2008-working@duke - September, 2008

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NEW CALENDAR Duke launches an online calendar that serves as an archway to campus, highlighting events, lectures, arts and more.

N E W S YO U CA N U S E

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IT’S TIME Start considering plan options: open enrollment for health plans and reimbursement benefits begins in October.

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SUSTAINABLE DUKE Collect plastic cups for recycling during Duke home football games and help children and the environment.

September 2008

Dawn of a New Day DUKE FACULTY AND STAFF ARE THE “EXTENDED TEAM,” COACH DAVID CUTCLIFFE SAYS.

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o ahead, tell him. Tell Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe he can’t succeed. Tell him that Duke is destined to be the doormat of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA. Remind him that Duke entered the 2008 season with a 25-game losing streak in the ACC and that Duke hasn’t had a winning season or played in a bowl game since 1994. Cutcliffe, appointed in December as the 21st head football coach in Duke history, has heard it all, knows he’ll hear more – but he’s loving every minute of it. “This is fun every single day to take this on,” Cutcliffe said. “I’ve had people who had the audacity – and I love it when they say it because it just fuels the fire – ‘Yeah you’re having fun now. Wait ’til the games start.’ I even had somebody within the university – I’m not going to say who – say, ‘We’ll just see.’ “I’m going to pick up the phone and call him once we start playing and say, ‘Hey, I just wanted you to know we’re still having fun playing.’ ” Duke is such a For those who think vibrant part of turning around Duke football Durham, and Durham such a won’t happen, Cutcliffe says: “You can accept conditions as vibrant part of Duke. That’s they exist, or take responsibility why I enjoy talking to the in order to bring about change.” people who work here “I want people to understand that Duke is every day.” taking football seriously,” said — David Cutcliffe, Cutcliffe, who turns 54 this Duke Head Football Coach month. “I have also done this: I have taken the time to make sure that they understand this culture change is not just about the players. We’ve 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 Duke as a coach with 22 bowl game appearances, including the 2007 and 2008 Outback bowls, and a Southeastern Conference coach of the year honor.

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2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters

His resume includes serving as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee, and six years as head coach at the University of Mississippi, where he compiled a 44-29 record and appeared in five bowl games. Among his collegiate credentials are mentoring Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning. Cutcliffe’s 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 he’d 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. He returned to his high school alma mater and became head coach and won a state championship. After two high school seasons, Cutcliffe joined Tennessee and helped the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship. >> See DAWN OF A NEW DAY, PAGE 5

Among Coach David Cutcliffe’s collegiate credentials are mentoring Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks Eli Manning, left, and brother, Peyton Manning, right.

This paper consists of 30% recycled post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.

Editor’s Note

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like 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 Duke’s vacation benefit. The chart showed the number of paid days off for hourly and monthly paid staff by years of service. All of the numbers were accurate. But, as the readers noted, they reflected 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 a long trip, is very misleading. I realize that they are paid days and that you did address them in the article, but I certainly don’t consider those days when I’m thinking about my next vacation.” In retrospect, the title for the chart, “Paid Days Off by Years of Service,” could have been clearer. Combining vacation, sick time and holidays was necessary when comparing Duke’s paid time off with other employers. We should have explained this in a footnote with the chart, which we’ve since adjusted for other communications. This month’s Working@Duke is packed with must-reads: get the scoop on Duke football and health insurance rates. But also check out Page 6 for a new feature, Inside Duke, and get to know the Organization for Tropical Studies at Duke. Each month, we’ll highlight a department and uncover a hidden fact. You won’t want to miss it. Thanks for reading, Leanora

Newsbriefs Refectory Cafe expands to Duke Law School A 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 freshcut 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, visit www.bonvivantcatering.com.

Get techie with OIT The Office of Information Technology’s 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 electronic newsletter 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. Duke’s 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 expenses If 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 Service’s 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-mail letters 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.

