as appropriate.

By the offices of News and Communication and

Communication Services

New online events calendar is archway to DukeView events by day, week, month, year:

Use the mini-calendar and the Day, Week, and

Month links to view events for desired dates. See

future dates by using the Year link to display all

months in that year.

Search events: Search for a keyword.

Use an asterisk (*) wildcard for parts of words,

or a question mark (?) for a single character.

Search by keywords and categories with

Advanced Search.

Select categories: Use

Calendar Views to see all

events in a category

grouping. Expand view

to display more specific

categories.

Manage events: If youre a

calendar administrator, use this

to manage your groups events.

NetID and password required.

Submit events: Use this to

submit events for consideration.

NetID and password required.

Ongoing: Look here for events

that span a period of days.

Newsbriefs

2

Refectory Cafe expands to Duke Law SchoolA popular dining spot at Duke is spreading its wings.

Bon Vivant Catering, which has operated the Refectory Cafe in

the Divinity School since 2005, is opening a second eatery in the Duke

Law School at the corner of Towerview and Science drives.

The Refectory at Duke Law will open Sept. 8 in the atrium facing

Science Drive. It will serve meals

from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday

through Friday.

The decision to add a new

eatery in the Law School was

prompted by a growing need for

convenient, healthy dining options in

the graduate schools, said Jim

Wulforst, director of Duke Dining

Services. A committee from the Law School selected Bon Vivant

Catering from five vendors who submitted bids. I anticipate the

Refectory will continue to woo customers in the Law School in the

same way it does at the Divinity School.

In addition to grilled grass-fed beef burgers and seasoned fresh-

cut fries, the new Refectory will emphasize the same fresh, local

produce and gourmet-quality dishes that draw hundreds of staff and

faculty each day to the Divinity School location on West Campus.

Use your DukeCard FLEX account at either Refectory location

and receive a 10 percent discount. For menus, visitwww.bonvivantcatering.com .

Get techie with OITThe Office of Information Technologys Learn IT @ Lunch

seminar series for Duke staff and faculty continues this fall with topics

ranging from computer security to Web 2.0.

Fall sessions include Introduction to Scalable/Parallel Computing

on Sept. 17 and Staying Secure: Tips and Tricks on Oct. 15.

All sessions are noon to 1 p.m. in Suite 106 of the OIT

Telecommunications Building at the Duke Renaissance Computing

Institute (RENCI) Center, 309 Science Drive Extension, West Campus.

For directions, visit www.renci.org/about/duke.php.

Previous sessions on Elluminate, DukeWiki, ViewsFlash and other

topics are available at iTunesU at www.itunes.duke.edu .

For details on Learn IT @ Lunch, visit www.oit.duke.edu/training

or send e-mail to [email protected].

New electronicnewsletter launches

Check your e-mail inbox each

Thursday for The Week at Duke, a

new electronic newsletter for staff

and faculty. Launched in August, the

e-mail is filled with links to news you

can use about campus events,research and sites such as

Employee Services.

Dukes Office of News and

Communications launched The

Week at Duke to replace eDuke

Daily, eDuke Monthly and eDuke

Media Clips, which provided

summaries of Duke news,

research and media coverage.

Providing timely information to the Duke

community is one of the most important aspects of our

communications program, said Vice President for Public Affairs and

Government Relations Michael Schoenfeld. The Week at Duke will do

that quickly and easily.

Reimbursement rate rises for travel expensesIf you use your personal car for business or to drive to

meetings around campus, Duke will reimburse you for mileage

based on the Internal Revenue Services standard reimbursement

rate. The IRS has increased the rate to 58.5 cents per mile for all

business miles driven from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2008. The old

rate was 50.5 cents per mile.

To request reimbursement for business-related travel, submit a

Miscellaneous Reimbursement Form with supervisor approval after

reaching a minimum of $25 in expenses.

If you make frequent, regular trips throughout the week,

maintain a Mileage Log and attach it with the reimbursement form.

For forms and information, including instructions for submitting

forms, visit www.finsvc.duke.edu/gap/m200-021.html .

Letters to the Editor must include name and contact information. E-mailletters to [email protected] 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.

