Working@Duke - September, 2010

8/8/2019 Working@Duke - September, 2010

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4 7CONSIDERREIMBURSEMENTACCOUNTSAn employee can save$20 to $40 on taxesfor every $100 depositedin a health carereimbursement account.3

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

2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters

RISING HEALTHCARE COSTSDukes vice presidentfor Human Resourcesdiscusses whats drivingrising health care costsand how Duke isaddressing them.

When IT analyst Lenore Ramm was considering applying forother jobs within Duke, shestarted by consulting a map.

I needed to know: Is there anaccessible route, so I can get there in a wheelchair? And where can I get to fromthat location? asked Ramm, who hasa congenital disorder characterized by extremely fragile bones.

Ramm, who transferred last yearfrom Duke Libraries to the Office of Information Technology, found theinformation she needed in new Web-based maps. These maps allow Rammand other users to view and interact witha vast amount of data about Duke, including the whereaboutsof 558 buildings, 264 disabled-accessible entrances and 42 milesof campus sidewalks.

More and more, Duke staff, faculty and students are putting onlinetechnologies to use in mapping the campus and Dukes role in Durhamand around the world. From virtual 3D buildings in Google Earth and aproject to map Durham civil rights history to representing Dukes presencein other countries, multimedia-infused maps help share information in new ways and give employees a state-of-the-art view.

Any map is a geographical information system a way to visualizeand understand a potentially overwhelming volume of data, said Greg Anspach, GIS manager with Facilities Management. Mapping has comea long way since the paper maps of the 1930s. Everything is really startingto mash together, and different map layers can include everything you canpossibly think of.

For example, with a few clicks, users can explore detailed views of campus including topological features, help phones, and physicalaccessibility information about classrooms and buildings according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

As these maps add more layers of information, they become an

increasingly valuable tool and resource, whether helping engineering

students study local stormwater for pollution or aiding engineers inanalyzing utility usage on campus.

Its one thing to look at information in a chart. Its another to see themap, and to quickly be able to make more informed decisions, said AdemGusa, Facilities Managements assistant director of planning and design.

CONNECTING BEYOND CAMPUSDuke mapping projects extend well beyond campus boundaries,

to connect the university with the local community and dozens of international sites.

Last spring, students in a Duke Center for Documentary Studiescourse built an interactive Google map of historic civil and human rightssites around Durham as part of the Pauli Murray Project, which honorsthe late interracial lawyer, activist, poet and Episcopal priest from Durham.

N E W S YO U C A N U S E : : Vo l u m e 5 , I s s u e 7 : : S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 0

>> See CONNECTING WITH MAPS , PAGE 4 and 5

Connecting With MapsMaps help createthis culture of

collaboration, whereeveryone can contributetheir expertise to thelarger whole. Thats hownew knowledge getscreated.

Victoria Szabo,Director of Dukes ISIS program

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: DUKE MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES CREATE NEW KNOWLEDGE

Lenore Ramm, an IT analyst in Dukes Office of Information Technology, uses an interactive onlinemap to find accessibility routes, building entrances and parking information. New online maps bringtogether a range of data from Facilities Management and other departments to provide detailed,customized views of the campus and beyond.

SUSTAINABLE DUKEThe Bull City Connector,the new fare-free busservice, includes stopsat and near Duke,connecting Duke withdowntown Durham.


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Learn IT @ Lunch seminars beginThe Office of Information Technologys Learn IT @ Lunch series kicksoff this fall with new seminars on web publishing, IT security, searchengine optimization and new lecture and event capture options.

The seminars, designed to showcase the many technologiesavailable at Duke, are open to all Duke staff, faculty and students.Registration is not required, but seating is on a first-come, first-servedbasis. Participants may bring their own lunch.

Upcoming seminars include: Flexible web publishing in theclassroom and beyond on Sept. 15; IT Security Weather in theCloud: What Is the Forecast? on Oct. 20; Snagging the Top Spots:An Introduction to Search Engine Optimization on Nov. 17; andLectopia to Panopto: The DukeCapture Transition on Dec 8.

