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The A-Team
Duke celebrates its 2,200 administrative professionals in April
Editors Note
LEANORA MINAI
Contents
Cover: The A-Team
At Duke, at least 2,200 employees fill the ranks of administrative assistants, secretaries and executive assistants. In April, we honor them as part of Administrative Professionals Week.
ast year, the Working@Duke team ran the trails of Duke Forest. Together. We braved the Pine Cone Pacer 5K as a team-building exercise in support of Duke Forest, which uses race proceeds for trail maintenance, outreach and student internships. Greg Whitaker, web administrator, ran while pushing a stroller as his son took in views. Bryan Roth, senior writer/producer, finished in 20:41, the third best time overall in the mens division. For Karen Alley, staff assistant, the run marked her second race, ever. I really liked that our office supported each other as we prepared for the race during last years Get Moving Challenge, then we came together to help push all of us through the finish line on race day, Bryan said. Events like that arent nearly as fun unless youve got friends to encourage you and cheer you on. On page 9, we feature a Career Tools article on how departmental outings boost morale and provide shared memories. Youll read about Todd Leovic, business manager for the Department of Immunology, who took his team to Duke Lemur Center, and David Jarmul, associate vice president for the Office of News and Communications, who planned an outing at the Museum of Durham History. We each create an image of the people we work with their strengths, their quirks, Wendy Hamilton Hoelscher, team leader for Dukes Learning & Organization Development, told Working@Duke. Seeing them in a different situation can add depth to that image and help with team-building. This years Pine Cone Pacer is April 13. Consider pulling together office colleagues and contributing to a good cause. The race is in the Durham Division of Duke Forest, just off of NC-751. If you missed the April 2 early registration, you can still participate by paying $25 on race day. For more information, visit www.dukeforest.duke.edu.
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Cover Photo: Front row, from far left, Lisa Jordan, Caroline Flinn and Mary Greenway. Back row, far left, Angie Reid, Rodney Coffin, Mitchell Hadley, Harriett Crawford. 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
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Working@Duke
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Cover Story
The A-Team
Duke celebrates administrative professionals in April
Administrative Professionals Day is April 24. We celebrate all administrative professionals at Duke, including, from left: Harriett Crawford, Angie Reid, Caroline Flinn, Rodney Coffin, Mitchell Hadley, Lisa Jordan and Mary Greenway.
ason Plumlees monster dunks graced newspaper pages this year, but the key statistic behind many of those plays was the pass that led to the score the assist. While not grabbing as many headlines, the assist plays a critical role in team success. In schools and departments across Duke, the assists are from an all-star team of 2,200 administrative assistants who have taken on even more responsibility since the Great Recession. Instead of merely handling phone calls, greeting visitors and scheduling meetings, the daily tasks of these office professionals are now multi-faceted. Because of the recession, many administrative staff saw their jobs become more broad and technical than ever, said Ray Weikal, communications specialist with the International Association of Administrative Professionals. Staff are now planning and running meetings, mastering project management software and even becoming responsible for website maintenance and administration.
Nationally, there are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants, according to Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles. At Duke, at least 2,200 employees fill these positions, ranging from administrative secretaries to administrative and executive assistants. Programs through Dukes Professional Development Institute support their ever-changing roles and help staff develop office administration and technical skills for career opportunities within Duke. Rodney Coffin couldnt pass up the yearlong Office Staff Development Program in 2011. It was a chance to build skills for a new job and succeed in the evolving workplace. I saw it as a great opportunity to grow, said Coffin, staff assistant with the Office of Research Support. Administrative Professionals Week, one of the largest workplace observances outside of major holidays, is April 21-27. To celebrate the contributions of Dukes staff, here are seven administrative professionals who offer a breadth of talents and experiences at Duke:
Working@Duke
Harriett Crawford with a Secretarial Handbook. She keeps it handy for all the editing and proofreading she performs at work.
made it through this process without being caught and corrected, thanks to her care and high standards. Crawfords responsibilities dont end there, however. She schedules appointments, coordinates committee meetings and sets up travel arrangements for Roberts. My career has come a long way from my typewriter, Crawford said. One of the reasons Ive enjoyed working at Duke is because Im always learning.
Working among Dukes many plants and flowers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Caroline Flinn looks over an orchid in one of the on-site greenhouses.