Go to the new calendar at calendar.duke.edu

EditorsNote

Ilike fan mail, even when readers

offer constructive feedback, my

nice way of saying, We goofed.Last month, I received two

e-mails about a chart with Time

Out, the cover story on Dukesvacation benefit. The chart showed

the number of paid days off for

hourly and monthly paid staff byyears of service.

All of the numbers were accurate.But, as the readers noted, theyreflected all paid days off, including

sick time, holidays and vacation days.One reader wrote, I feel that

including sick days, which I cannot

take when I want to embark on along trip, is very misleading. I

realize that they are paid days and

that you did address them in thearticle, but I certainly dont

consider those days when Im

thinking about my next vacation.In retrospect, the title for the

chart, Paid Days Off by Years ofService, could have been clearer.

Combining vacation, sick time and

holidays was necessary when

comparing Dukes paid time off withother employers. We should have

explained this in a footnote with thechart, which weve since adjusted for

other communications.

This months Working@Dukeis packed with must-reads: get the

scoop on Duke football and healthinsurance rates. But also check

out Page 6 for a new feature,

Inside Duke, and get to know theOrganization for Tropical Studies

at Duke. Each month, well highlight

a department and uncover a hiddenfact. You wont want to miss it.

Thanks for reading,

Leanora


3/8

Its that time again open enrollment, that stretch inOctober when faculty and staff select or make changesto health, dental, vision and reimbursement benefits.

For the fourth consecutive year, participants in theDuke Basic plan will not see a premium increase.Other insurance plans such as Duke Select will have

modest increases in 2009. Premiums for Duke Select,which covers the majority of Duke employees andfamilies, will increase $1.64 per month for individuals;$9.76 per month for families. The monthly premiumincrease for Blue Care is $2.70 for individuals; $12.20for family. The increase for individuals in Blue Optionsis $2.60; $12 for family.

Health insurance is one of the most popular benefitsat Duke with 90 percent of eligible faculty and staffparticipating, said Lois Ann Green, director of Benefits,adding that the benefits popularity is based largely on the

value it offers.Few employers in the area can compare with Dukes

health benefits in terms of premiums, out-of-pocket costsand coverage, she said. Our employees also have accessto innovative programs such as Duke Prospective Healthand cutting-edge medical care through Duke Medicine.

Green said that Dukes continued focus will be toengage faculty and staff to take advantage of the resourcesavailable to maintain or improve their health, which has a

direct impact on health benefit costs.Thats why we are promoting and investing inpreventive health programs, Green said. We care thatour employees enjoy good health, for their own sake andthe sake of their families.

Other 2009 health plan updates include:

I Out-of-pocket expenses (co-payments,deductibles) for health, dental, pharmacy andvision insurance will not change.

I The vision care premium will stay the same.I The monthly premium for the comprehensive

dental plan A will rise $1.82 for individuals; $5.53for family. The premium for dental plan B remainsthe same.

I Online enrollment will be offered throughDuke@Work, the employee self-service Web site.

I Dependent Care and Health Care ReimbursementAccounts do not automatically roll over.Employees must re-join during open enrollmentin October.

3

Monica Spaulding never had serious health problemsuntil last December when severe allergies struck. Shehad hives, congested sinuses and watery, itchy eyes.

As Spaulding visited many doctors and tried various

medications, costs added up. But she wasnt worried aboutthe bill because she had a Health Care Reimbursement

Account and Health Care Card.It has been a blessing to have the reimbursement

account because I didnt have to budget for theseunexpected health expenses, said Spaulding, clinical dataspecialist with the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Themoney was already there in my reimbursement account,and the card made it convenient to use that money.

This was the first year Duke offered the Health CareCard through Visa, which allows for payment of eligiblehealth care expenses at the register, using money from theHealth Care Reimbursement Account.

The Health Care Card, provided by WageWorks,Dukes reimbursement account administrator, works similarto a debit card. Money for eligible expenses such asprescriptions, dental, vision and doctors co-payments andsome over-the-counter drugs are automatically deductedfrom the employees reimbursement account.