Sessions are noon to 1 p.m. in the RENCI Conference Room.Visit oit.duke.edu and select the Computing & Printing tab, then scrolldown for IT Training.

Duke among 2010 Great Colleges to Work ForFor the third consecutive year, Duke was named as one of the bestcolleges in the country to work for by The Chronicle of HigherEducation. After an independent survey of employees for the 2010Great Colleges to Work For program, Duke earned high marksfor its commitment to workplace safety and facilities. More than275 colleges participated in the program, and Duke was one of97 institutions that received recognition in various categories.

Duke continues to strive to provide a healthy and productive

work environment, said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for DukeHuman Resources. Being recognized as one of the best workplacesin higher education in the nation for the third year in a row is veryencouraging and speaks well of what were accomplishing here.

Mobile market continues in fall and winterGet a share of fresh fall and winter produce from local farmersthrough LIVE FOR LIFEs Mobile Farmers Market.

Register and pre-pay by Sept. 17 to get a weekly box of producefrom October through March. Participants can pick up the harvestevery Tuesday afternoon at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

Faculty and staff can also visit the Mobile Market throughout theseason, even if they havent registered. The vendors always bring extraproduce and meat to sell, and its a great opportunity to learn moreabout our local farmers, said Diana Monroe, coordinator of the market.

For more information, visit hr.duke.edu/mobilemarket .

News briefsLEANORA MINAI

[email protected]

Pixels or print?

Thank you, Bull City Connector.I took the inaugural ride of thenew fare-free bus service, whichintroduced me to Golden Belt, one ofDurham's last textile mills to beredeveloped. The seven-acre historicsite has been restored into an urbanarts hub, complete with 35 artiststudios, 37 lofts, a central gallery,outdoor plazas and lots of availableretail space.

Golden Belt is among the bus stopson a route that connects Duke to keydestinations in Durham, including thecitys historic downtown and Ninth Street.As part of the inaugural ride, we got alook at Golden Belt. I strolled by artiststudios and fell in love with the creativeenergy and sustainable design, includingexposed brick, tall ceilings, original heart-pine beams and oversized windows.

Phail Wynn, Jr., vice president ofDurham and Regional Affairs at Duke, ison target when he says the bus service

is a valuable benefit for Durham andDuke. The Bull City Connector is animportant component of our economicdevelopment and downtownrevitalization partnership with the Cityof Durham, he said.

With a bus arriving every 15 to20 minutes, the Connector featuresstops at or near Duke. Whether youreat American Tobacco Campus, SmithWarehouse, West or East campus or theMedical Center, the Connector providesan easy way to get to work, travel tomeetings or to visit downtown.

In fact, take the bus to Golden Beltfor Third Friday at 6 p.m. Sept. 17, andsoak in the arts.

Visit bullcityconnector.org for

an interactive route map and serviceoperating hours. And see our story onpage 7 in this issue.

EditorsNote

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Lesley Looper has always preferred the feel of paper-and-ink books,but she couldnt resist the urge to try readings newest fad by borrowing an Amazon Kindle from Perkins Library.The Kindle is an e-reader, an electronic device the size of a magazine

with text that looks like a newspaper. Its one of the latest additions toDuke Libraries growing collection of borrowable items and also one of the most popular. Theres a waiting list of about 100 students, faculty andstaff members anxious to test the technology.

You wouldnt think it, but it really looks a lot like an actual book page rather than reading on a computer, said Looper, the head of theReceipts Management Section for Duke Libraries. Ive always enjoyedusing new gadgets, so it was pretty exciting to try out something new to read with.

Duke Libraries, among the first in the country to circulate e-readers,recently purchased six more Kindles and 15 Nooks (an e-reader sold throughBarnes & Noble), bringing to 32 the total e-readers available through DukeLibraries. Theyre split evenly between Perkins and Lilly libraries.