Lisa Jordan, left, and President Richard H. Brodhead celebrate a moment in Jordans office. Jordan has served as executive assistant for three Duke presidents.
Working@Duke
Relationships matter to Angie Reid, right, which is why she enjoys chatting with coworkers like Stacy Rusak, left, to find out about their lives and work.
Building Relationships
Whether its with coworkers or strangers, there are few things more important to Angie Reid than the relationships she builds with those around her. Its something she learned growing up with nine siblings life is about helping and caring about others. For 27 years, Reid has worked as administrative secretary at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, handling a wide range of responsibilities from supervising work-study students to completing expense reports, scheduling appointments and taking phone calls. However, she said its the daily interactions with coworkers and visitors that keep her job fresh and entertaining. While moving around the office, she makes sure to chat with coworkers. The reason I want to build and maintain relationships is because it makes my job more interesting, Reid said. I want people to know I care. Having friendships and a support system makes my job more meaningful and appealing. And she doesnt just focus her time on coworkers and peers. She volunteers with the Durham Rescue Mission during holidays and community events and has previously given time to the Salvation Army and Women in Action, a group that works to empower females personally and professionally. With the help of other office workers, shes organized drives to donate collections of toiletries to the Durham Rescue Mission. Its that commitment that has impressed Stacy Rusak, associate director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Rusak said shes constantly impressed with Reid, who makes visitors feel at home with warm greetings. She also engages in conversations to learn personal details with honest enthusiasm. Angie sets a professional tone for the entire office, Rusak said. She shows genuine interest in peoples lives and everyone can learn something from her. Angie is a strong role model for our operational staff.
Mitchell Hadley has made an effort to learn about the Fuqua School of Business, including details about programs like Fuquas Cross Continent MBA. >> continued on page 8
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A Nobel Party
Mary Greenway was skimming emails on her iPhone as she walked to the kitchen for her first cup of coffee. Suddenly, she stopped. Wow, I need to go in to work right away, she told her husband, Rich, on that October morning last year. Dr. Lefkowitz won the Nobel Prize, and the dean wants a reception for him tonight. Greenway, executive assistant to the dean of the School of Medicine, was at her desk by 7:30 a.m. to plan a reception 10 hours later. She called the Washington Duke Inn to reserve a room. She ordered flowers and coordinated the delivery of artisan cheeses, grilled vegetables and chicken salad for a celebration with more than 200 faculty members. It was a team effort, but by the end of the evening we thought, dang, that was awesome! Greenway said. Not every day is quite as historic for Greenway, who has worked at Duke since 1991. Her typical duties involve organizing materials for Dean Nancy Andrews monthly faculty meetings, scheduling travel and assisting with research grant applications. She also keeps the calendar and manages correspondence for Andrews, who oversees faculty, research and teaching in the 20 departments at the School of Medicine. Greenways first job as a YWCA secretary introduced her to the world of administrative professionals. When she moved to Durham 22 years ago, Greenway started at Duke as an administrative Mary Greenway started at Duke as an administrative secretary 22 years ago and now secretary in Anesthesiology. Over the years, she expanded her serves as the executive assistant to the dean of the School of Medicine. leadership role, working in three other clinical and basic science departments before becoming the deans executive assistant in 2011. She not only brought more than 20 years of experience supporting diverse parts of Duke Medicine, but also tremendous enthusiasm, intelligence, skill and grace, Andrews said. Greenway enjoys assessing a situation and knowing what needs to be done, whether collating a notebook of materials for a faculty search or preparing an itinerary for a visiting scholar. Each thing you do is a small task, but it isnt a narrow task, Greenway said. It is always in the context of something bigger.