During this years open enrollment, faculty and staffcan enroll in Dukes Health Care Reimbursement Accountand take advantage of the Health Care Card and cost-savings. Now is the time to start thinking about how much

pre-tax money to contribute in 2009 to reimbursementaccounts. The contribution sets the cards spending limit.

While the Health Care Card is convenient, Saundra

Daniels, Benefits plan manager, urges employees to keepreceipts and review the usage guidelines to ensure thebest experience.

Employees should check that a purchase is eligiblebefore using the card, keep all purchase receipts and reviewmonthly reimbursement account statements, she said.Sometimes, filing receipts is still required after using the card.

If purchases are made that do not match standardco-pay amounts, or if purchases are made with a retailerthat is not certified to automatically approve eligibleexpenses at the register, you will have to file a receipt toverify the expense, Daniels said.

The card can be used with health care providers, atpharmacies and certified retailers for over-the-counter

drugs. Some local certified pharmacies include Walgreens,Wal-Mart, Target, CVS and Kerr Drug. Duke pharmaciesare in the process of becoming a certified retailer, whichshould occur by January 1, 2009. For Medco Health andother retailers that are not yet certified, receipts may berequired to verify purchases for reimbursement.

A majority of card transactions for Duke employees donot require paperwork. But Spaulding still makes a practiceof saving her receipts and reviewing her monthly statements.

I plan to enroll in this again for next year, Spauldingsaid. It has been extremely convenient, even if there are timesthat I have to send in a receipt, the response is very fast.

Stories by Elizabeth Michalka

Communication Specialist,Human Resources Communications

Learn about open enrollment and health and dependent care reimbursement accounts

later this month at www.hr.duke.edu/enroll

ReimbursementCard Reminders

Keep receipts from card

purchases.

Check WageWorks monthly

statements, which will include

a Card Use Verification Form

that includes transactions

with the card that require

receipts to verify charges.

If receipts are needed,

submit them along with the

Card Use Verification form

within 75 days of thetransaction to keep your

card active.

If a charge is not verified

within 75 days, that amount

will be deducted from your

next requested

reimbursement check, or you

can repay your account per

the instructions on your

statement.

Monica Spaulding, clinical data specialist with the Duke Clinical Research

Institute, has a Health Care Reimbursement Account and Health Care Card.

OpenEnrollmentTips

Open Enrollment

packets with details

about Dukes health,

dental and vision plans will

be mailed in September.

Health benefit

information sessions

will begin in late

September. A schedule

will be posted on the Duke

Human Resources Web site

at www.hr.duke.edu by

mid-September.

Call the Duke Open

Enrollment Service

Center at (919) 684-

5600 from 8 a.m. to 8

p.m. Monday through

Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

on Saturdays, from Oct. 4

through Oct. 14.

Online enrollment

will be offered

through Duke@Work,the employee self-

service Web site.

!

!

!

!

Annual Expenses Annual Approximate Pre-taxWithout Reimbursement Savings With Reimbursement

Account Account

Co-pays $75 $25

Prescriptions $300 $100

Over-the-countermedicines $75 $25

Uncovered dental/vision expenses $300 $100

Total $750 $250

HEALTH CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT SAVINGS

Sign up, change health, dental,vision insurance Oct. 4 to Oct. 14

Health care savings at the swipe of a card

The chart is an example of an individuals various health care expenses over

one year, and how much she would save with a Duke Health Care Reimbursement

Account, regardless of the health insurance plan. Faculty and staff can save

about $30 to $40 for every $100 on eligible health care expenses since

reimbursement accounts use pre-tax money.


4/8

Dr. Jeffrey Brantley, director of Dukes Mindfulness-Based Stress

Reduction Program at Duke Integrative Medicine, will explore the

possibilities of making work a source of deeper satisfaction and

discovery during a seminar at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Center for

Living. Brantley is the author of Five Good Minutes at Work:

100 mindful practices to help you relieve stress and bring your bestto work. The seminar, sponsored by Duke Prospective Health and

Duke Integrative Medicine, is free for Duke faculty and staff.