Faculty and staff can reserve an e-reader by finding a title they wantto read at guides.library.duke.edu/kindles . They can borrow an e-readerfor two weeks, not the four weeks typically allowed for a printed book.Borrowers are required to sign an agreement to pay for any damages, thesame agreement the libraries has for borrowing laptops.

Libraries have always been associated with circulating books, but ourprimary goal has always been to give people information they need in asmany different forms as possible, said Aisha Harvey, head of collectiondevelopment for Dukes libraries. E-readers are an example of the book evolving people say they love the fact they can carry dozens of booksin their hand.

Providing a new way to read also saves Duke money. Instead of buying dozens of book copies, Duke Libraries can purchase one title touse for every six Kindles and one title to use for all the Nooks. There arecurrently more than 100 books in each e-reader.

Looper, the head of the Receipts Management section, said the broadrange of titles is ideal for her reading habits because she likes to readseveral books at a time.

Its just great fun to have something new like that available toeveryone at Duke, she said. I might even buy one in the future becausemy first experience was so great.

By Bryan RothWriter, Office of Communication Services

Letters to the Editor must include name and contact information.

E-mail letters to [email protected] or mail them to Working@DukeEditor, Box 90496, Durham, NC 27708. Fax letters to(919) 681-7926. Please keep length to no more than 200 words.

If youre missing the conversation on Facebook, wellpost a few snippets here each month but please joinand jump in at facebook.com/workingatduke .

E-READERS OFFER DUKE COMMUNITY NEW WAY TO READ

Lesley Looper, head of theReceipts Management Sectionfor Duke Libraries, reads froman Amazon Kindle sheborrowed from Lilly Library.More than 30 e-readers areavailable for faculty and staffto borrow.

Learn more atguides.library.duke.edu/kindles

Duke is committed to ensuring equal access to programs, activities and opportunities for employees and studentswith disabilities. Contact the Disability Management System, (919) 668-1499, for more information.


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Watch the live webcast at hr.duke.edu/primetime

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Kyle Cavanaugh, Dukes vice president for HumanResources, keeps close watch on the cost of health careprovided to faculty and staff and their dependents throughDukes insurance plans. Currently, more than 27,000employees are enrolled in Dukes health plans. Includingdependents, the plans cover more than 57,000 individuals a benefit that cost Duke approximately $145 million in 2009.

Working@Duke sat down with Cavanaugh recently todiscuss the road ahead for health care costs and benefits at Duke.

How is national health reform affecting Dukes health plans?There are many pieces still in motion, but we know we

will see changes every year between 2011 and 2018, whenthe legislation should be fully enacted.

For 2011, there will be two big changes for employees.The first is that Duke will offer coverage for children up toage 26, whether or not they are full-time students. Thesecond is that in January 2011, under the new legislation,the government will no longer allow over-the-countermedications without a prescription as an eligible expense fora reimbursement account. That means, for example, that you wont be able to use your WageWorks card to pay for aspirinor cough syrup unless you have a physician prescription for it.

In addition, national health care reform legislation (the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) requiressignificant increases in reporting requirements by employersto the federal government, including the reporting of employeeand dependent social security numbers.

What is happening to Dukes health insurance costs?The good news is that Dukes health care plan costs are lower than

what we see in virtually any other group we measure against peerinstitutions, academic medical centers and local employers. We are self-insured, which means we fund the plan based on how much it costs usto pay for the care our employees and their dependents use.

The bad news is that our costs are still going up. In 2009, we spent$145 million on health care. That was $9.5 million more than we spentin 2008. Although changes put in place for 2010 have helped mitigateincreases, we continue to see increases in utilization.

We have arguably some of the most competitive health insuranceplans out there for faculty and staff, but we will be challenged inmaintaining that status over the next few years.

What is driving the costs?The primary drivers are the steady increase in the number of people

in the plans, medical inflation and our increased use of health care services,facilities and medications. Take the simple decision of whether you use aprimary care physician, an urgent care facility or an emergency room forcare. Each has different costs and levels of care. Sometimes people accessmore costly options such as the emergency room for less severe issues.That decision, amplified over 57,000 people we cover, has tremendouscost implications. Similarly, each persons choice to ask for generic ratherthan brand medications when appropriate, amplified by thousands of prescriptions, has a huge impact on our costs.

How is Duke containing costs?Last year we saw a significant jump 18 percent in the overall

cost of medications. This compelled us to address the issue immediately. We created incentives to use generic medicines, which are less costly. In thefirst half of 2010, we moved from 69 percent use of generics to 75 percent.Thats important because for every 1 percent we move the needle, wesave about a half-million dollars over the course of the year.

We also focused on increasing the use of mail order for maintenancemedications. We negotiated excellent mail-order pricing, and now offer thatsame pricing through Duke Pharmacies. Last year, only 24 percent of thepopulation requiring regular medications used mail order. In the first half of this year, that rose to 48 percent.

Because of these steps, we paid $2.7 million less for prescriptions in

the first six months of 2010 compared to the first six months of 2009. Thatsavings directly impacts the overall cost for health care at Duke for next year.

Are there other ways to generate savings to counteract rising costs?The key is for people to understand how individual decisions around

healthy lifestyles and consuming health care affect Dukes health carecosts. These two related factors are critical for everyone to understand.

But we are also looking at other strategies for managing our costs.The physician network for Duke Select and Duke Basic, which mostDuke employees use, will be refined for 2011. One benefit of this will bethat most of the physicians will access the same electronic records system,allowing them to better track a patients overall care and use aggregatedata to spot trends and improve treatments.

Will health insurance costs impact other benefits at Duke? We will continue to be as cost effective and cost efficient as we can,

but ultimately there are going to have to be tradeoffs. Do we give a salary increase, or do we invest to maintain our health care benefits? In someyears, we may not be able to do both. This is the new world order, andas an employer, were going to have to look vigilantly each year at thecosts and tradeoffs.

However, we are incredibly fortunate because Duke University Health System provides the majority of the care our employees use. We know a lot about our population, and we have very collaborativerelationships with all the groups involved. If anyone has a shot atcontaining health care costs in a healthy, prospective way, Duke does.

By Marsha A. GreenSenior Writer, Office of Communication Services

AQ& Addressing Rising Health Care

Costs at Duke

with Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Duke Human Resources

Kyle Cavanaugh, Dukes vice president for Human Resources

Join the conversation Sept. 9 during PrimetimeWhat: How is health care changing?Who: Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Human

Resources, and Mike Cuffe, vice president forMedical Affairs

When: Sept. 9, noon to 1 p.m.Where: Bryan Center, Griffith Theater (seating limited

to 100), or watch the live webcast and submitquestions at hr.duke.edu/primetime


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As Duke extends its global efforts, maps also provide a pointof connection in a complex, decentralized work environment, saidL. Gregory Jones, vice president and vice provost in the new

Office of Global Strategy and Programs at Duke.His office developed a new global interactive map, which

launched this summer, to provide an inventory of whos doing what where, a resource that staff and faculty can use in planning, trackingand coordinating global initiatives. A staff assistant arranging travelitineraries for a research group, for instance, can search the map toidentify Duke travelers visiting a particular country,as well as alumni living there.

Its a high-definition version of the old globe you could spinaround as a kid, Jones said. In addition to offering a better way totrack, update and coordinate faculty, staff and student activities indifferent locations, its also celebratory: It shows how widespread Dukespresence is around the world.

MAPPING THE FUTURE IN 3D As new technology-enhanced maps bring data together in new

ways, those information mashups may yield new benefits not just inresearch but in day-to-day work, said Anspach, the GIS manager withFacilities Management.

In the future, for example, campus police could analyze particularstreets to see how many car accidents occur at a particular intersection information that could be used to determine whether a stop signis needed.

Facilities workers could look for new efficiencies in everything fromutility usage to snow removal and emergency planning. Campus officialsare now in the process of redesigning Dukes online maps to incorporateassembly points and evacuation zones, so building managers andemergency personnel can quickly and easily access the data.

