4 6

LOST & FOUND STEAM PLANT VETERANS DAY

3
Lost or found MAKEOVER Nov. 11 is a day to thank
property? Check out Duke’s 83-year-old steam and honor veterans,
Duke’s collection areas plant is renovated and including faculty and
and DukeList, an will burn natural gas, staff who have served
online database similar providing for high or are serving in the
to craigslist. efficiency and low military.
emissions.

N E W S YO U CA N U S E :: Vo l u m e 4 , I s s u e 8 :: November 2009

Working
Smaller and
Smarter

AS PART OF ITS STRATEGY TO REDUCE COMPENSATION-RELATED EXPENSES, THE UNIVERSITY HAS SHED 425 POSITIONS

early 8,000 people called Human

N
Hof Milam, vice president for finance and

Resources in September with questions
about jobs and benefits. The individuals
needing information probably noticed nothing
different. But for the team fielding the calls
and processing paperwork, the month marked
a new beginning.
Two team members had taken the early
retirement offer in August, and the Human
Resources Information Center had fewer
employees to handle about 400 calls a day and
hundreds of benefits transactions. I believe everyone understands we are in
“September is always an incredibly busy this together, and maintaining the esprit
time for us, and the team definitely felt the
strain of being smaller,” said Jen Mathot, who de corps is essential.”
leads Employee Services in the Human
Resources Information Center. “But teamwork, Vice President, Duke Human Resources
collaboration and lots of planning made the
transition mostly invisible to others.”
The smaller team in the Human Resources
Information Center is illustrative of a smaller Duke: the university has shed
425 positions since February 2009 when a vacancy management initiative
started as part of a university-wide effort to close an estimated $125 million Center. In an average month, the staff answers nearly 8,000 calls; responds
budget shortfall by 2011. The smaller workforce, partly due to 239
positions left vacant by the early retirement incentive, reverses a four-year
trend of increasing positions by more than 500 each year.
Since the market meltdown of 2008, the university’s administrative
reform effort has covered a range of cost-cutting to avoid large-scale layoffs
ranging from limiting salary increases and curtailing external hiring to
reducing overtime expenses equivalent to 45 positions and adjusting
campus services. In addition, academic schools have worked to maintain
balanced budgets.
Reductions in compensation-related expenses have saved about $25
million in the current fiscal budget, which runs through June 2010. More
savings are expected from the latest cost-saving strategy, a second voluntary
retirement incentive for select salaried (monthly-paid) staff positions.
“We are making progress,” said Tallman Trask III, executive vice
president, “but we still have a long way to go.”
“
treasurer, said that despite recent improvement
These are in stock market indices, Duke expects to see
difficult declines in distributions from the endowment
and investments. Because endowment
processes to go distributions are based on a three-year average,
through. The “we see the endowment distribution declining
collaboration across through fiscal year 2012 and possibly fiscal
the entire campus has year 2013,” Milam said. “What we are dealing
with is a moving target.”
been outstanding. Across Duke, people are retooling for a
shrinking budget and workforce. Call center
staff members are cross-training to process
benefits changes. New imaging technology in
Accounts Payable is saving staff time – and
— Kyle Cavanaugh positions. And facilities crews are changing
how often they cut grass and perform non-
critical maintenance.
MANAGING VOLUME MORE EFFICIENTLY
There is seldom down-time for the Human Resources Information
to requests from nearly 1,000 walk-ins; and processes nearly 600 benefit
changes, not including the paperwork for new hires.
In anticipation of the vacant positions created by early retirements, the
call center spent the summer examining processes to enhance efficiency.
The team eliminated areas of duplication with other departments, and
members cross-trained so they could more easily shift from fielding phone
calls to processing forms and data.
The team in the Human Resources Information Center decided how
much time each person needed away from the phones to process
paperwork, and they experimented to find the best fit and balance of tasks
for each team member.
“We wanted to ensure we covered the gaps in service, but at the same
time, offer staff members opportunities to learn new responsibilities as part
>> See SMALLER AND SMARTER, PAGE 7

2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing This paper consists of 30% recycled
2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
 Editor’s
Note
LEANORA MINAI
Newsbriefs
Leanora.Minai@duke.edu
Moving from Microsoft 2003 to Microsoft 2007 you or a loved one quit for good,” said Julie Joyner, director of LIVE

