Kyle Singler snapped pictures with his digital camera, Brian Zoubek clutched a much-needed water bottle on a blisteringly hot morning and Reggie Love received ovations, cheers and rounds of applause—just for putting the president’s speech on the podium.

Yes, it was Duke day at the Rose Garden in Washington, D.C., Thursday, May 27. The Blue Devils were honored around 10:30 a.m. by President Barack Obama in a celebration that Richard Brodhead called “the icing on the cake” to their national championship-winning season.

After lingering in the porticos of the West Wing, then marching to line up behind the podium, each player stood beaming as Obama walked out to a standing ovation.  The president shook each player’s hand, stopping at Jon Scheyer to call him “my homeboy.”

“That was pretty cool,” Scheyer said later.

In his remarks, Obama repeatedly lauded the Blue Devils for their achievements. He especially congratulated the seniors for their progress during their four-year career—from making it to the first round as freshmen, the second round as sophomores, the Sweet 16 as juniors and winning it all their final year.

“It’s really been a four-year journey for these guys. And each year, they’ve gotten better together,” Obama said.

The president even threw in a well-received Krzyzewskiville joke.

“You know, when I woke up this morning and I saw a few hundred students camping out on my lawn, I remembered that today is Duke day,” he said.

The president also made light of his spat with head coach Mike Krzyzewski last year, which occurred after Obama picked North Carolina to win the national championship. Krzyzewski, perturbed when notified of the president’s picks, said then that Obama should focus more on the economy than his bracket.

“Now, I know that all of you remember last year, when I filled out my bracket, I picked North Carolina to win it all,” Obama said. “It wasn’t anything personal. Just trying to win some money. I was right. Coach K wasn’t too happy. He basically told me to stick it.

“And then, this year, he went out with all these guys and he won, so he could come to the White House and crow about it. