3 7

NEW CALENDAR IT’S TIME SUSTAINABLE DUKE

2
Duke launches an Start considering Collect plastic cups
online calendar that plan options: open for recycling during
serves as an archway enrollment for Duke home football
to campus, highlighting health plans and games and help
events, lectures, arts reimbursement children and the
and more. benefits begins environment.
in October.

N E W S YO U CA N U S E :: Vo l u m e 3 , I s s u e 7 :: September 2008

Dawn
of a New

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

“
o ahead, tell him.

G 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
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
2008 season with a 25-game losing streak in the ACC and that Duke appeared in five bowl games.
hasn’t had a winning season or played in a bowl game since 1994. Among his collegiate credentials are mentoring Super Bowl MVP
Cutcliffe, appointed in December as the 21st head football coach in quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.
Duke history, has heard it all, knows he’ll hear more – but he’s loving Cutcliffe’s football roots began at an Alabama high school as a linebacker.
every minute of it. His father died in his sophomore year and football coaches became the most
“This is fun every single day to take this on,” Cutcliffe said. “I’ve had important men in his life. He knew he’d be a coach one day.
people who had the audacity – and I love it when they say it because it After high school, Cutcliffe went on to the University of Alabama,
just fuels the fire – ‘Yeah you’re having fun now. Wait ’til the games start.’ where he was a student assistant under head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He
I even had somebody within the university – I’m not going to say who – returned to his high school alma mater and became head coach and won a
say, ‘We’ll just see.’ state championship. After two high school seasons, Cutcliffe joined
“I’m going to pick up the phone and call him once we start playing Tennessee and helped the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship.
and say, ‘Hey, I just wanted
you to know we’re still having >> See DAWN OF A NEW DAY, PAGE 5
fun playing.’ ” Duke is such a
For those who think
turning around Duke football vibrant part of
won’t happen, Cutcliffe says: Durham, and Durham such a
“You can accept conditions as vibrant part of Duke. That’s
they exist, or take responsibility
in order to bring about change.”
why I enjoy talking to the
“I want people to people who work here
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. Among Coach David Cutcliffe’s collegiate credentials are mentoring Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks
Eli Manning, left, and brother, Peyton Manning, right.

2008 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing This paper consists of 30% recycled
2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters post-consumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
 Editor’s
Note
I
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 fresh-
cut fries, the new Refectory will emphasize the same fresh, local
produce and gourmet-quality dishes that draw hundreds of staff and
faculty each day to the Divinity School location on West Campus.
Use your DukeCard FLEX account at either Refectory location
and receive a 10 percent discount. For menus, 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 oit-training@duke.edu.
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 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.

New online events calendar is archway to Duke

ot a lecture you want the Duke community

G to attend or want to find something fun to

do at Duke this weekend?
Go to Events@Duke, the university’s new calendar
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
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
at calendar.duke.edu. months in that year. Advanced Search.
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 Select categories: Use Manage events: If you’re a Ongoing: Look here for events
new calendar for their school, department or unit, as Calendar Views to see all calendar administrator, use this that span a period of days.
may any Duke community member with a valid NetID events in a category to manage your group’s events.
and password. Submissions will be individually reviewed grouping. Expand view NetID and password required.
to display more specific
and published as appropriate.
categories. Submit events: Use this to
submit events for consideration.
— By the offices of News and Communication and
2 Communication Services NetID and password required.

Go to the new calendar at calendar.duke.edu

Sign up, change health, dental,
vision insurance Oct. 4 to Oct. 14
t’s that time again – open enrollment, that stretch in Green said that Duke’s continued focus will be to

I October when faculty and staff select or make changes

to health, dental, vision and reimbursement benefits.
For the fourth consecutive year, participants in the
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.
Open
Enrollment
Duke Basic plan will not see a premium increase.
Other insurance plans such as Duke Select will have
“That’s why we are promoting and investing in
preventive health programs,” Green said. “We care that
Tips
modest increases in 2009. Premiums for Duke Select, our employees enjoy good health, for their own sake and Open Enrollment
which covers the majority of Duke employees and the sake of their families.” packets with details
families, will increase $1.64 per month for individuals; Other 2009 health plan updates include: about Duke’s health,
$9.76 per month for families. The monthly premium ■ Out-of-pocket expenses (co-payments, dental and vision plans will
increase for Blue Care is $2.70 for individuals; $12.20 deductibles) for health, dental, pharmacy and be mailed in September.
for family. The increase for individuals in Blue Options vision insurance will not change.
Health benefit
is $2.60; $12 for family. ■ The vision care premium will stay the same.
information sessions
Health insurance is one of the most popular benefits ■ The monthly premium for the comprehensive
will begin in late
at Duke with 90 percent of eligible faculty and staff dental plan A will rise $1.82 for individuals; $5.53
September. A schedule
participating, said Lois Ann Green, director of Benefits, for family. The premium for dental plan B remains
will be posted on the Duke
adding that the benefit’s popularity is based largely on the the same.
Human Resources Web site
value it offers. ■ Online enrollment will be offered through
at www.hr.duke.edu by
“Few employers in the area can compare with Duke’s Duke@Work, the employee self-service Web site.
mid-September.
health benefits in terms of premiums, out-of-pocket costs ■ Dependent Care and Health Care Reimbursement
and coverage,” she said. “Our employees also have access Accounts do not automatically roll over. Call the Duke Open
to innovative programs such as Duke Prospective Health Employees must re-join during open enrollment Enrollment Service
and cutting-edge medical care through Duke Medicine.” in October. Center at (919) 684-
5600 from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. Monday through
Health care savings at the swipe of a card Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
on Saturdays, from Oct. 4
onica Spaulding never had serious health problems

M
through Oct. 14.
until last December when severe allergies struck. She HEALTH CARE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT SAVINGS
Online enrollment
had hives, congested sinuses and watery, itchy eyes. Annual Expenses Annual Approximate Pre-tax
Without Reimbursement Savings With Reimbursement will be offered
As Spaulding visited many doctors and tried various Account Account
through Duke@Work,
medications, costs added up. But she wasn’t worried about
Co-pays $75 $25 the employee self-
the bill because she had a Health Care Reimbursement
Prescriptions $300 $100 service Web site.
Account and Health Care Card.
Over-the-counter
“It has been a blessing to have the reimbursement medicines $75 $25
account because I didn’t have to budget for these Uncovered dental/
unexpected health expenses,” said Spaulding, clinical data vision expenses $300 $100
specialist with the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “The Total $750 $250
money was already there in my reimbursement account,
The chart is an example of an individual’s various health care expenses over
and the card made it convenient to use that money.”
one year, and how much she would save with a Duke Health Care Reimbursement
This was the first year Duke offered the Health Care Account, regardless of the health insurance plan. Faculty and staff can save
Card through Visa, which allows for payment of eligible about $30 to $40 for every $100 on eligible health care expenses since
health care expenses at the register, using money from the reimbursement accounts use pre-tax money.

Health Care Reimbursement Account.

While the Health Care Card is convenient, Saundra
Daniels, Benefits plan manager, urges employees to keep
Reimbursement
receipts and review the usage guidelines to ensure the Card Reminders
best experience.
Employees should check that a purchase is eligible
before using the card, keep all purchase receipts and review
! Keep receipts from card
purchases.
monthly reimbursement account statements, she said.
Sometimes, filing receipts is still required after using the card.
! Check WageWorks’ monthly
statements, which will include
“If purchases are made that do not match standard a Card Use Verification Form
co-pay amounts, or if purchases are made with a retailer that includes transactions
that is not certified to automatically approve eligible with the card that require
expenses at the register, you will have to file a receipt to receipts to verify charges.
verify the expense,” Daniels said.
The card can be used with health care providers, at
! Ifsubmit
receipts are needed,
them along with the
pharmacies and certified retailers for over-the-counter Card Use Verification form
drugs. Some local certified pharmacies include Walgreens, within 75 days of the
Monica Spaulding, clinical data specialist with the Duke Clinical Research
Institute, has a Health Care Reimbursement Account and Health Care Card. Wal-Mart, Target, CVS and Kerr Drug. Duke pharmacies transaction to keep your
are in the process of becoming a certified retailer, which card active.
The Health Care Card, provided by WageWorks,
Duke’s reimbursement account administrator, works similar
should occur by January 1, 2009. For Medco Health and
other retailers that are not yet certified, receipts may be
! Ifwithin
a charge is not verified
75 days, that amount
to a debit card. Money for eligible expenses such as required to verify purchases for reimbursement. will be deducted from your
prescriptions, dental, vision and doctor’s co-payments and A majority of card transactions for Duke employees do next requested
not require paperwork. But Spaulding still makes a practice reimbursement check, or you
some over-the-counter drugs are automatically deducted
can repay your account per
from the employee’s reimbursement account. of saving her receipts and reviewing her monthly statements.
the instructions on your
During this year’s open enrollment, faculty and staff “I plan to enroll in this again for next year,” Spaulding
statement.
can enroll in Duke’s Health Care Reimbursement Account said. “It has been extremely convenient, even if there are times
and take advantage of the Health Care Card and cost- that I have to send in a receipt, the response is very fast.”
savings. Now is the time to start thinking about how much — Stories by Elizabeth Michalka
pre-tax money to contribute in 2009 to reimbursement Communication Specialist,
accounts. The contribution sets the card’s spending limit. Human Resources Communications
3
Learn about open enrollment and health and dependent care reimbursement accounts
later this month at www.hr.duke.edu/enroll
 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 Tamberly Ferguson, Web producer in the Office of News and Communications, uses instant
chat “meetings,” storing a searchable transcript of conversations. It also messaging for work. “That’s the best way to reach me, if you want to get to me quickly,” she said.
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 She also has found it useful in requesting quick feedback from
moving toward not just what you do with your closest, best friends but colleagues using different platforms: “I can say, ‘Hey, I just launched this
a way to work with all your collaborators,” said Mark McCahill, systems site or did this cool animation – can you tell me what you think? How’s
architect in the Office of Information Technology. “If you know someone it working for you on that side of the world?’ ”
is awake and potentially available for conversation, you can probably do Jabber can be integrated with other IM services such as AOL Instant
a chat instead of sending an e-mail.” Messenger, Yahoo, MSN and Google without running multiple chat
For Ferguson, IM proved essential on collaborative projects with clients.
external vendors such as the company that helped with the redesign of Starting this fall, OIT is creating ready-made Jabber chat rooms for
the Duke Today Web site. On that project, she regularly “met” in a chat all Duke courses as an option for instructors. Transcripts of the course
session with developers in Rhode Island and California. They sent chat sessions will be stored in that course’s WebFiles space.
working files to her via IM, which she uploaded to a Duke server. — By Cara Bonnett
“If you send an e-mail, how long will it take to get there?” Ferguson Managing Editor, News & Information
asked. “It’s so much easier to send an IM, and you get it instantly.” 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.
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.
Dr. Jeffrey Brantley, director of Duke’s Mindfulness-Based Stress can be your doorway to a profoundly different relationship
Reduction Program at Duke Integrative Medicine, will explore the with work and life.
possibilities of making work a source of deeper satisfaction and Back in the 1960s, a popular notion was “to trip.”
discovery during a seminar at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Center for This meant many things, but it could mean that when a
Living. Brantley is the author of “Five Good Minutes at Work: person was on “a trip,” they were so fixated in a particular
100 mindful practices to help you relieve stress and bring your best view that they could no longer respond effectively or see
to work.” The seminar, sponsored by Duke Prospective Health and other possibilities. People would say, “He’s on a real power
Duke Integrative Medicine, is free for Duke faculty and staff. trip; she’s on her own trip.”
So, what is
iving in the world your work “trip”
L these days can be a
challenge. Your
personal life – family,
these days?
What if you
made the intention
to approach work
relationships, finances,
even health conditions – with more
curiosity? Just stop,
can change in a moment.
breathe quietly and
Deeply intertwined
be “mindful” of
and interconnected with
breath sensations,
these dimensions of living
asking yourself,
is the work you do. Daily,
“What is
even hourly, the larger
happening now?
world is present with the
Dr. Jeffrey Brantley Am I on some
personal world, which
kind of trip?”
accompanies you into your working life,
Then, you could work with that answer in many ways.
moment by moment.
What if you responded with more compassion, greater
What if your work could be a field for engaging and
generosity and with fearlessness to whatever you noticed
experiencing a deeper sense of connection, for practicing
inside or outside yourself, as you deliberately paid mindful
qualities of generosity, compassion, and fearlessness, and
attention? Five minutes spent in this way would be “five
for awakening a greater sense of awe and gratitude for the
good minutes.”
mystery of being alive?
— By Jeffrey Brantley
Learning to bring sharper attention to the present
Director, Duke’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program
moment, and include with kindness and compassion, the
flow of your inner thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations,

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, Tiffany Morgan, left, a senior payroll
clerk for the Department of
these other things occur. It’s in addition with. This is Psychology and Neuroscience, with
Division I football. This is big-time college football. It’s Coach David Cutcliffe. She won the
for committed people.” drawing during Primetime for the
Ryan Wood, a senior wide receiver, said Cutcliffe has football signed by Eli and Peyton
Manning. “I was in total shock,”
taught him to pursue excellence at all times. Morgan said of winning. “Before
“Not just pursue one win or one short-term goal,” I knew it, I was up screaming.”
Wood said. “Pursue excellence at all times and everything Morgan said when she got home
that day, she ordered a case for
else takes care of itself. His impact is going to be so much the football with her fiance, Corey
greater than what can be measured in wins and losses. Yarborough, a football fan. The
He’s modeling us into good young men to have an impact Manning football will sit atop
their mantle.
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?”
— 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
C F
utcliffe ile
Resides: Durham that. I think that is a great service to our community.
We need to clean our environment and appreciate
Family: Married to Karen for 24 years. They have
where we live.”
four children, Chris, Marcus, Katie and Emily.
Last book read: Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness
Off the field hobby: “If I had to pick an off the field Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes
hobby besides watching tape, it would be bass of SEAL Team 10.
fishing.”
Favorite movie: Forrest Gump
Community service: “I am still involved with my
church St. John’s in Oxford, Mississippi, as far as a Fun Fact: “I play school with my daughter Emily, (who
building fund and building a church. …Anytime is eight.) I am the student, and she is the teacher.”
somebody wants to pick up litter, I am willing to do

5
 No joke: Duke employee
is funniest comedian in state
W
hen John Loftin first tried stand-up comedy in 2006, That wasn’t always the case.
the audience wasn’t laughing. “Jobs I had previously all spawned humor because of
“I bombed really horribly the first few times,” said how tortured I was,” he said of his previous positions at
Loftin, 25, a video services specialist in the Office of electronics and coffee retail stores.
Curriculum for Duke’s School of Medicine. “I figured out Here’s a sample from his act: “I worked at Circuit City,
pretty fast that I better adjust my approach and lighten up too. One time, I tossed a girl a DVD across a counter, and it
my act if I wanted to make it as a comedian.” hit her in the face. I tried to apologize, but she said it wasn’t
________ Crowds now the first time she cried at Steel Magnolias.”
chuckle so much that Loftin, a 2006 graduate of Appalachian State University,

Blue Devil Loftin was recently

named “Carolina’s
Funniest Comic” during
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.
of the Month a statewide competition “People laugh as soon as John steps onstage,” said
________ at DSI Comedy Theater DSI owner Zach Ward, who calls Loftin’s shtick “dazed
in Carrboro. Duke staff and confused.”
and faculty can catch Although Loftin’s vocabulary isn’t G-rated, his jokes
him on stage Sept. 10 typically poke fun at himself and human nature.
John Loftin, video services at Goodnight’s Comedy Performing standup “is such a payoff,” Loftin said. “Even
specialist at Duke’s School of Club in Raleigh and people who don’t appreciate the art form always have respect
Medicine, is “Carolina’s
Funniest Comic.”
Sept. 18 at DSI. for people who go out there and do it.”
Don’t expect to hear any Duke-related jokes, though. As winner of the “Carolina’s Funniest Comic” contest, he
Loftin, who prepares Powerpoint presentations and won $800. That helped cover travel expenses this summer to
streaming videos that are used to teach Duke medical New York, where Loftin performed in a comedy festival that
students around the world, said his role at Duke doesn’t highlighted improvisational humor.
make its way into his routine. He also runs the audio-video “I like doing improv because it keeps me on my toes,”
equipment at the Duke South Clinic Amphitheater. he said. “With comedy, you have to keep your material fresh.”
“I’m such a goofball that I don’t have to look far for
— By Diane Daniel, Working@Duke Correspondent,
good material, but I don’t actually get any material from
and Missy Baxter, Senior Writer,
work,” he said.
Office of Communication Services

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

South African ecosystems, Costa Rican

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.
6 Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services
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.”
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

“INSIDE DUKE” CONNECTS FACULTY AND STAFF WITH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS DUKE. GOT AN IDEA
FOR A DEPARTMENT TO HIGHLIGHT? SEND IDEAS TO WORKING@DUKE.EDU OR CALL 681-4533.
Sustainable uke
YO U R S O U R C E FO R GREEN N E W S AT D U K E

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
Blue Devil football fans (left to right) Ramsey Elliott, Logan Elliott, Jake Schwarze and Keir Schwarze collected plastic cups during a Duke home football Football Games
game at Wallace Wade Stadium to help raise money for Recycle for the Children.