STORIES BY BRYAN ROTH AND MARSHA A. GREEN
Working@Duke
ara Mekeel peered through the wire at a silky sifaka lemur Dukes 720-acre If your team head campus features possibilities for fie at Duke Lemur Center as a guide described how Duke s downtown ld trips. scientists protect lemurs in Madagascar. Bull City Connecto, dont forget to ride the fare-free r. Here are some id eas: I didnt realize they are doing so much Duke Chapel environmental education here, she said. Duke Sports Ha ll of Fame Sarah P. Duke Ga rdens Mekeel and four co-workers from the Department Mary Duke Bidd le Trent Semans Duke immersive of Immunology visited the Lemur Center last year as part Virtual Center for Health Education Environment (DiV of a team-building exercise. Todd Leovic, business E) Nasher Museum of Art Dukes Home De manager for the Department of Immunology, uses pot Smart Home Library Service service anniversaries as regular occasions to take his Center six-member team on tours of Duke-related places and programs about once a quarter. These trips get us out of our own little world and The Office of News and Communications (ONC) annual teach us more about the university that we are a part of, Leovic said. team-building trips have ranged from cooking classes to improv comedy. Besides being fun and educational, departmental field trips are Late last year, the team explored downtown Durham. a powerful tool to enhance the workplace, according to Wendy David Jarmul, associate vice president for ONC, worked with Hamilton Hoelscher, team leader for Learning & Organization the Museum of Durham History to create a scavenger hunt based Development at Duke. on historic photos of downtown Durham. He created four teams We each create an image of the people we work with their and sent staff members along the sidewalks of downtown Durham strengths, their quirks, Hamilton Hoelscher said. Seeing them in to identify historic buildings. a different situation can add depth to that image and help with team It was fun to work with my teammates, who are reporters, building. and watch them pull together the clues that revealed some amazing For Mekeel, field trips to places like the Lemur Center, the Durham history, said Stuart Wells, administrative assistant for Chapel and the Duke immersive Virtual Environment at the Pratt ONC. I got to see a new side of folks, some of whom I dont always School of Engineering enhance morale and foster teamwork. They spend a lot of time with in the office. are fun, she said. But they also give us a shared memory outside BY MARSHA A. GREEN of our regular work, and that helps us bond as a team.
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This is a rendering of the reclamation pond near Erwin Road between Circuit Drive and Towerview Road.
uke is expected to begin construction this spring on a large-scale water reclamation pond near Erwin Road between Circuit Drive and Towerview Road. Once operational, the pond will collect rainwater and runoff from 22 percent of the main campus area for use in a nearby chilled water plant, which pumps water across campus to cool buildings. The pond initiative is another significant sustainable step by Duke since the record drought in 2007. Its expected to save about 100 million gallons of potable water a year. In the years following this areas historic drought, Duke has continued to innovate and find ways to conserve a precious resource, said Tallman Trask III, Dukes executive vice president. The $9 million reclamation pond will sit on a 12-acre site that will provide a place for education and research. Plans call for a pavilion, boardwalk, nearly mile long walking path and amphitheater with lawn seating. Construction will take about a year. Project managers are working with state and federal agencies on permits and are consulting with the Duke University Wetland Center to select native plants that thrive at varying pond depths under dry and wet conditions. The aquatic shelf is going to be unique, said Stephen Carrow, project manager for Facilities Management. We want plants that can tolerate being wet and dry, and a woodland area that ties back into the forest.
Construction will begin by removing trees to situate the pond and its supporting structures, including a pump house and 20-foot tall dam. Some trees will be replanted, while others will be reused as lumber for decking, handrails and other structures at the site. In addition, some trees will be used for hardwood mulch around paths and plantings. Careful planning and design have been done to save as many trees as possible, Carrow said. For example, instead of going to a Home Depot to buy a sheet of plywood, were going to take rough sawn lumber and use that on-site. Any surplus wood will be sold to an area mill, and the proceeds will be donated to the Duke Forest. Considerable planning has also gone into other vegetation at the site. The ponds edge will include 40 herbaceous species that can tolerate hot, dry summers or soaking wet conditions. Plans also call for 21 different shrubs and 60 tree species, including maples, cedars and magnolias. The pond will be incorporated into a shallow stream that runs through the site and will hold about 6.7 million gallons of water, at up to a 10-feet depth. Asian grass carp will control aquatic vegetation. When complete, the pond will be an amenity at Duke, but it will also have a sustainable benefit and educational component as a place to showcase native plant life in a natural setting, Carrow said.
