Duke Awards Celebrate Teamwork and Diversity
Employees recognized for changing university processes, promoting diversity
For incoming first-year students, the mailing arriving from Duke were fast and furious -- and haphazard. Enter the Duke Mailings Team, which stepped in and restored order to the process.
The Mailings Team was honored with Duke's Teamwork Award last week, which was also given to the hospital prep team (see above). In addition, Diversity Awards were presented to MaryAnn Black, associate vice president for communication relations at the medical center, and Dr. Michelle Winn, assistant professor of medicine.
The Teamwork Award honors employees who work across departments to solve a key problem. The Diversity Award recognizes work that makes Duke a more fair and equitable place to work.
Duke Mailings Team
Colleen Scott, Anne Light, Babs Wise and Ryan Lombardi were given the assignment to change the way the university does business with first-year undergraduates before they arrive on campus.
The problem was, according to vice provost Judith Ruderman, that students were getting too many mailings from different units at Duke. "The mailings were numerous, intrusive, confusing and uncoordinated in both purpose and appearance," Ruderman wrote.
The team's solution involved winning the support of numerous units across the univeristy. The result was reduced costs and waste for the university and greater convenience for the students.
MaryAnn Black
Few people have worked harder to improve the university's status in the community than MaryAnn Black, said nominator Dr. Ralph Snyderman, former chancellor for health affairs.
"She saw collaborations and partnerships that would benefit the citizens of Durham," Snyderman said.
Her work has meant a lot for Duke employees as well. "At Duke, our leaders believe that promoting equity and inclusiveness is crucial to a successful enterprise. This belief system is due in no small measure to the efforts of MaryAnn Black," said Associate Vice President J. Robert Clapp Jr.
Dr. Michelle Winn
As associate vice chair for diversity in the Department of Medicine, Dr. Michelle Winn has served as a mentor to minority trainees at all levels in the department. From helping members of the house staff and faculty redesign the recruitment pro-cess for minority residents to conducting important research on a genetic disease affecting people of African ancestry, Winn has made many contributions.
"I have seen Michelle operate with an incredible sense of dedication to the principles of diversity and equity,"said Dr. Sheri Keitz, vice chair for diversity in the Department of Medicine.
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