353 POUNDS

Recycled cups runneth over

Aluminum Collected
at 2007 Duke Home
Football Games

s hundreds of football fans watched the final minutes 1,706 POUNDS

A
free admission to the game and are recognized by the
of last year’s Duke-Wake Forest game in Wallace announcer. Glass Collected at 2007
Wade Stadium, brothers Ramsey Elliott, 12, and “Along with supporting the kids at Duke Children’s Duke Home Football Games
Logan Elliott, 14, turned their eyes from the field Hospital, this program helps the environment and
to the stands. educates people about the importance of recycling,” said
The goal: plastic cups. Arwen Buchholz, coordinator for Duke’s recycling and
The Elliott brothers – along with friends, Jake waste reduction programs. “Volunteering for the Recycle
Schwarze, 14, and Keir Schwarze, 11 – rushed through for Children program is a great way for groups to earn
the stands, gathering dozens of plastic cups. They community service hours and enjoy an exciting
carried the plastic towers to a “Duke football game for free.”
Recycles” booth near a stadium gate, During last year’s football season,
dropped them into a large blue bin more than 1,000 pounds of plastic and
and selected prizes such as Duke clocks 2,000 pounds of aluminum and glass
and suncatchers. were collected. The proceeds from the
“The cup contest is a fun way to sale of recyclable items are used to
wrap up an afternoon at the game,” buy toys, games and art supplies for MARK YOUR
said Carol Elliott, Ramsey’s and the children’s hospital.
Logan’s mother and a regulatory “I attend the home football
CALENDARS AND
coordinator with Duke Medicine’s games and it is always great to hear SUPPORT RECYCLE
Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant the announcement about the contest
Program. “The boys started forming and the volunteer groups because I
FOR THE CHILDREN
their game plan as soon as the announcer know it helps us provide many hours AT BLUE DEVIL
mentioned a contest.” of positive distraction for our young
Fans who attend Blue Devil home football patients,” said Edith Rosenblatt, coordinator of
HOME FOOTBALL
games, including three in September, will hear an pediatric volunteer services at Duke Children’s Hospital GAMES:
announcement about Duke’s Recycle for the Children & Health Center.
contest at the end of each game. Fans can hustle to collect Boy Scout Troop 43 of Mebane has assisted several
the most plastic cups and help raise money for Duke times with the program as a community service project. SEPT. 6, 13, 27
Children’s Hospital & Health Center. “Volunteering allowed the scouts to learn a lot more
Duke employees and their families can get involved about recycling and they had a big time at the games,” OCT. 18
in the Recycle for the Children program by competing in said the troop’s leader, Jeff Harward, a landscape specialist
the cup contest, tossing recyclable items into collection with Duke Facilities Management. “Plus, we were proud NOV. 8, 29
bins at home games and suggesting volunteer groups to to help raise money for such a great children’s hospital.”
help gather recyclable items after the games. The — By Missy Baxter
volunteers, along with parents and chaperones, receive Senior Writer, Office of Communication Services

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

HOW TO REACH US
Editor: Leanora Minai
dialogue@Duke
(919) 681-4533
leanora.minai@duke.edu
What additional schooling or training have you
considered for your job at Duke?
Assistant Vice President:

“
Paul S. Grantham Duke has provided a lot of opportunities through Learning & Organization
(919) 681-4534 Development, and I’ve taken several helpful classes on topics such as technical writing
paul.grantham@duke.edu 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
Graphic Design & Layout: Special Collections for Duke Libraries.”
Paul Figuerado Lynn Eaton, reference archivist, Perkins Library
11 years at Duke
Photography: Missy Baxter, Office
of Communication Services; Duke

“
University Photography; and
Stewart Waller. Over the years, I’ve taken several classes through Learning

Have
& Organization Development on business software
Support Staff: Mary Carey
applications such as SAP and other things related to payroll. It’s
great that Duke offers employees the tools to continue improving

ideas
and advance their careers.”
Working@Duke is published monthly
by Duke’s Office of Communication Donna Hubert, business manager, Public Affairs and Government

for other
Relations
Services. We invite your
25 years at Duke
feedback and suggestions for

stories?
future story topics.

I haven’t taken any courses yet, but I’ve been reading the
Please write us at catalogue from Learning & Organization Development.
working@duke.edu or I’ve got my eye on the Microsoft Access training. I just need to
Working@Duke, Box 90496, work it into my schedule.”
705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708
Thomas Urban, postdoctoral associate, Center for Population
Call us at (919) 684-4345. Genomics and Pharmacogenetics Write
Send faxes to (919) 681-7926. 1 year at Duke working@duke.edu
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 Employees interested in receiving periodic e-mail notices of discounts may enroll
saving $10 each month on her cellular
in the Duke PERQS list serv. Go to www.hr.duke.edu/discounts.
service plan.

For daily news and information, visit

DUKETODAY www.duke.edu/today