BY LEANORA MINAI
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here are several aspects synonymous with Dukes campus, like Cameron Indoor Stadium and Duke Chapel. But what about the cherry tree? Before construction on Dukes famed home basketball court or skyscraping chapel was Cherry trees complete, ornamental G Red maple trees cherry trees had a These trees light special place on up campus with bright campus as part of red and golden-orange original plantings in colored leaves. Red the 1930s. Today, the trees signature white and pink maples at Duke have petals can be seen by the Sanford School of Public grown as high as about Policy, Brodie Recreation Center and Duke Chapel. 60-feet tall and are When you look up at the chapel in the early popular on East spring when the cherries are in full bloom, its hard Campus, where about to beat that perfect relationship of landscape and Red maple trees 20 were planted along architecture working together, said Mark Hough, Buchanan Boulevard Dukes campus landscape architect. The in 2010. The success juxtaposition of architecture and those trees is of these trees is part of why Duke has been named a Tree Campus USA by pretty much perfection. the Arbor Day Foundation five years in a row. When it comes to utilizing and beautifying Dukes green space, a dozen Facilities Management G Oakleaf hydrangeas staff members care for flowers, trees and shrubs. Offering a range of color from white Another 40 assist with some form of maintenance for to burgundy this breed of hydrangea is roughly 630 acres of campus landscape across Duke. most notable by the School of Law and In the past decade, Duke has begun to focus on French Family Science Center. Their planting native and drought-resistant trees, shrubs and dramatic, oak-shaped leaves hold flowers as North Carolina crawls through long and throughout most of the year and can be hot summers. Hough said that Dukes commitment a bit striking, Hough said, noting the to sustainable building practices has influenced the Oakleaf plants at Duke are ideal for warm, dry use of trees and shrubs that require less water. hydrangeas climates. That makes them a no-brainer. As spring unfolds across campus, here are floras to find and admire at Duke:
BY BRYAN ROTH PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARK HOUGH
G Camellias and Abelias These two shrubs feature green-leafed bushes that sit low to the ground and sprout white and pink flowers. Pink camellias can be spotted along West Campus quad, next to the Languages Building and Kilgo Quadrangle. Camellias are tolerant Abelias against drought two years after planting and require little pruning. While camellias are not native to the region, theyve been used on campus for years and became popular since the 2007 drought. Abelias are a drought-tolerant, evergreen plant with white petals that flower in the late summer. These plants arent native to the state but have been on campus for about 80 years. Bees also love abelias, adding to ecological diversity on campus.
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Working@Duke
The 2013 market will be nterest in organic food has open every Friday from 11 a.m. hit an all-time high in recent to 2 p.m. through June 28. The years, as consumers start to During Duke Appreciation in May, faculty and staff market will operate every other pay more attention to what can give produce to coworkers through the "MARKETweek from July 12 to Oct. 4. The theyre eating, where it comes GRAM" program. Vendors will sell special arrangements market is between the Bryan from and how its treated. of flowers, fruits, coffee beans and other products as Research and Nanaline H. Duke According to most recent MARKET-GRAM specials priced from $3 to $12. buildings off Research Drive. studies by the Organic Trade Employees who purchase an item can then pick up Last year, the Duke Farmers Association, American shoppers from the LIVE FOR LIFE table a free MARKET-GRAM Market was named among the bought $31.5 billion of organic bookmark gift tag with messages like "Working at Duke 10 Most Impressive College foods in 2011 with fruits and with you is sweet." Farmers Markets by BestColleges vegetables making up about half of Online.com, a website that covers that total. At Duke, faculty and higher education news and staff can join the organic provides information on colleges across the country. movement during the upcoming season of the Duke Farmers Theres such a great variety Market, which opens April 19. of organic and seasonal foods, said Joanne Grosshans, a program The market features about a dozen vendors, including the coordinator with the Pratt School of Engineerings Department of Duke Campus Farm a no-pesticide, all-natural practice farm Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. The market is and Whitted Bowers Farm, a certified biodynamic and organic only about a block away from me, too, so its very convenient. farm from Cedar Grove in Orange County. Grosshans said she likes to buy organic produce as often as she What we want to show is that shoppers can taste the can, but it can be hard to find quality fruits and vegetables at big difference between store-bought produce and the farm-fresh fruits grocery stores. Her favorite item to find at the Duke Farmers Market and vegetables we offer at the Duke Farmers Market, said Lauren is strawberries, which shell take home and enjoy with her family. Updyke, health education manager for LIVE FOR LIFE, Dukes Its important for me to teach my two girls about healthy employee wellness program that organizes the market. The eating habits, where our food comes from and how its prepared, produce found at our market is often picked the morning of the Grosshans said. I dont want them thinking that everything comes market and brought directly to Duke employees. in a package from the grocery store.