New online events calendar is archway to Duke ot a lecture you want the Duke community to attend or want to find something fun to do at Duke this weekend? Go to Events@Duke, the university’s new calendar at calendar.duke.edu. Launched in August, the calendar highlights campus events ranging from arts and athletics to lectures, religious events, university ceremonies and more. “We worked with students, faculty and staff from across campus to identify what people really want in an online calendar,” said Deborah Johnson, assistant vice provost, who led the project in partnership with the Office of Information Technology and Blackwell Interactive. “We hope the calendar will encourage more people to take advantage of the many concerts, films, lectures, games and other events that make Duke such an exciting place to work.” The new calendar is more functional and appealing than its predecessor, Johnson said. It enables Duke offices to enter events just once and have them also appear on department, school or unit calendars – and even private group calendars. The new system also is compatible with standard personal calendar tools. Calendar viewers can sort quickly through all upcoming events and view them within dates or specific categories. Ongoing events, such as art exhibits, are featured in a separate area on the home page, reducing clutter in the daily event listings. Viewers also can subscribe to RSS feeds to receive notification about events posted by specific groups, or in particular time periods or categories. Designated individuals may enter events for the new calendar for their school, department or unit, as may any Duke community member with a valid NetID and password. Submissions will be individually reviewed and published as appropriate.

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View 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.

Select categories: Use Calendar Views to see all events in a category grouping. Expand view to display more specific categories.

— By the offices of News and Communication and Communication Services

Go to the new calendar at

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.

Manage events: If you’re a calendar administrator, use this to manage your group’s events. NetID and password required.

Ongoing: Look here for events that span a period of days.

Submit events: Use this to submit events for consideration. NetID and password required.

calendar.duke.edu

Sign up, change health, dental, vision insurance Oct. 4 to Oct. 14 I t’s that time again – open enrollment, that stretch in October when faculty and staff select or make changes to health, dental, vision and reimbursement benefits. For the fourth consecutive year, participants in the Duke 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 and families, will increase $1.64 per month for individuals; $9.76 per month for families. The monthly premium increase for Blue Care is $2.70 for individuals; $12.20 for family. The increase for individuals in Blue Options is $2.60; $12 for family. Health insurance is one of the most popular benefits at Duke with 90 percent of eligible faculty and staff participating, said Lois Ann Green, director of Benefits, adding that the benefit’s popularity is based largely on the value it offers. “Few employers in the area can compare with Duke’s health benefits in terms of premiums, out-of-pocket costs and coverage,” she said. “Our employees also have access to innovative programs such as Duke Prospective Health and cutting-edge medical care through Duke Medicine.”

Green said that Duke’s continued focus will be to engage faculty and staff to take advantage of the resources available to maintain or improve their health, which has a direct impact on health benefit costs. “That’s why we are promoting and investing in preventive health programs,” Green said. “We care that our employees enjoy good health, for their own sake and the sake of their families.” Other 2009 health plan updates include: ■ Out-of-pocket expenses (co-payments, deductibles) for health, dental, pharmacy and vision insurance will not change. ■ The vision care premium will stay the same. ■ The monthly premium for the comprehensive dental plan A will rise $1.82 for individuals; $5.53 for family. The premium for dental plan B remains the same. ■ Online enrollment will be offered through Duke@Work, the employee self-service Web site. ■ Dependent Care and Health Care Reimbursement Accounts do not automatically roll over. Employees must re-join during open enrollment in October.

Health care savings at the swipe of a card onica Spaulding never had serious health problems until last December when severe allergies struck. She had hives, congested sinuses and watery, itchy eyes. As Spaulding visited many doctors and tried various medications, costs added up. But she wasn’t worried about the 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 didn’t have to budget for these unexpected health expenses,” said Spaulding, clinical data specialist with the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “The money 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 Care Card through Visa, which allows for payment of eligible health care expenses at the register, using money from the Health Care Reimbursement Account.

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Monica Spaulding, clinical data specialist with the Duke Clinical Research Institute, has a Health Care Reimbursement Account and Health Care Card.