I
’m writing with an update about the
Working@Duke Facebook fan page.
Since the online page launched in
August, 689 people have become fans –
and hopefully more will join the ranks.
The page provides a dynamic
way to share useful information about
Duke benefits and resources with
employees, while providing real-time
news: updates, photos, videos and
discussion topics related to stories in
the publication or in the works.
A few examples of workplace
social-networking:
• Soon after posting the seasonal
flu shot schedule, staff members
responded. “I’ll be there!” wrote
Kathy Peterson, an administrative
assistant. We followed up and
featured Peterson and others in
a video to raise awareness about
protection against the seasonal
flu with the free seasonal vaccine.
• Nine people commented after we
asked for employees who love
and use Duke Libraries. The
query is for an upcoming
Working@Duke story about
resources available
in our libraries.
• After asking for favorite
employee discounts, we learned
from an employee about the
Orchid Trail, which offers a
10 percent discount on long-
lasting blooms. Read all about
the discount on the back page
of this publication.
In addition to these examples,
employees sometimes can’t help but
show their pride.
“I love working for Duke!!” wrote
April Harper, a patient service
associate. “Wouldn’t be no where
else!!!!”
To join the fan page, visit
facebook.com/workingatduke
Duke’s Learning & Organization Development is offering transition
classes for faculty and staff who want to learn the ins and outs of
Microsoft 2007.
The classes range from two-hours for people who already know
the 2003 version and need a show-and-tell demonstration of the new
interface ($49) to a full day for those who want to learn all of the new
features of Microsoft 2007 ($149). For a full list of classes, visit
hr.duke.edu/train.
Keep off extra holiday pounds
LIVE FOR LIFE, the health and wellness program for Duke faculty and
staff, offers a helping hand over the holidays to keep seasonal pounds
away: Maintain Don’t Gain.
During the eight week initiative, which runs Nov. 16 to Jan. 8, the
LIVE FOR LIFE staff sends a weekly e-mail with tips and strategies for
adopting or maintaining healthy behaviors and recipes. Stress
management tools, physical activity suggestions and encouraging
messages are also provided.
Most Americans gain one to three pounds between Thanksgiving
and New Years. Over the years, those pounds add up.
Register for Maintain Don’t Gain at hr.duke.edu/eohs/livelife/
maintain.
Learn to be tobacco free
Duke community members
who need help kicking the
tobacco habit can get it during
the American Cancer Society’s
Great American Smokeout.
In the week leading up to the 33rd Great American Smokeout on
Nov. 19, LIVE FOR LIFE staff will be at information tables to speak with
employees about quitting and helping others quit. The tables will be in
or near the cafeterias at Duke South Clinics and at all three Duke
Medicine hospitals. Employees who visit the tables can sign up for a
“cold turkey” drawing to win a frozen Thanksgiving turkey.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to find out about free research-
tested programs and enhanced treatments provided by Duke to help
Letters to the Editor must include name and contact information. E-mail letters to working@duke.edu or mail them to Working@Duke Editor, Box 90496, Durham,
NC 27708. Fax letters to (919) 681-7926. Please keep length to no more than 200 words.
FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness program.
For more information about tobacco cessation options at Duke,
visit hr.duke.edu/tobaccofree or call (919) 684-3136, option 1.
Duke Urgent Care South extends hours
Duke Urgent Care South on Fayetteville Road in Durham has extended
its hours and will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, including
holidays.
Urgent care facilities focus on providing immediate, non- life
threatening care when a patient’s primary care physician is
unavailable. An urgent care visit costs $35 to $50 for anyone covered
by a Duke medical insurance plan, compared to $250 for an
emergency room visit. Appropriate use of primary care, urgent care
and emergency care can help control rising health care costs.
“We think the expansion of the urgent care hours will help
tremendously in getting people to choose the right level of care at the
right time,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Human Resources.
Other Duke Urgent Care locations at Brier Creek, Hillandale,
Knightdale and Morrisville are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more
information, visit dukehealth.org/Services/UrgentCare
Navigate research administration
Employees who manage research funding have an opportunity for
free professional development when Duke begins recruiting this
month for the next class of the Research Administration Academy.
The academy, a three-month course taught by internal Duke
experts, is for employees with less than two years experience in grant
management who spend at least half of their time on grant
management responsibilities. Supervisors must nominate employees
Nov. 16–Dec. 11. Classes start in January 2010.
“This series of classes has been incredibly successful in helping
employees who have responsibility for grant management gain hands-
on experience and a greater understanding of the regulations
surrounding research,” said Angela Rice-Warren, assistant director of
Research Costing Compliance.
For more information, visit
http://rcc.compliance.duke.edu/training/raa

Think globally, act locally

International skills program enhances cultural awareness
ating a 3 Musketeers bar isn’t a typical remedy for the common cold, David Frankel, an

E but it’s what Linda Martinez does every time she feels under the
weather. Others may prefer chicken soup or vitamin C, but Martinez
unwraps a chocolate bar because it works for her.
assistant dean of
students with the Office
of Student Conduct,
took the class and is
This behavior was used as an example during a recent session of the
Intercultural Skills Development Program to show how cultures and beliefs more acquainted with
can vary. Organized through Duke’s International House, the program is how international
open to faculty and staff and teaches awareness and acceptance of beliefs students transition to
and cultures. Duke. He said he’s
“Everybody believes their own cold remedy is the best because it’s what enhanced his
their parents or grandparents used to do,” said Seun Bello Olamosu, communication skills
assistant director for training and outreach at the International House. with international
“This is a good example of how our values are important to us and how students by
different we all can be on something simple like how to treat a cold.” understanding more Participants of the Intercultural Skills Development Program gather for a

Olamosu, who is from Nigeria, said the program is a valuable way for
people to enhance their knowledge about the more than 6,000 Duke
community members who comprise Duke’s international community. Of
that number, more than 400 students come from China, more than 400
from India and about 300 from South Korea.
The program is free and voluntary and consists of five, three-to-four
hour meetings over a semester. Participants take part in exercises, lectures
and one-on-one activities to break down barriers. There are also two
cultural lunch sessions when participants enjoy international food while
listening to international students or employees talk about their
background. Departments can also request tailored mini-workshops.
Over the course of the semester program, topics span intercultural
awareness, dealing with culture shock and resolving potential conflicts with
intercultural communication. As a final project, participants organize a focus
group to assess cultural programs and policies that could be used at Duke.
about body language “cultural lunch,” where they eat international food and hear stories from
members of Duke’s international community.
and cultural barriers.
“It’s valuable because we have such vast and diverse members of our
community, but we don’t always understand how other countries and
cultures can be different from ours,” Frankel said. “The class helped to
remind me just how much Duke is a global university.”
— By Bryan Roth
Writer, Office of Communication Services
Want to sign up?
The International House is recruiting through Dec. 15
for its spring class. Employees must receive permission from
supervisors to participate and attend all sessions. For an
application, visit ihouse.studentaffairs.duke.edu or
call (919) 684-3585.

2
Help lost property get found
esse Meadows was East Campus. It’s a small black

J worried. He had
recently finished up a
housekeeping shift in the
Moleskine notebook. I’d be
eternally grateful to get it back
if you find it.”
Bryan Center and couldn’t find Lt. Greg Stotsenberg,
his cell phone. Lucky for him, Duke Police investigations
karma was on his side: supervisor, said valuables like Using Lost and Founds
someone found it by the West wallets, jewelry, keys and
䡵 If you’ve lost something, call
Campus bus stop. DukeCards should be turned the Duke Police Records
In his almost 10 years at into the police department. If office, (919) 684-4026, and
Duke, Meadows has been the police can identify the owner provide a detailed description
one turning in property left of the item. If it’s in the
police lost and found, you can
behind to a lost-and-found
pick it up.
collection in the Bryan Center. An eyeglasses case and checkbook,
above, are among items in the lost 䡵 If you’ve found an item, call
“I know that nine times and found collection at the Duke Duke Police at (919) 684-
out of 10, when you lose University Police Department. 2444.
something, you won’t get it
back,” Meadows said. “But someone turned my phone over
to Duke Police, and I went directly over there, and had no
Lost and Found
problems getting it back.” Locations
Cell phones, keys and wallets are among the common 䡵 Duke University Police
items that get dropped off at lost and found collections Department – 502 Oregon St.
across Duke, including at the Duke University Police 䡵 Office of Student Activities
Department on Oregon Street and the Office of Student and Facilities – Bryan Center
Activities and Facilities (OSAF) in the Bryan Center. 䡵 Baker House – Duke South
There’s also a new tool for getting property back to through an ID, serial number or engraving, officers will 䡵 Doris Duke Visitor Center –
owners: DukeList, an online database similar to craigslist. contact the owner. Other items like backpacks, notebooks Duke Gardens
Duke Police and OSAF use DukeList to post property in or eyeglasses can be dropped off at collection points closer 䡵 Circulation Desk – Perkins
their lost and found collections. to where the lost object is found. Library
DukeList (dukelist.duke.edu) is open to all Duke “When we turn in valuables, we’re preventing thefts at
community members who find property or are looking for Duke,” Stotsenberg said. “It’s about doing our part to keep
something. For instance, in late September, among the our belongings and campus safe.”
several dozen items, someone posted: “Lost my daily planner — By Bryan Roth
today... probably on the bus or bus stop between West and Writer, Office of Communication Services