BY BRYAN ROTH
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BY MARSHA A. GREEN
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Sustainable uke
YOUR SOURCE FOR
GREEN
N E W S AT D U K E
are registered as fullince establishing time or part-time a carbon bicycle commuters emissions a number that almost baseline in 2007, doubled from 2011 Duke has reduced its to 2012. footprint 16 percent, or roughly 53,200 But even as the Duke metric tons of carbon community focuses on dioxide. Thats the transportation, its only equivalent to the energy 29 percent of the used by 2,738 homes a universitys overall year or the emissions carbon emissions. The from 11,083 vehicles. majority 70 percent Its a lot, but as comes from energy use. Duke celebrates Earth Since 2007, Duke has Month in April, it still reduced its energy has a way to go. A emissions by progress report by 18 percent and cut the Sustainable Duke shows Duke has taken many steps to lower its carbon footprint in recent years, including renovations of two steam use of coal on campus, that the university is on helping to drastically plants, buying hybrid-electric buses and installing solar panels on the Bryan Center roof to help heat water its way to carbon in the building. decrease carbon neutrality by 2024. Still, emissions. Other areas for growth include emissions, and participation emissions, although it can be projects like a solar-thermal transportation: Emissions by in programs has grown in hard to influence, especially as system at the Bryan Center students, faculty and staff rose recent years: Duke continues to grow its provides 40 percent of the 12 percent since 2007, despite China campus. She highlighted buildings hot water for n About 1,300 students and an increase in alternative technologies like Dukes Cisco bathrooms, dining facilities and employees are members of commuting options. TelePresence conference call more. WeCar, a car-sharing Were getting to the point units as ways to avoid longTheres only so much service on campus that where we need the campus distance travel. Duke can do operationally features 16 vehicles, community to really think On campus, 74 percent of before it comes to what actions including four electric about how our sustainable Duke employees drive to work individuals can take, Capps Chevrolet Volts. efforts impact them, said Tavey alone, according to Sustainable said. To become carbon n About 8,400 Duke Capps, Dukes sustainability Dukes report, with carpooling neutral, its going to take community members have director. As we move closer (10 percent) and the bus everyone on campus thinking the GoPass, which allows to our neutrality goal, it takes (6 percent) as the other most about their own carbon for fare-free use of regional everyone on campus embracing popular choices for employees. footprint and the choices they bus lines. the idea and taking action to Duke continues to offer make to get us to our goal. help Duke cut emissions. alternative transportation n Nearly 700 Duke BY BRYAN ROTH Capps said air travel plays options to help cut down on community members a large part in transportation
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WORKING@DUKE
HOW TO REACH US
Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado (919) 684-2107 paul.figuerado@duke.edu Senior Writer: Marsha A. Green (919) 684-4639 marsha.green@duke.edu Senior Writer/Videographer: Bryan Roth (919) 681-9965 bryan.roth@duke.edu Photography: Duke University Photography and Marsha Green and Bryan Roth of Communication Services.
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What sustainable actions do you take at work?
Our department has worked on a paperless workflow when we check proofs. Instead of printing out pages, well send corrections via email. Well scan and copy edits and send those out. I also turn off lights in empty rooms. Its one of my pet peeves.
Cynthia Gurganus Journals production coordinator, Duke Press 2 years at Duke
I live where I work, so I have the privilege of being able to mix my personal and professional efforts. I recycle everything in my kitchen and office, from a piece of paper to plastic and aluminum. I can be bad about going into the trash if I see a can and its reachable. Ill go in and pick it out. I also shut off the lights in my office during the day because I get so much sunlight.
Jai Jackson Residence coordinator of Keohane Quad, Housing, Dining and Residence Life 3 years at Duke
Working@Duke is published every other month by Dukes Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and story ideas.
Send email to working@duke.edu or call (919) 684-4345. Dont forget to visit the Working@Duke section daily on Duke Today: today.duke.edu/working
Im big on reducing, reusing and recycling paper. I only print when necessary, sharing documents electronically as much as possible. I also had our IT department show me how to set my computer to default to doublesided printing. I reuse old meeting handouts by cutting the paper into smaller pieces and stapling a bunch together in a pack. Its like making my own post-it notepad.
Emily Hill Senior research analyst, University Development 1 year at Duke
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