GPS-enabled mobile devices make map data available for users onthe go. The latest version of DukeMobile, for instance, allows iPhoneusers to call up a map and take a do-it-yourself tour of campus(complete with audio guides and videos of significant locations) andnavigate campus bus routes, in addition to locating nearby campuseateries and events.

The popularity of GPS-enabled devices allows us to offer a customized,personalized tour to visitors, as well as other services that will be of great value tostudents, faculty and staff, said Michael Schoenfeld, Duke vice president forpublic affairs and government relations.

And in the not-too-distant future, Duke maps will venture intoan entirely new dimension. Last spring, students in another of Szabosclasses used Google software to create 3D models of campus buildings

as part of aVirtual Duke tour, now available online through the popularGoogle Earth application.

The students wrote how-to documentation so other campus userscan submit their own 3D buildings and are now working to integratethe 3D buildings into Google Earth, which allows users to submitphotos and other multimedia content.

Geospatial technology tools from GPS-enabled mobile devicesto new location-based social networks like Foursquare are making iteasier for individuals to make their mark in customized maps that cancreate an immersive virtual environment, Szabo said.

You can envision massively multi-player maps, where the whole world becomes a place you can explore on multiple levels, from thecomfort of your own home or office, she said.

By Cara Bonnett Managing editor, News & Information

Office of Information Technology

Explore Dukes interactive mapsu Facilities Management: fmd.duke.edu/buildings_maps/index.phpu Pauli Murray Project: paulimurrayproject.org

u Mapping Muhuru Bay: research.duke.edu/stories/muhurubay

u Virtual campus tour: www.isismapping.org/duketour

u Campus map: maps.duke.edu

u Global: global.duke.edu/admin/map

u Digital Durham: digitaldurham.duke.edu

t A new global interactive map,which launched this summer atglobal.duke.edu/admin/map, provides aresource for employees to use inplanning, tracking and coordinating

global initiatives.

uDuke students built an interactive

Google map of historic civil andhuman rights sites around Durhamas part of the Pauli Murray Project

(paulimurrayproject.org), whichhonors the late interracial lawyer

and activist from Durham.

t A redesigned version ofDukes interactive map site willbring together Google Maps andgeographic data from FacilitiesManagement. The new site maps.duke.edu is expected to golive this fall.

p Duke students constructedan online multimedia map toshare narratives, photos, videosand research data depictinglife in Muhuru Bay, Kenya,in collaboration with theDukeEngage program. The

site is available atresearch.duke.edu/stories/muhurubay .


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Last year, Taylor Hemphill took aclose look at the increasing healthcare costs for himself, his wifeand their children.

With his youngest child movingout of free well-baby visits, and his twoolder children ready for regular dentalvisits, Hemphill was facing a hefty increase in out-of-pocket expenses. And that didnt include vaccinationsand medicines he and his wife neededfor a church mission trip to Kenya.

We just knew it was going to bea more expensive year, saidHemphill, a performance analyst forDUMAC, LLC, the investmentorganization that manages DukeUniversitys endowment assets.

To help manage costs and savemoney, Hemphill enrolled in Dukeshealth care reimbursement accountduring the annual benefits openenrollment last October. The accountallows faculty and staff to deductmoney from each paycheck beforestate and federal taxes are deducted and put it in an account.

The account, administered by WageWorks, provides a Health CareCard that works like a debit card. When participants use it for eligibleexpenses like co-payments and

medical, dental and vision care, money is taken from the account. Faculty andstaff can enroll in the health carereimbursement account during thisyears open enrollment in October.

Under new federal health carereform, the requirement for requestingreimbursement on some eligibleexpenses will change. Effective Jan. 1,2011, participants cannot use the WageWorks account to purchase over-

the-counter medicine without aprescription. However, the card willstill cover thousands of other itemssuch as bandages, contact lens

cleaning supplies and reading glasses.Even with the health care reformchanges, reimbursement accountscontinue to be an excellent way foremployees to save money," saidSylvester Hackney, associate directorof benefits at Duke.

Because the money is deductedbefore income tax is withheld, anaverage employee can save $20 to $40on taxes for every $100 deposited inthe reimbursement account.

Hemphill said he appreciates thereduction in taxes and the increasedflexibility over how and where hespends his health care money.

Insurance only covers specificthings, like dental costs, or medicalcosts, he said. With thereimbursement account, I control where and when I spend the money.Its like having a good chunk of change set aside to pay down thoseco-pays and dental expenses wheneverand wherever they arise.

By Marsha A. GreenSenior Writer, Office of

Communication Services

Set aside pre-tax money for health care expenses

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Save on child andelder care, too

Dukes Dependent CareReimbursement Accountallows faculty and staff toset aside up to $5,000 peryear to pay for dependentcare that is necessary to

work. Because Dukededucts contributions from

pay before income taxesare calculated, employees

save on taxes. Go tohr.duke.edu/benefits/

medical/reimbursement/for eligibility requirements. Taylor Hemphill with wife, Ashley, and their

children, Leo (in his arms) and Max, left, andPhoebe, right, earlier this year.

In October, facultyand staff can changemedical, dental andvision insuranceplans and enroll inreimbursementaccounts during theannual benefits openenrollment period.

VIDEO: Watch how you can save atYouTube.com/workingatduke

When the call came last year to help supportthe Durham community through Dukesemployee giving campaign, Kathy Wrightdidnt hesitate to contribute. Its a way for her toconnect with the city shes called home for morethan 20 years.

When I was a Duke student in the 80s, Ivolunteered in the community, and I served as a CubScout leader for five years after college, said Wright,special events coordinator for the Nasher Museum of Art. Now, even though I dont have time tovolunteer, I still want to support these services.

In the difficult economy of 2009, Wright andother Duke faculty and staff contributed a total of $543,319 to the Doing Good in the Neighborhoodcampaign, about 10 percent more than in 2008.

The 2010 campaign kicks off Sept. 2 and runsthrough November. Led by the Office of Durham andRegional Affairs, the campaign allows participants todonate to local organizations through the DukeCommunity Giving options or the United Way.

The Duke Community Giving options assistlocal agencies supported by the Duke-DurhamNeighborhood Partnership and Duke University Health System. Donors can direct their money toone of five general areas: Schools, Youth,Neighborhoods, Health, and the Community CareGrant Fund, which provides competitive, one-timegrants for non-profits throughout Durham.

No administrative fees arededucted from the Duke Community Giving options; all contributions go

directly to support local programssuch as affordable housing, afterschool programs and community health clinics. The United Way hasan administrative fee.

Phail Wynn Jr., Dukes vicepresident of Durham and Regional Affairs, said the giving campaignengages employees and provides aneasy way to make a difference inDurham through community-basedphilanthropy.

We hope this community giving opportunity not only strengthens the existing bonds between

Duke and Durham, but creates new passion for andparticipation in the universitys community engagement efforts, Wynn said.

Last year, Wright participated in the DoingGood in the Neighborhood campaign by checkingboxes on both her United Way and DukeCommunity Giving pledge forms, for programs thatsupport youth. She intends to do the same this year.

Ive always been drawn to helping the childrenof the community, she said. With my previousemployers, I donated through United Way. Now I can easily give through both United Way andthrough Dukes programs. It just feels like theright thing to do.

By Marsha A. GreenSenior Writer, Office of Communication Services

Employee giving campaign begins Sept. 2Doing Good in the Neighborhood strengthens communities

HOW TO GIVE Pledge packets are being

distributed to employeesthrough campus mail the week of Sept. 6. Review the material and submita pledge form.

Faculty and staff can also visitdoinggood.duke.edu to make adonation, or visitcommunity.duke.edu to find

volunteer opportunities.

Pre-K students in the Stepping Stones program wearDuke caps, donated by Duke Stores. Stepping Stones is akindergarten readiness program funded in part by DoingGood in the Neighborhood.

VIDEO:See how your donations help atcommunity.duke.edu


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

Sustainable uke

7For more information, an interactive route mapor to download a map, visitbullcityconnector.org

The Bull City Connector fare-free route features hybrid buses serving 32 stops linking Duke to areas throughout Durham, includingdowntown, Ninth Street and Golden Belt.

Want to hop on the Connector?East Campus

Main Street at Swift Avenue (eastbound)Main Street at Iredell Street (westbound)Main Street at Campus DriveMain Street at Buchanan Boulevard (eastbound)Main Street at Watts Street (westbound)

Central CampusErwin Road at Alexander Avenue

West CampusErwin Road at Anderson Street (eastbound)Erwin Road at 15th Street (westbound)

Duke Medical CenterFlowers Drive at Trent Drive (eastbound)Erwin Road at Trent Drive

American Tobacco Campus515 W. Pettigrew Street

J essica Johnstone had neverridden a bus in Durham beforeshe and a co-worker tested outthe Bull City Connector three daysafter the fare-free bus servicelaunched in August.

Shes glad she did.Ill definitely be using it again,

said Johnstone, a staff assistant in theDuke Clinical Research Institute.The bus was nicely air conditioned,it looked shiny, bright and new, andit had a friendly and safe feeling, which was good.

Johnstone rode the Connectorfrom outside her office at theDurham Centre on West MorganStreet to a stop near Erwin Road and15th Street, where she walked a few minutes to the North Pavilion for ameeting. The door-to-door trip took about 25 minutes, which Johnstonesaid is about the same amount of time it takes to drive her car and finda parking spot.

Driving can be so stressful when you have to worry about traffic,stoplights and parking, she said.This way, you can just get on a busand enjoy the ride.

Johnstone was among the morethan 1,400 passengers who used theBull City Connector in its first threedays of operation, according to theDurham Area Transit Authority. Thebus route features 32 stops that link Duke, downtown, Ninth Street andGolden Belt.

The Connector provides service with hybrid buses every 15 minutesMonday to Friday from 7 a.m. to

6 p.m., and every 20 minutes from6 p.m. to midnight. On Saturday

and holidays, buses will arrive every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to midnight.The service does not operate onSunday.

Phail Wynn, Jr., vice president of Durham and Regional Affairs atDuke, said the service is a benefit forDuke students and employees.

This fare-free, Duke-to-downtown Durham transit connector will be of tremendous benefit to notonly Duke students but also to thenearly 2,000 Duke University andDuke University Health Systememployees working in downtownDurham, Wynn said.

Under an agreement with thecity, Duke provided $375,000 inmatching funds so the City couldreceive a $3 million federal grant anda $375,000 state grant to buy new hybrid-diesel-electric buses for theBull City Connector route. Duke will also contribute toward annualoperating costs of the service; theCity and Triangle Transit will managethe service.

Delivery of new hybrid busesis expected in early 2012. Until then,the service will use hybrid busesalready in the DATA bus fleet. TheBull City Connector holds about60 passengers each. The buses feature wheelchair securement, an entranceramp and a kneeling feature inaddition to a video surveillancesystem, talking bus features for thevisually impaired and bike racks.

Duke is always looking for new ways for students and employees tocut back on the universitys carbon

footprint and this is just one of them, said Casey Roe, outreach

coordinator forSustainable Duke. Butits not just about savingmoney and making a sustainablechoice, these hybrid buses are a great way to travel between Duke andDurham too.

By Bryan RothWriter, Office

of Communication Services

Duke andDurhamlaunch

fare-free,sustainablebus service


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D U K E T O D AY For daily news and information, visit

I read Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin on my Kindle. I used to read regularbooks before the Kindle came out, but for me, its a convenience thing. I travel a lot and

the first book I downloaded was Pillars of the Earth, which was about 900 pages. It was easier just to carry the Kindle. I also like it because I can download a book during a layover in a few seconds and the books are cheaper. Youre not going to want to carry five or six books along witheverything else when youre running around.

Karin Sullivan Regional development director, Central Development 1 year at Duke

Whats the last book you read and would you haveread it on an e-reader?

I recently finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and I would not read it on an e-reader based on

how I like to read. I like to read at home, on my couch, curled up. Ilike the feeling of books in my hands the crack of the spine whenyou open it for the first time or even the smell. I guess Im oldschool. But I think if I had a Kindle, Id use it.

Heather Bennett Director, Parents and Young Alumni Programs14 years at Duke

For the reading Im doing now for class, I prefer to read aphysical book. Typically, I read journals or something for my

MBA program and the comfort and familiarity with a printed item isprobably what Id prefer to keep using. For one of my programs, wedidnt buy a hard-copy of text because it was all online. We did havethe option to download a PDF one chapter at a time, and I do thatbecause I can highlight and make notes in something Im reading.Scooter Freeney

Human resources manager, Office of Information Technology4 years at Duke

dialogue @DukeHOW TO REACH USEditor: Leanora Minai(919) [email protected]

Assistant Vice President:Paul S. Grantham(919) 681-4534

[email protected]

Graphic Design & Layout:Paul Figuerado

Photography: Bryan Roth, MarshaGreen and Leanora Minai, Officeof Communication Services, Duke

University Photography, andChrista Twyford Gibson of Durham& Regional Affairs.

Working@Duke is published monthly

by Dukes Office of Communication

Services. We invite yourfeedback and suggestions forfuture story topics.

Please write us at

[email protected] orWorking@Duke , Box 90496,705 Broad St., Durham, NC 27708Call us at (919) 684-4345.Send faxes to (919) 681-7926.

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Club is a perfect place to play

For nearly 30 years, Tom Craig has spent weekends riding and walking the grassy, rolling

hills and putting greens at the Duke University Golf Club. After spending many days racking upcountless birdies and pars, its easy for him to namehis favorite hole.

All of them.Its impossible to pick just one, said Craig,

merchandise manager for Duke Stores. If I couldplay anywhere in the world for the rest of my life, itdbe the Duke golf course.

In March, the course was named as the best in theDurham-Chapel Hill-Raleigh area by readers of theTriangle Business Journal. Its also been named by the Golf Channel asone of the top-10 college golf courses in the country and has been highlightedseveral times by Travel + Leisure Golf magazine as a top-10 college course.

Recognized for its beauty and challenging play, both the mens and womens golf teams at Duke benefit from the course. The womens teampractices there while the mens team practices and hosts an annualtournament. Since opening in 1957, the course has hosted NCAA and ACC championships and numerous mens and womens intercollegiatetournaments, among others.

Dan Brooks, head coach for Dukes womens golf team, said the layoutof Dukes course surrounded by Duke Forest is one of the best hes everplayed because golfers can concentrate on their game instead of blockingout noise or other distractions.

Its like youre in your own little world while youre out there, Brookssaid. Its got all the challenge you could hope for from a championshipcourse and youll need all the clubs in your bag to play all the shots youencounter over a round of golf.

Duke faculty and staff receive discounts of up to $30 off each roundthrough PERQS, the employee discount program. With the discount, adaily fee for golf is $75, plus employees get a free golf cart.

The course was designed in the 1950s by Robert Trent Jones Sr., oneof the worlds most famous golf course architects who designed more than500 courses around the world, including Pebble Beach Golf Links inPebble Beach, Calif. and the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

Dukes golf course is simply a perfect and true golf course, said Craig, who averages a 75 on the par 72 course. Walking along the grass andgreens is great because theres just so much beautiful terrain.


Former Duke golfers Yu Young Lee, left, and Amanda Blumenherstwalk the fairways at Duke University Golf Club, where the Dukewomens golf team practices each season. The course was recentlynamed the best in the Triangle and is regularly cited as one of thebest in the country.

Learn more about the Duke UniversityGolf Club and employee discounts at

golf.duke.edu

Working@Duke - September, 2010

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