Lost or found property? Check out DukeList at dukelist.duke.edu

Eat healthy on a tight budget

elly Velotta has two main

K
ingredients for healthy eating
on a tight budget: shop wisely
and learn to cook.
“The backbone to eating healthy
is to cook it yourself,” said Velotta,
nutrition manager for LIVE FOR
LIFE, Duke’s employee wellness
program. “Your meals will also be
much cheaper.”
The average American spends
about 5.6 percent of his or her
income on home-cooked meals,
down from more than 10 percent in
1940. Most people underestimate
how often they eat out and how
much it costs, said Velotta, who
offered tips on low-cost, healthy
eating during a recent Duke Credit
Union workshop. Lunchtime trips or
late afternoon stops for a fast food
dinner add up in cost and calories,
she said.
Velotta offered these tips for
oatmeal,” Velotta said. “But
other grains such as amaranth,
millet and quinoa are becoming
easier to find, and they are very
healthy and quite cheap per
serving.”
u Go meatless. At least once a
week, experiment with vegetarian
dishes such as bean burritos,
lentil stew or Indian Dal. A
simple meal of rice and beans can
cost as little as 20 cents per
serving, Velotta said.
u Waste not, want not. Prepare
only what you are going to eat,
brownbag leftovers for lunch the
next day or cook twice the
amount you need and freeze the
Rose Porges, a program “The backbone to eating healthy
rest for a “fast food” night. is to cook it yourself,” said Kelly
coordinator for Duke Children’s Velotta, nutrition manager for
u Buy in bulk when possible. Some Development, came away from the LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke’s employee
stores sell whole grains, dried credit union workshop ready to try wellness program. “Your meals
beans, nuts and seeds in bulk, some new tips.
will be much cheaper.”

preparing cheap, wholesome meals:
u Look high, low and on the
perimeter. Stores generally stock
the most expensive items at eye
level and place fresh foods on the
perimeter of the store.
u Experiment with new foods.
“When I mention whole grains,
people usually think of rice or
Watch a video about eating healthy on a budget at hr.duke.edu/liveforlife
Velotta said. “You can also buy
whole grain pretzels, whole grain
cereals, and dried fruit in bulk and
make your own snack packs.” She
also recommends purchasing spices
from bulk bins. “You can get
exactly the amount you need at a
much cheaper price.”
“I would have never thought to
check out bulk item prices at a place
like Whole Foods,” she said, “I just
assumed those types of stores were
too expensive.”
— By Marsha A. Green
Writer, Office of Communication Services
3
New Era for Steam
Historic plant burns natural gas after renova

Sustainable uke
YO U R S O U R C E F O R G R E E N N E W S AT D U K E

hen Duke’s Up until 1978, rail cars delivered coal along a trestle to a

W steam plant was

built 100 yards
off the rail tracks near
corrugated tin shed on the plant’s roof. From there, the coal dropped
through floor gates to three furnaces below. After the steam plant
closed, the generation of steam to heat and dehumidify hundreds of
campus buildings and sterilize surgical and other health system
East Campus in 1926,
it was heralded as one of the best in its class: Georgian architecture equipment was completely provided by the plant on West Campus.
with decorative brickwork, two-story tall window arches and interior But because the renovated plant on East Campus will carry the
oak finishes. system’s load and burn only natural gas, much less coal will be used
For about 50 years, the plant’s coal-fired boilers supplied steam to fuel the West Campus steam plant boilers. Coal now arrives at the
through underground pipes and tunnels to heat campus buildings until plant on West by truck, instead of rail, ending an 80-year tradition.
the plant closed in 1978. Duke is investigating how to convert the remaining coal-fired boilers
The plant is scheduled to reopen in January after a $25 million in the West Campus plant to alternative fuels.
renovation that marks another era at Duke: natural gas – not coal –
will fuel the new boilers. The system will provide 35 percent more
steam to heat academic and medical buildings, sterilize surgical
equipment and maintain proper humidity for art and lab research.
“It really is a historic restoration,” said Floyd Williams, who
managed the project for Facilities Management. “We’re taking a
building and adding state-of-the-art technology to produce steam
at high efficiency and ultra-low emissions.”
The plant, which sits off West Pettigrew Street, will become
Duke’s base system, supplying the equivalent of enough steam each
hour to heat 2,500 houses. Duke’s other steam plant, built in 1929 on
West Campus near Research Drive, will be a “peaking plant” with the
capacity to burn coal, oil, recycled oil and natural gas when demand is
high during the coldest days of the year.
“With this conversion, Duke is expected to cut its coal
consumption by approximately 70 percent,” said John Noonan,
associate vice president for Facilities Management.
The effort is part of Duke’s overall goal to become a climate-neutral
campus, a commitment by President Richard Brodhead in 2007, as part
of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.
Converting the plant on East Campus to natural gas isn’t the only
sustainable feature of the system. In hopes of earning a silver rating in
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the The project included removing three coal burners and installing 15 natural-gas powered Miura
boilers, considered the largest installation of its kind in the United States.
U.S. Green Building Council, Duke is reusing 87 percent of the
original building and making use of recycled water, including rainwater
from the new roof to operate the plant’s only toilet. At the East Campus plant, dozens of crew members have
“The reuse of this existing building, and its re-commissioning worked more than a year to renovate the 7,500-square-foot space.
as a steam plant, represents a major commitment to sustainability,” Site work involved a range of tasks like restoring the tin rooftop shed
Noonan said. for new mechanical equipment; grinding out and refilling most of
Architects in the firm of Horace Trumbauer, the architect of Duke the old brick mortar on the building and smokestack; gutting the
University, designed the original plant on East Campus. The firm’s interior and installing the 15 natural-gas powered Miura boilers,
work also included a collection of 11 buildings on East Campus that considered the largest installation of its kind in the United States.
the plant served. The new gas boilers require less water and time to produce steam
A newspaper headline on April 22, 1926, announced a “…New – and at lower emissions and greenhouse gases than coal. Instead of
Heating Plant of Size at Duke University.” using lots of energy to fire up one to three large coal boilers, the plant
“The plant will supply heat for the present campus community, can calibrate among 15 smaller gas boilers based on demand.
including the large new unit of eleven buildings …” the article said. “This creates a significant reduction in the energy losses
“Land has been purchased by the university bordering the tracks of associated with a typical start-up, purge and warm-up cycle of a
Southern railway siding, where coal will be loaded directly from the boiler,” said Russell Thompson, director of utilities and engineering
railway tracks to the plant via trestle and chute, and a tunnel, to be for Facilities Management.
built under the tracks, will allow the main steam pipe line to enter the The plant’s accompanying 175 feet tall brick smokestack remains
campus …” but only as an architectural relic.
At a cost of $440,000 during the unsteady financial times of the “The smokestack is imposing once at the site, yet successfully
late 1920s, the steam plant included architectural features and touches inconspicuous upon leaving it,” a student wrote in a 1996 art history
uncommon for an industrial building. paper kept in the University Archives.
Cornices, decorative brickwork and recessed brick medallions with Duke also salvaged one of the plant’s original black, cast iron
brick around inset square concrete panels resembled details of tobacco coal boilers. It will be on display in the lobby.
factories and warehouses. By Leanora Minai
Editor, Working@Duke

4
at Duke
ation

Top: Duke’s steam plant was built 100 yards off the rail tracks near East campus
in 1926. Right: About 83 years later, the plant receives a $25-million renovation
that retains its historical value but includes state-of-the art technology and
natural gas boilers.

Top: The lobby of the steam plant, seen here in its gutted stage, will feature one
of the plant’s original black, cast iron coal boilers. The plant was recognized for
its Georgian architecture with two-story tall window arches and decorative
brickwork, including its 175 foot tall smokestack.

See a video of the steam plant during renovation at duke.edu/sustainability

 Veterans Day is Nov. 11
Honoring faculty and staff military service in wartime, peace
atching Michael Zollo run the Diagnostic Division service has had on his life and the lives of others.

W in the Radiology Department, colleagues might get

the sense that the highly organized manager is a
tad – well – militaristic.
He manages the division by the book and when he
speaks, he gets right to the point, he says. But the man
can’t help it. It’s in his blood.
Zollo, 41, is a third-
generation soldier. His
grandfather, an Italian
immigrant, served in the U.S.
Army in World War I and II,
retiring as a colonel. His
father served during the
Vietnam era. Zollo is a long-
time drill sergeant, and some
of that training, he finds,
might just trickle into his day
job managing 35 employees
at Durham Regional
Hospital.
“He emphasizes
teamwork and earns respect
by treating us like equals,”
said Alma Lynch, a radiology
supervisor who works with
Zollo.
Like other military
veterans at Duke, Zollo will
spend Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
meditating on the impact his
Zollo, who spent most of his childhood in Florida,
joined the Army in his early twenties because he needed
money for college. He had found his calling.
“I was born to be a soldier,” he said.
He spent his first enlistment gaining experience as an
X-ray technician, which helped build his professional career.
But it was in later enlistments that Zollo discovered a more
fulfilling role: serving as drill sergeant. Zollo soon was
teaching 250 or more young men and women, in grueling
eight-week stints, how to survive life-and-death situations,
like what to do after contact with a nuclear or biological
agent and how to engage in combat in complete darkness.
He thinks often about the soldiers he prepared for missions
overseas.
“I like to think I taught them everything they need to
know to be able to come back home,” he said.
To be effective, Zollo modeled his manner after Dan
Williams, the drill sergeant who pushed him through boot
camp years ago.
“He never had to raise his voice,” Zollo said. “Without
him, I don’t know that I would have known what to do.”
Zollo spent nearly nine years working as a drill
sergeant, but recently took time off to start a family. Now
with a 19-month-old son, Zollo is considering returning
to the Army for another round as a reservist.
“You can take me out of the Army,” he said. “But you
can’t take the Army out of me.”
— By Samiha Khanna,
Working@Duke Correspondent

Michael Zollo, right, with his father, Douglas A. Zollo, at Zollo’s graduation from Drill Sergeants School in
South Carolina in 1998. Zollo, who now runs the Diagnostic Radiology Department at Durham Regional
Hospital, is a third-generation soldier.

Connecting Duke and Capitol Hill

HIGHLIGHTING DEPARTMENTS ACROSS DUKE
Duke President Richard H.
Brodhead meets with Sonal Shah,
left, director of the White House
Office of Social Innovation and
Civic Participation, to discuss civic
engagement issues and how Duke
faculty and students might serve
as a resource for her work. Chris
Simmons, associate vice president
of Duke’s Office of Federal
Relations, center, accompanies
Brodhead on the trip.
Department: Office of Federal Relations.
Years at Duke: Nine; prior to 1999, the office was under the umbrella of Government Relations
and Community Affairs.
Who they are: The Office of Federal Relations works as a liaison between Duke University and the federal
government. Chris Simmons, associate vice president of Federal Relations, travels to Washington, D.C.
two to three times a month to meet with government officials on matters concerning Duke, which range
from funding for scientific research to student aid. Keeping track of such matters can be a considerable
task, as all but two federal agencies directly affect the university: Consumer Product Safety and the Federal
Trade Commission.
What they’re known for: Each year, the university receives over $1 billion from the federal government,
which means there is a lot of back and forth between the school and Capitol Hill. “Most anytime there is
interaction between Duke University and federally elected or appointed officials, it goes through this
office,” Simmons said.
What they can do for you: The office provides two weekly e-mails that keep the Duke community in touch
with what’s happening in Washington. “Duke Digest” informs policymakers, federal officials and friends of
Duke about what’s happening at the university. “DC Digest” informs the Duke community of federal and
regulatory issues. To sign up, e-mail Public Affairs Specialist Landy Elliott at landy.elliott@duke.edu.
Number of employees: Four.
Hidden department fact: Of the more than $1 billion the university receives from the federal government, more than
$500 million goes toward research. Also, the Duke office works closely with UNC-Chapel Hill. “We have very similar
agendas in Washington,” Simmons said.
Significant achievement: The office has worked hard to position faculty as resources for policy makers. Recently, when
U.S. Representative David Price visited campus, the office facilitated a meeting between the congressman, the Duke
Islamic Studies Center and George McLendon, dean of Arts and Sciences. As chairman of the House Democracy
Assistance Commission, Price was interested in speaking with Duke experts on Islam and about his efforts to help
emerging democracies around the world.
Big goal: The main goal is a steady, sustained increase in federal research funding and student aid from the federal
government and enhancing and amplifying Duke’s presence in the nation’s capitol.
How they make a difference: The office gets Duke’s voice heard on funding matters like scientific research and student
aid. Faculty and staff interested in speaking to members of Congress about research and work they’ve done can also count
on this office to make those connections. For students interested in internships or jobs on Capitol Hill, the office can help
make connections with officials as well as alumni in Washington.