Living in the world

these days can be a

challenge. Your

personal life family,

relationships, finances,

even health conditions

can change in a moment.Deeply intertwined

and interconnected with

these dimensions of livingis the work you do. Daily,even hourly, the larger

world is present with thepersonal world, whichaccompanies you into your working life,moment by moment.

What if your work could be a field for engaging andexperiencing a deeper sense of connection, for practicingqualities of generosity, compassion, and fearlessness, andfor awakening a greater sense of awe and gratitude for themystery of being alive?

Learning to bring sharper attention to the presentmoment, and include with kindness and compassion, the

flow of your inner thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations,

can be your doorway to a profoundly different relationshipwith work and life.

Back in the 1960s, a popular notion was to trip.This meant many things, but it could mean that when aperson was on a trip, they were so fixated in a particular

view that they could no longer respond effectively or seeother possibilities. People would say, Hes on a real powertrip; shes on her own trip.

So, what isyour work tripthese days?

What if youmade the intentionto approach work

with morecuriosity? Just stop,breathe quietly andbe mindful ofbreath sensations,

asking yourself,What ishappening now?

Am I on somekind of trip?

Then, you could work with that answer in many ways.What if you responded with more compassion, greater

generosity and with fearlessness to whatever you noticedinside or outside yourself, as you deliberately paid mindfulattention? Five minutes spent in this way would be fivegood minutes.

By Jeffrey Brantley

Director, Dukes Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program

How to find five good minutes at work

4

To learn more about seminars and to register for the Sept. 18 seminar with Dr. Brantley,visit www.dukeprospectivehealth.org

Instant messaging facilitates quick communication,collaboration

When Tamberly Ferguson logs on to hercomputer, she can start an instant chat with morethan 100 professionals in places as far away as Mexicoand Italy.

A Web producer in Dukes Office of News andCommunications, Ferguson uses Dukes instant-messaging

(IM) service to chat in real time with campus colleagues, as well asvendors and other Web professionals across the U.S.

If Im at my computer working on a project, Ill leave my IM screenup, Ferguson said. Thats the best way to reach me, if you want to getto me quickly.

The service, based on the Jabber/XMPP protocol, facilitates groupchat meetings, storing a searchable transcript of conversations. It alsoprovides color-coded indicators to show whether someone is present, idleor away.

While IM started primarily as a tool for social interaction, chat ismoving toward not just what you do with your closest, best friends buta way to work with all your collaborators, said Mark McCahill, systems

architect in the Office of Information Technology. If you know someoneis awake and potentially available for conversation, you can probably doa chat instead of sending an e-mail.

For Ferguson, IM proved essential on collaborative projects withexternal vendors such as the company that helped with the redesign ofthe Duke Today Web site. On that project, she regularly met in a chatsession with developers in Rhode Island and California. They sent

working files to her via IM, which she uploaded to a Duke server.If you send an e-mail, how long will it take to get there? Ferguson

asked. Its so much easier to send an IM, and you get it instantly.

She also has found it useful in requesting quick feedback fromcolleagues using different platforms: I can say, Hey, I just launched thissite or did this cool animation can you tell me what you think? Hows

it working for you on that side of the world? Jabber can be integrated with other IM services such as AOL Instant

Messenger, Yahoo, MSN and Google without running multiple chatclients.

Starting this fall, OIT is creating ready-made Jabber chat rooms forall Duke courses as an option for instructors. Transcripts of the coursechat sessions will be stored in that courses WebFiles space.

By Cara Bonnett

Managing Editor, News & Information

Office of Information Technology

For details on getting started with IM at Duke, including how to add Duke buddies,

visit http://oit.duke.edu/email_messaging/messaging/index.html .

Techtalk

Tamberly Ferguson, Web producer in the Office of News and Communications, uses instant

messaging for work. Thats the best way to reach me, if you want to get to me quickly, she said.

Tips for Five GoodMinutes at Work

1. Develop capacity formindfulness by practicing

it. Be mindful by paying

attention, on purpose

in a non-judging and

receptive way.

2. Remember the power ofintention. Setting your

intention can be like using

a compass. It points you in

the right direction. A helpfulintention might be: Today,

when I feel stressed out,

I will take time to pay closer

attention to myself, to

manage my stress wisely

and to not let it hijack me

in my work.