The Health Care Card, provided by WageWorks, Duke’s reimbursement account administrator, works similar to a debit card. Money for eligible expenses such as prescriptions, dental, vision and doctor’s co-payments and some over-the-counter drugs are automatically deducted from the employee’s reimbursement account. During this year’s open enrollment, faculty and staff can enroll in Duke’s Health Care Reimbursement Account and take advantage of the Health Care Card and costsavings. Now is the time to start thinking about how much pre-tax money to contribute in 2009 to reimbursement accounts. The contribution sets the card’s spending limit.

Open Enrollment Tips Open Enrollment packets with details about Duke’s 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) 6845600 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.

HEALTH CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT SAVINGS Annual Expenses Without Reimbursement Account

Annual Approximate Pre-tax Savings With Reimbursement Account

Co-pays Prescriptions Over-the-counter medicines Uncovered dental/ vision expenses

$75 $300

$25 $100

$75

$25

$300

$100

Total

$750

$250

Online enrollment will be offered through Duke@Work, the employee selfservice Web site.

The chart is an example of an individual’s 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.

While the Health Care Card is convenient, Saundra Daniels, Benefits plan manager, urges employees to keep receipts and review the usage guidelines to ensure the best experience. Employees should check that a purchase is eligible before using the card, keep all purchase receipts and review monthly reimbursement account statements, she said. Sometimes, filing receipts is still required after using the card. “If purchases are made that do not match standard co-pay amounts, or if purchases are made with a retailer that is not certified to automatically approve eligible expenses at the register, you will have to file a receipt to verify the expense,” Daniels said. The card can be used with health care providers, at pharmacies and certified retailers for over-the-counter drugs. Some local certified pharmacies include Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, CVS and Kerr Drug. Duke pharmacies are in the process of becoming a certified retailer, which should occur by January 1, 2009. For Medco Health and other retailers that are not yet certified, receipts may be required to verify purchases for reimbursement. A majority of card transactions for Duke employees do not require paperwork. But Spaulding still makes a practice of saving her receipts and reviewing her monthly statements. “I plan to enroll in this again for next year,” Spaulding said. “It has been extremely convenient, even if there are times that I have to send in a receipt, the response is very fast.”

Reimbursement Card Reminders receipts from card ! Keep purchases. WageWorks’ monthly ! Check statements, which will include a Card Use Verification Form that includes transactions with the card that require receipts to verify charges. receipts are needed, ! Ifsubmit them along with the Card Use Verification form within 75 days of the transaction to keep your card active. a charge is not verified ! Ifwithin 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.

— 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

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Tech talk Instant messaging facilitates quick communication, collaboration When Tamberly Ferguson logs on to her computer, she can start an instant chat with more than 100 professionals in places as far away as Mexico and Italy. A Web producer in Duke’s Office of News and Communications, Ferguson uses Duke’s instant-messaging (IM) service to chat in real time with campus colleagues, as well as vendors and other Web professionals across the U.S. “If I’m at my computer working on a project, I’ll leave my IM screen up,” Ferguson said. “That’s the best way to reach me, if you want to get to me quickly.” The service, based on the Jabber/XMPP protocol, facilitates group chat “meetings,” storing a searchable transcript of conversations. It also provides color-coded indicators to show whether someone is present, idle or away. While IM started primarily as a tool for social interaction, “chat is moving toward not just what you do with your closest, best friends but a way to work with all your collaborators,” said Mark McCahill, systems architect in the Office of Information Technology. “If you know someone is awake and potentially available for conversation, you can probably do a chat instead of sending an e-mail.” For Ferguson, IM proved essential on collaborative projects with external vendors such as the company that helped with the redesign of the Duke Today Web site. On that project, she regularly “met” in a chat session 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. “It’s so much easier to send an IM, and you get it instantly.”

Tamberly Ferguson, Web producer in the Office of News and Communications, uses instant messaging for work. “That’s the best way to reach me, if you want to get to me quickly,” she said.

She also has found it useful in requesting quick feedback from colleagues using different platforms: “I can say, ‘Hey, I just launched this site or did this cool animation – can you tell me what you think? How’s 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 chat clients. Starting this fall, OIT is creating ready-made Jabber chat rooms for all Duke courses as an option for instructors. Transcripts of the course chat sessions will be stored in that course’s 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.

How to find five good minutes at work

Tips for Five Good Minutes at Work 1. Develop capacity for mindfulness by practicing it. Be mindful by paying attention, on purpose in a non-judging and receptive way.

Dr. Jeffrey Brantley, director of Duke’s 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 best to work.” The seminar, sponsored by Duke Prospective Health and Duke Integrative Medicine, is free for Duke faculty and staff. iving 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 living is the work you do. Daily, even hourly, the larger world is present with the personal world, which accompanies you into your working life, moment by moment. What if your work could be a field for engaging and experiencing a deeper sense of connection, for practicing qualities of generosity, compassion, and fearlessness, and for awakening a greater sense of awe and gratitude for the mystery of being alive? Learning to bring sharper attention to the present moment, and include with kindness and compassion, the flow of your inner thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations,

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2. Remember the power of intention. Setting your intention can be like using a compass. It points you in the right direction. A helpful intention 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.

can be your doorway to a profoundly different relationship with work and life. Back in the 1960s, a popular notion was “to trip.” This meant many things, but it could mean that when a person was on “a trip,” they were so fixated in a particular view that they could no longer respond effectively or see other possibilities. People would say, “He’s on a real power trip; she’s on her own trip.” So, what is your work “trip” these days? What if you made the intention to approach work with more curiosity? Just stop, breathe quietly and be “mindful” of breath sensations, asking yourself, “What is happening now? Am I on some Dr. Jeffrey Brantley kind 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 noticed inside or outside yourself, as you deliberately paid mindful attention? Five minutes spent in this way would be “five good minutes.” — By Jeffrey Brantley Director, Duke’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program

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

Dawn of a New Day CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 His likeness now on the sides of buses in Durham, Cutcliffe knew Duke was the place for him before he even interviewed for the job. When he got here, he was struck by the vast campus, architecture, Duke Forest, Washington Duke Inn – everything. And he had no idea the university employed more than 30,000 people. “Duke is such a vibrant part of Durham, and Durham such a vibrant part of Duke,” he said. “That’s why I enjoy talking to the people who work here every day.” This is a coach who recently had his players picking up trash on campus. “I just think it’s a pride thing, leaving a place better than you found it,” Cutcliffe said. Not long after he was on the job, Cutcliffe went about spreading the word of Duke’s resurgence. He traveled around North Carolina, plus Atlanta and Knoxville, Tenn., as a part of the Duke Athletic Tour to bring fans and coaches together. “There’s a bunch of enthusiasm centered around this football program,” Cutcliffe said. With a revamped strength and conditioning program, Duke football players lost a total of nearly 500 pounds during the off-season. “We had a fat, soft football team,” Cutcliffe said. “We’ve made a commitment as a program to eradicate that.” Cutcliffe’s scorecard is enough to give fans optimism, but to meet him and see him in action is another. At the Pigskin Preview, a luncheon in Durham with the head football coaches from Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and NCCU, Cutcliffe won the room with charm and humor. When the emcee asked Cutcliffe whether Duke’s offense would simulate the New England Patriots, he answered wryly, “We’re trying to simulate an offense, period.” Following up on a comment Cutcliffe made that people better get tickets soon, or there won’t be many left, the emcee asked, “Guess you’re going to be pretty good?” “I didn’t say that,” replied Cutcliffe, sending waves of laughter through the ballroom. At the end of lunch, Cutcliffe signed autographs and shook hands. Fans told him he had their full support.