6 — Interview by Elizabeth Shestak, Working@Duke Correspondent

Learn more about Federal Relations at www.duke.edu/federalrelations

Working Smaller and Smarter
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
of their professional development,” said Mathot, who has led the
information center for two years. “It’s a time of big transition, and
the team has been incredibly flexible in handling it.”
ADJUSTING SERVICES
The university is targeting several hundred thousand dollars in
savings this fiscal year by reducing energy consumption, a cost-cutting idea
submitted by many Duke community members through Duke’s “Enduring
A Troubled Economy” website.
Where possible, temperatures in university buildings that are on the
central control system will be set at approximately 68 degrees in the winter
and 76 degrees in the summer. The actual room temperatures can be
within two degrees (plus or minus) of those set points.
“Since departments pay for what they use, this is an opportunity for
everyone at Duke to help cut costs and contribute to a sustainable goal,”
said Kemel Dawkins, vice president for Campus Services.
In addition, some services departments are changing how they meet
basic, non-urgent service demands with reduced budgets and fewer staff.
Less frequently mowed grass, less weeding and slightly longer waits for
maintenance requests in non-critical areas are among the strategies adopted
by Facilities. As a result, grounds crews will be deployed as task teams for
mowing and trimming less often. Critical areas like the NCAA athletic
fields will be maintained according to schedule due to collegiate regulations.
“These efforts will increase efficiency and productivity, while
maintaining safety and reliability,” said John Noonan, associate vice
president for Facilities Management.
The Police Department also is adjusting after some police and security
officers retired in August. The department will rehire for all five police
officer positions left vacant by early retirements. Some of the vacant
security officer slots will also be filled, but others will remain open for now.
To adjust, the department has expanded contract security services and
changed staffing at certain special events by combining roles and
responsibilities. For example, for the first home football game, Duke police
reassigned some traffic officers to stadium security and hired some Durham
police officers to help monitor the event. These strategic deployments saved
on compensation-related expenses but did not compromise service for the
campus community, said Aaron Graves, associate vice president for safety
and security.
Duke president Richard H. Brodhead congratulates Security Officer Gerald Gunnell and his family
during a Duke police retirement reception at the Nasher Museum of Art. Gunnell, who served 15
years with the Duke University Police Department, was among 18 members who retired in August.
“We have to become more prudent with our resources and creative
in how we deploy, train and respond to the needs of the community,”
Graves said. “We were able to reduce the level of football game staffing
by nine officers just by reviewing what is truly needed versus doing what
we have always done in the past. And we maintained our high level of
response and service.”
TECHNOLOGY OFFERS SOLUTIONS
A new imaging system has eliminated the need to fill all five positions
vacated by retiring employees in the Accounts Payable department.
The imaging system scans 40,000 paper invoices each month and
automatically captures data needed for payment, loading an image of each
invoice into a financial database for users to view.
A Smaller Duke
Retirement Incentive
Offers Acceptances Replacements Net Impact
836 295 56 -239
Vacancy Management
Positions unfilled since March 18, 2009 -141
Overtime Reduction
Annual savings represented as # of positions -45
Total Reduction in Workforce -425
The university has shed 425 positions since February 2009 when a vacancy management initiative
started as part of a university-wide effort to close an estimated $125 million budget shortfall by 2011.
Jim Allen, director of Accounts Payable, said the system eliminated
the need to have an employee copy and mail thousands of invoices to
departments each month. It also automated the workflow for invoices
blocked for payment because of missing information. The system now
flags problem invoices and automatically returns them to departments
for corrective action.
“If we had not embraced this technology, we would have to replace
the people who retired, or we would have ended up with a month’s
backlog of unpaid invoices,” Allen said. “Now we can handle the
workload with fewer people.”
The Graduate School also looked to technology to help a smaller
workforce stay on top of the job. A new paperless process for distributing
admission applications allowed the school to eliminate one position vacated
by a retiring employee.
“We no longer have to have someone print, collate and deliver nearly
9,000 application packets to and from 55 different departments each
application season,” said Cynthia Robertson, associate dean of finance and
enrollment services.
Provost Peter Lange said that despite flat budgets, Duke’s schools and
academic units have maintained “quality and momentum and have begun
some processes that will lead to significant innovation.”
Administrators said they are proud of how faculty and staff have met
the economic challenges.
“These are difficult processes to go through,” Cavanaugh said. “The
collaboration across the entire campus has been outstanding. I believe
everyone understands we are in this together, and maintaining the esprit
de corps is essential.”
New Retirement
Incentive Offered
As part of the continuing effort to reduce expenses, the university
has offered a voluntary retirement incentive to nearly 200 salaried
(monthly paid) staff members who meet specific criteria.
In addition to other eligibility requirements, employees must
meet the “Rule of 75” (years of service + age = 75 or more) by Dec.
31, 2009. Faculty and Duke University Health System staff members
are not eligible.
Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Duke Human Resources, said
the program is another step toward helping reduce overall
compensation expenses, which will limit the potential for involuntary
layoffs later.
The university has implemented a range of initiatives, including
the first retirement incentive directed to hourly-paid (biweekly) staff
in Duke’s pension plan. Nearly 300 staff members took part in that
incentive.
Individuals offered the Monthly Staff Retirement Incentive have
until 5 p.m. Dec. 8 to enroll. Staff who retire under the incentive
receive a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to two weeks of pay for
each full year of continuous service with Duke (up to 52 weeks of
pay). The retirement dates are Dec. 31, 2009 or January 29, 2010.
— By Marsha A. Green
Writer, Office of Communication Services
7
WORKING@ DUKE