3. Self-care is not selfish.Remember to regard

yourself with at least the

same respect and dignity

you would offer a stranger.

Dr. Jeffrey Brantley


5/8


6/8

Department: Organization for Tropical Studies

Years at Duke: 32 years

Who they are: The organization, called OTS for short, is a non-profit international

consortium of 63 universities and research institutes around the globe. Its mission is tostrengthen education, research and rational use of natural resources in the tropics. Theorganization owns and operates three premiere biological research stations in Costa Ricaand has a partnership with Kruger National Park in South Africa. The facilities are used byDuke students, universities, researchers and visitors.

What theyre known for: Providing locations, tools and leadership for field-basededucation and independent research in tropical biology, ecology, and starting in 2009 global health. Data gathered by students and researchers has been cited in thousands ofresearch papers. The La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica is recognized internationallyas a premiere site for rain forest research.

What they can do for you: Duke staff and faculty can make overnight reservations indormitory-style rooms at OTS field stations in Costa Rica for research, environmentalprojects, nature walks and bird watching tours.

Number of employees: 14 Duke employees on the Durham campus headquarters(410 Swift Ave.); about 200 non-Duke affiliated staff in Costa Rica, Peru and South Africa.

Hidden department fact: Duke students in Kruger National Park in South Africa used bucketsof elephant dung to lure 60,000 beetles to study the role the beetles play in savannahs.

Significant achievement: The hands-on education model that we pioneered more thanfour decades ago is still the gold standard for field courses, said Ed Stashko, vicepresident for global programs. Courses all over the world are modeled after our programand are often called OTS-style courses.

Big goal: In January 2009, OTS will work with the Duke Global Health Institute and StudyAbroad to launch an exciting new undergraduate program in tropical medicine and publichealth, and were expecting to send about 25 students from Duke to Costa Rica as part of

this program, said Steve Hutcheson, an OTS admissions counselor. This is an outstanding opportunity for studentsconsidering careers in public health and medicine, and for Duke to play another integral role in promoting public healtharound the world.

How they make a difference: OTS researchers, with support from a National Science Foundation grant, will set up smartelectronic sensors at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica next year to gather data on climate change and rainforestsas part of the Global Change and Tropical Ecosystems Initiative. This will make La Selva the first wireless rainforest, opening

new frontiers in research. By Missy BaxterSenior Writer, Office of Communication Services

When John Loftin first tried stand-up comedy in 2006,the audience wasnt laughing.

I bombed really horribly the first few times, said

Loftin, 25, a video services specialist in the Office ofCurriculum for Dukes School of Medicine. I figured outpretty fast that I better adjust my approach and lighten upmy act if I wanted to make it as a comedian.

Crowds nowchuckle so much thatLoftin was recentlynamed CarolinasFunniest Comic duringa statewide competitionat DSI Comedy Theaterin Carrboro. Duke staffand faculty can catchhim on stage Sept. 10at Goodnights Comedy

Club in Raleigh andSept. 18 at DSI.

Dont expect to hear any Duke-related jokes, though.Loftin, who prepares Powerpoint presentations and

streaming videos that are used to teach Duke medicalstudents around the world, said his role at Duke doesntmake its way into his routine. He also runs the audio-videoequipment at the Duke South Clinic Amphitheater.

Im such a goofball that I dont have to look far forgood material, but I dont actually get any material from

work, he said.

That wasnt always the case.Jobs I had previously all spawned humor because of

how tortured I was, he said of his previous positions at

electronics and coffee retail stores.Heres a sample from his act: I worked at Circuit City,

too. One time, I tossed a girl a DVD across a counter, and ithit her in the face. I tried to apologize, but she said it wasntthe first time she cried at Steel Magnolias.

Loftin, a 2006 graduate of Appalachian State University,launched his comedy career on college radio. He honed hisact during open mike nights at DSI, Broad Street Caf andother Triangle area clubs.

People laugh as soon as John steps onstage, saidDSI owner Zach Ward, who calls Loftins shtick dazedand confused.