people that have helped them the most to reach their goals. But family is all of us and all the people that have helped you along the way.” Futures: “We try to teach them to make 20, 30 and 40-year decisions. A lot of guys think the future is three years from now – ‘when I graduate or I’ve got two years to play, can I make it to the NFL?’ But you earn your destiny in college.” Football: “There is a big balance here. Don’t think at the expense of football, these other things occur. It’s in addition with. This is Division I football. This is big-time college football. It’s for committed people.” Ryan Wood, a senior wide receiver, said Cutcliffe has taught him to pursue excellence at all times. “Not just pursue one win or one short-term goal,” Wood said. “Pursue excellence at all times and everything else takes care of itself. His impact is going to be so much greater than what can be measured in wins and losses. He’s modeling us into good young men to have an impact after we leave the football field at Duke.” Cutcliffe is working to draw the Duke community to Wallace Wade Stadium with events like the free home opening game for Duke employees. “I want you to wear blue because we’re going to fill that stadium in blue,” Cutcliffe told about 400 employees and fans gathered in Reynolds Theater in August for Primetime, the quarterly forum for faculty and staff. “It’s a great opportunity for this university to band together to do something really special – 7 p.m., Aug. 30 – we kick off. When we come out on that field, when it’s a sea of blue, can you imagine how our kids are going to feel?” Cutcliffe referred to employees as the “extended team,” telling them they are just as important to building the football program as the players, the coaching staff, the administration and program boosters. “Everybody here is a part of the success of Duke University,” he said. “It’s not enough for me to take care of my world. We can’t do it without you guys.” Sitting in his office, Cutcliffe has a breathtaking view of the old horseshoe, Wallace Wade Stadium. “We need people here,” Cutcliffe said. “We’ve got to create some atmosphere. What else are you going to do that’s more fun on a Saturday than come see major college football?”

Tiffany Morgan, left, a senior payroll clerk for the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, with Coach David Cutcliffe. She won the drawing during Primetime for the football signed by Eli and Peyton Manning. “I was in total shock,” Morgan said of winning. “Before I knew it, I was up screaming.” Morgan said when she got home that day, she ordered a case for the football with her fiance, Corey Yarborough, a football fan. The Manning football will sit atop their mantle.

— By Tim Candon Working@Duke Correspondent

“People can say what they want, but if you’re doing the right things, you can put your head on your pillow at night and go to sleep knowing you’re doing the right thing,” he said. At Duke, Cutcliffe is changing the football program’s culture and advising players and staff to prescribe to the four Fs. Faith: “We don’t tell anyone what faith to practice, but the value of faith is very important. Being a spiritual being and understanding accountability – that’s really important to us.” Family: “We really try to teach an appreciation of their immediate families, the

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Resides: Durham Family: Married to Karen for 24 years. They have four children, Chris, Marcus, Katie and Emily. Off the field hobby: “If I had to pick an off the field hobby besides watching tape, it would be bass fishing.”

that. I think that is a great service to our community. We need to clean our environment and appreciate where we live.” Last book read: Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. Favorite movie: Forrest Gump

Community service: “I am still involved with my church St. John’s in Oxford, Mississippi, as far as a building fund and building a church. …Anytime somebody wants to pick up litter, I am willing to do

Fun Fact: “I play school with my daughter Emily, (who is eight.) I am the student, and she is the teacher.”

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No joke: Duke employee is funniest comedian in state W ________

Blue Devil of the Month

________ John Loftin, video services specialist at Duke’s School of Medicine, is “Carolina’s Funniest Comic.”

hen John Loftin first tried stand-up comedy in 2006, the audience wasn’t laughing. “I bombed really horribly the first few times,” said Loftin, 25, a video services specialist in the Office of Curriculum for Duke’s School of Medicine. “I figured out pretty fast that I better adjust my approach and lighten up my act if I wanted to make it as a comedian.” Crowds now chuckle so much that Loftin was recently named “Carolina’s Funniest Comic” during a statewide competition at DSI Comedy Theater in Carrboro. Duke staff and faculty can catch him on stage Sept. 10 at Goodnight’s Comedy Club in Raleigh and Sept. 18 at DSI. Don’t expect to hear any Duke-related jokes, though. Loftin, who prepares Powerpoint presentations and streaming videos that are used to teach Duke medical students around the world, said his role at Duke doesn’t make its way into his routine. He also runs the audio-video equipment at the Duke South Clinic Amphitheater. “I’m such a goofball that I don’t have to look far for good material, but I don’t actually get any material from work,” he said.

That wasn’t 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. Here’s a sample from his act: “I worked at Circuit City, too. One time, I tossed a girl a DVD across a counter, and it hit her in the face. I tried to apologize, but she said it wasn’t the first time she cried at Steel Magnolias.” Loftin, a 2006 graduate of Appalachian State University, launched his comedy career on college radio. He honed his act during open mike nights at DSI, Broad Street Café and other Triangle area clubs. “People laugh as soon as John steps onstage,” said DSI owner Zach Ward, who calls Loftin’s shtick “dazed and confused.” Although Loftin’s vocabulary isn’t G-rated, his jokes typically poke fun at himself and human nature. Performing standup “is such a payoff,” Loftin said. “Even people who don’t appreciate the art form always have respect for people who go out there and do it.” As winner of the “Carolina’s Funniest Comic” contest, he won $800. That helped cover travel expenses this summer to New York, where Loftin performed in a comedy festival that highlighted 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

Check out John Loftin’s standup routine at www.duke.edu/today/archive/oncamera.php.

South African ecosystems, Costa Rican tropical habitats studied by Duke 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 to strengthen education, research and rational use of natural resources in the tropics. The organization owns and operates three premiere biological research stations in Costa Rica and has a partnership with Kruger National Park in South Africa. The facilities are used by Duke students, universities, researchers and visitors.

What they’re known for: Providing locations, tools and leadership for field-based education and independent research in tropical biology, ecology, and starting in 2009 – global health. Data gathered by students and researchers has been cited in thousands of research papers. The La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica is recognized internationally as a premiere site for rain forest research. What they can do for you: Duke staff and faculty can make overnight reservations in dormitory-style rooms at OTS field stations in Costa Rica for research, environmental projects, 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 buckets of 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 than four decades ago is still the ‘gold standard’ for field courses,” said Ed Stashko, vice president for global programs. “Courses all over the world are modeled after our program and are often called “OTS-style courses.”

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.

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Big goal: “In January 2009, OTS will work with the Duke Global Health Institute and Study Abroad to launch an exciting new undergraduate program in tropical medicine and public health, and we’re 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 students considering careers in public health and medicine, and for Duke to play another integral role in promoting public health around the world.” How they make a difference: OTS researchers, with support from a National Science Foundation grant, will set up ‘smart’ electronic sensors at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica next year to gather data on climate change and rainforests as 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 Baxter Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services “INSIDE DUKE” CONNECTS FACULTY AND STAFF WITH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS DUKE. GOT AN IDEA FOR A DEPARTMENT TO HIGHLIGHT? SEND IDEAS TO [email protected] OR CALL 681-4533.

Sustainable uke YO U R

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RECYCLING BY THE NUMBERS

1,467 TONS Plastic, Glass, Aluminum and Paper Recycled at Duke in 2007

1,004 POUNDS Plastic Collected at 2007 Duke Home Football Games

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.

353 POUNDS

Recycled cups runneth over s hundreds of football fans watched the final minutes of last year’s Duke-Wake Forest game in Wallace Wade Stadium, brothers Ramsey Elliott, 12, and Logan Elliott, 14, turned their eyes from the field to the stands. The goal: plastic cups. The Elliott brothers – along with friends, Jake Schwarze, 14, and Keir Schwarze, 11 – rushed through the stands, gathering dozens of plastic cups. They carried the plastic towers to a “Duke Recycles” booth near a stadium gate, dropped them into a large blue bin and selected prizes such as Duke clocks and suncatchers. “The cup contest is a fun way to wrap up an afternoon at the game,” said Carol Elliott, Ramsey’s and Logan’s mother and a regulatory coordinator with Duke Medicine’s Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. “The boys started forming their game plan as soon as the announcer mentioned a contest.” Fans who attend Blue Devil home football games, including three in September, will hear an announcement about Duke’s Recycle for the Children contest at the end of each game. Fans can hustle to collect the most plastic cups and help raise money for Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center. Duke employees and their families can get involved in the Recycle for the Children program by competing in the cup contest, tossing recyclable items into collection bins at home games and suggesting volunteer groups to help gather recyclable items after the games. The volunteers, along with parents and chaperones, receive

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free admission to the game and are recognized by the announcer. “Along with supporting the kids at Duke Children’s Hospital, this program helps the environment and educates people about the importance of recycling,” said Arwen Buchholz, coordinator for Duke’s recycling and waste reduction programs. “Volunteering for the Recycle for Children program is a great way for groups to earn community service hours and enjoy an exciting football game for free.” During last year’s football season, more than 1,000 pounds of plastic and 2,000 pounds of aluminum and glass were collected. The proceeds from the sale of recyclable items are used to buy toys, games and art supplies for the children’s hospital. “I attend the home football games and it is always great to hear the announcement about the contest and the volunteer groups because I know it helps us provide many hours of positive distraction for our young patients,” said Edith Rosenblatt, coordinator of pediatric volunteer services at Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center. Boy Scout Troop 43 of Mebane has assisted several times with the program as a community service project. “Volunteering allowed the scouts to learn a lot more about recycling and they had a big time at the games,” said the troop’s leader, Jeff Harward, a landscape specialist with Duke Facilities Management. “Plus, we were proud to help raise money for such a great children’s hospital.”

Aluminum Collected at 2007 Duke Home Football Games

1,706 POUNDS Glass Collected at 2007 Duke Home Football Games

MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SUPPORT RECYCLE FOR THE CHILDREN AT BLUE DEVIL HOME FOOTBALL GAMES:

SEPT. 6, 13, 27 OCT. 18 NOV. 8, 29

— By Missy Baxter Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

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

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WORKING@ DUKE

dialogue@Duke

HOW TO REACH US Editor: Leanora Minai

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

(919) 681-4533 [email protected] Assistant Vice President:

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Duke has provided a lot of opportunities through Learning & Organization Development, and I’ve taken several helpful classes on topics such as technical writing and ‘Keys to Supervisory Success.’ I also used employee tuition assistance to take a business reference class at UNC-Chapel Hill’s library school and that’s coming in useful in my role in Special Collections for Duke Libraries.”

Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 [email protected] Graphic Design & Layout:

Lynn Eaton, reference archivist, Perkins Library 11 years at Duke

Paul Figuerado Photography: Missy Baxter, Office of Communication Services; Duke

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University Photography; and

Over the years, I’ve taken several classes through Learning & Organization Development on business software applications such as SAP and other things related to payroll. It’s great that Duke offers employees the tools to continue improving and advance their careers.”

Stewart Waller. Support Staff: Mary Carey

Working@Duke is published monthly

Donna Hubert, business manager, Public Affairs and Government Relations 25 years at Duke

by Duke’s Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and suggestions for future story topics.

I haven’t taken any courses yet, but I’ve been reading the catalogue from Learning & Organization Development. I’ve got my eye on the Microsoft Access training. I just need to work it into my schedule.”

Please write us at [email protected] or

Working@Duke, Box 90496, 705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708

Thomas Urban, postdoctoral associate, Center for Population Genomics and Pharmacogenetics 1 year at Duke

Call us at (919) 684-4345. Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.

Have ideas for other stories? Write

[email protected] or Call

681-4533 — By Missy Baxter Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

PERQS E M P LOY E E D I S CO U N TS

Priced to cell

J

ennifer 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 Duke’s Career Center, had no idea. She enrolled on the spot for the Verizon discount on her cellular service plan. Now, she’s saving $10 each month on her bill. The discount was possible through PERQS, Duke’s 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. “It’s nice to have the extra $10 a month, but it’s 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 there’s a Duke discount everywhere I go,” Philips said. — By Jill Jenkins Senior Communication Strategist, Human Resources Jennifer Philips, assistant director for health professions at Duke’s Career Center, enrolled in a Verizon discount through Duke’s discount program. She’s saving $10 each month on her cellular service plan.

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

DUKETODAY

For daily news and information, visit www.duke.edu/today