HOW TO REACH US
Editor: Leanora Minai
dialogue@Duke
(919) 681-4533
leanora.minai@duke.edu “What’s your perception of Duke’s financial situation?
Assistant Vice President: Are we out of the woods, or is the worst yet to come?”
Paul S. Grantham

(919) 681-4534
paul.grantham@duke.edu
Graphic Design & Layout:
Paul Figuerado
Photography: Bryan Roth and
“
This is not going to blow over quickly, but I think the decisions Duke’s leadership has
made will pay dividends in the years to come. Duke’s done a good job trying to streamline
the work we do and preserve jobs and that should be applauded. I don’t think anyone is out of
the woods yet. Duke is just like any other company that faces challenging economic times. It’s
going to take years for everything to blow over for everyone.”
Clay Adams
Assistant dean of students, New Student and Family Programs

Got a
Leanora Minai, Office of 6 years at Duke
Communication Services; and
Duke University Photography.

“ story
I think Duke will weather everything better than other
Working@Duke is published monthly universities and colleges and better than mainstream
by Duke’s Office of Communication corporations. Partially because when the economy slows down,
Services. We invite your education is still important, so it will propel us forward. There’s

idea?
feedback and suggestions for been a shortfall and we’re filling it, but I don’t think we’re out of
future story topics. it just because the government says we’re out of the recession.”
Christina Price
Please write us at Department business manager, Dance Program
11 years at Duke
working@duke.edu or Write
Working@Duke, Box 90496, working@duke.edu

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705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708
I don’t know how things could be looking up with all the
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reorganizing going on. For the near term, I think it’s going or Call
to be interesting to watch. I’d like to see how the labor force is 681-4533
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restructured and jobs are consolidated. At least we’re not like some
of the other universities I hear about like Harvard. Our
endowment is in much better shape.”
Connie Blackmore
Department business manager, African-American Studies
23 years at Duke
Join the Facebook fan
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PERQS
The Orchid Trail
402 Church St., Morrisville
919) 362-1062 or (919) 468-3611
Orchidtrail.com

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

Discount for long-lasting blooms

K
aren Bond never expected to fall in love With proper care and feeding, orchids can grow for
with orchids. at least 20 years, flowering for several months
each year.
She bought her first one last February from the
Orchid Trail owner John Stanton’s love affair with
Orchid Trail in Morrisville after a colleague told her
orchids has blossomed over 40 years, and he now
Duke employees receive a 10 percent discount
has seven greenhouses full of the colorful plants.
through PERQS, the employee discount program.
One greenhouse is dedicated to orchids that are
“Since the store is right down the street from my ready for sale, with prices ranging from $10 to $20
home, I decided to stop in one day and take for common hybrids, to over $100 for rare species.
advantage of the savings,” said Bond, a lab
For the serious orchid collector, the Orchid Trail
research analyst for the Department of
also offers an orchid care service that includes
Hematology/Oncology. “Then I went back again,
feeding and watering orchids in the greenhouse
and again. Once you buy one, you want to have
when orchids are not in bloom and returning them
more because they are so beautiful.”
to owners just as blooms begin to burst.
Bond enjoys orchids because they are relatively
Bond doesn’t yet consider herself an orchid
easy to maintain and have long-lasting flowers: her
collector, but she enjoys sharing the gift of orchids.
first orchid – a golden
She bought a bright pink phalaenopsis for the
phalaenopsis – bloomed for
graduation of her fiance’s niece.
three months.
Now she’s deciding which orchids to order next
“When I went to the Orchid
spring for her wedding. “There are so many
Trail the first time, they
possibilities, and I can’t wait to see what they will
helped me find an orchid
For a complete list of Duke that would grow on my
have that will be in bloom,” she said. “But I know
that they will be gorgeous.”
PERQS discounts visit back porch and they
taught me how to test the — By Marsha A. Green
hr.duke.edu/ soil to know when to water Writer, Office of Communication Services
discounts it,” she said.

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