Although Loftins vocabulary isnt G-rated, his jokestypically poke fun at himself and human nature.

Performing standup is such a payoff, Loftin said. Even

people who dont appreciate the art form always have respectfor people who go out there and do it.

As winner of the Carolinas Funniest Comic contest, hewon $800. That helped cover travel expenses this summer toNew York, where Loftin performed in a comedy festival thathighlighted improvisational humor.

I like doing improv because it keeps me on my toes,he said. With comedy, you have to keep your material fresh.

By Diane Daniel, Working@Duke Correspondent,

and Missy Baxter, Senior Writer,

Office of Communication Services

No joke: Duke employeeis funniest comedian in state

6

INSIDE DUKE CONNECTS FACULTY AND STAFF WITH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS DUKE. GOT AN IDEAFOR A DEPARTMENT TO HIGHLIGHT? SEND IDEAS TO [email protected] OR CALL 681-4533.

Check out John Loftins standup routine at www.duke.edu/today/archive/oncamera.php.

________

Blue Devilof the Month________

South African ecosystems, Costa Ricantropical habitats studied by Duke

John Loftin, video services

specialist at Dukes School ofMedicine, is Carolinas

Funniest Comic.

African elephants, such as this one

in Kruger National Park in South

Africa, are among the many animals

studied by Duke students enrolled

in the Organization for Tropical

Studies program.


7/8

Y O U R S O U R C E F O R G R E E N N E W S A T D U K E

Sustainable uke

7

LEARN MORE ABOUT RECYCLING EFFORTS AT DUKE AT WWW.FMD.DUKE.EDU/RECYCLES

Blue Devil football fans (left to right) Ramsey Elliott, Logan Elliott, Jake Schwarze and Keir Schwarze collected plastic cups during a Duke home football

game at Wallace Wade Stadium to help raise money for Recycle for the Children.

Recycled cups runneth over

MARK YOURCALENDARS AND

SUPPORT RECYCLEFOR THE CHILDREN

AT BLUE DEVILHOME FOOTBALL

GAMES:

SEPT. 6, 13, 27

OCT. 18

NOV. 8, 29

RECYCLINGBY THE NUMBERS

1,467 TONSPlastic, Glass, Aluminum

and Paper Recycledat Duke in 2007

1,004 POUNDSPlastic Collected at

2007 Duke HomeFootball Games

353 POUNDSAluminum Collectedat 2007 Duke Home

Football Games

1,706 POUNDSGlass Collected at 2007

Duke Home Football GamesAs hundreds of football fans watched the final minutesof last years Duke-Wake Forest game in Wallace

Wade Stadium, brothers Ramsey Elliott, 12, andLogan Elliott, 14, turned their eyes from the fieldto the stands.

The goal: plastic cups.The Elliott brothers along with friends, Jake

Schwarze, 14, and Keir Schwarze, 11 rushed throughthe stands, gathering dozens of plastic cups. Theycarried the plastic towers to a DukeRecycles booth near a stadium gate,dropped them into a large blue binand selected prizes such as Duke clocksand suncatchers.

The cup contest is a fun way towrap up an afternoon at the game,said Carol Elliott, Ramseys andLogans mother and a regulatorycoordinator with Duke Medicines

Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant

Program. The boys started formingtheir game plan as soon as the announcermentioned a contest.

Fans who attend Blue Devil home footballgames, including three in September, will hear anannouncement about Dukes Recycle for the Childrencontest at the end of each game. Fans can hustle to collectthe most plastic cups and help raise money for DukeChildrens Hospital & Health Center.

Duke employees and their families can get involvedin the Recycle for the Children program by competing inthe cup contest, tossing recyclable items into collectionbins at home games and suggesting volunteer groups tohelp gather recyclable items after the games. Thevolunteers, along with parents and chaperones, receive

free admission to the game and are recognized by theannouncer.

Along with supporting the kids at Duke ChildrensHospital, this program helps the environment andeducates people about the importance of recycling, said

Arwen Buchholz, coordinator for Dukes recycling andwaste reduction programs. Volunteering for the Recyclefor Children program is a great way for groups to earn

community service hours and enjoy an excitingfootball game for free.

During last years football season,more than 1,000 pounds of plastic and

2,000 pounds of aluminum and glasswere collected. The proceeds from the

sale of recyclable items are used tobuy toys, games and art supplies forthe childrens hospital.

I attend the home footballgames and it is always great to hear

the announcement about the contest

and the volunteer groups because Iknow it helps us provide many hours

of positive distraction for our youngpatients, said Edith Rosenblatt, coordinator of

pediatric volunteer services at Duke Childrens Hospital& Health Center.

Boy Scout Troop 43 of Mebane has assisted severaltimes with the program as a community service project.

Volunteering allowed the scouts to learn a lot moreabout recycling and they had a big time at the games,said the troops leader, Jeff Harward, a landscape specialist

with Duke Facilities Management. Plus, we were proudto help raise money for such a great childrens hospital.

By Missy Baxter

Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services


8/8

Over the years, Ive taken several classes through Learning& Organization Development on business software

applications such as SAP and other things related to payroll. Itsgreat that Duke offers employees the tools to continue improvingand advance their careers.

Donna Hubert, business manager, Public Affairs and Government

Relations

25 years at Duke

What additional schooling or training have youconsidered for your job at Duke?

I havent taken any courses yet, but Ive been reading thecatalogue from Learning & Organization Development.

Ive got my eye on the Microsoft Access training. I just need towork it into my schedule.

Thomas Urban, postdoctoral associate, Center for Population

Genomics and Pharmacogenetics

1 year at Duke

Duke has provided a lot of opportunities through Learning & OrganizationDevelopment, and Ive taken several helpful classes on topics such as technical writing

and Keys to Supervisory Success. I also used employee tuition assistance to take a businessreference class at UNC-Chapel Hills library school and thats coming in useful in my role inSpecial Collections for Duke Libraries.

Lynn Eaton, reference archivist, Perkins Library

11 years at Duke

dialogue@DukeHOW TO REACH USEditor: Leanora Minai

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[email protected]

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Paul Figuerado

Photography: Missy Baxter, Office

of Communication Services; Duke

University Photography; and

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Working@Dukeis published monthly

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future story topics.

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By Missy Baxter

Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

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stories?Write

[email protected] Call

681-4533

PERQS

Jennifer Philips was about to pay for a Bluetooth device at a Verizon Wireless store last year and happened to mention

to the sales clerk that she worked at Duke.

Did you know that Duke employees get discounted Verizon plans here? the clerk asked.

Philips, assistant director for health professions at Dukes Career Center, had no idea. She enrolled on the spot for the

Verizon discount on her cellular service plan. Now, shes saving $10 each month on her bill.

The discount was possible through PERQS, Dukes faculty and staff discount program. Employees

receive a variety of savings from Verizon, including a discount on phones, 15 percent off monthly cell

plans of $35 or more and 25 percent off accessories, including Bluetooth devices. Other cellular

providers such as Alltel and AT&T offer discounts through PERQS, too.

It was easy for me to sign up for the discount, Philips said. All I had to do was fill out a form

and verify that I am a Duke employee. The new rate appeared on her next billing statement.

When asked how she spends the extra money, Philips chuckled. Its nice to have the extra $10

a month, but its not enough money to go buy new clothes or anything just about two gallons of

gasoline and some change.

Philips said the savings has taught her to be more aware of the other offers available for Duke

employees. She checks the PERQS Web site before major purchases to see if a discount is available.

I make it a point of asking if theres a Duke discount everywhere I go, Philips said.

By Jill Jenkins

Senior Communication Strategist, Human Resources

Priced to cell

E M P L O Y E E D I S C O U N T S

Employees interested in receiving periodic e-mail notices of discounts may enrollin the Duke PERQS list serv. Go to www.hr.duke.edu/discounts.

Jennifer Philips, assistant director for

health professions at Dukes Career

Center, enrolled in a Verizon discount

through Dukes discount program. Shes

saving $10 each month on her cellular

service plan.

2008-Working@Duke - September, 2008

Documents

2008-Working@Duke - September, 2008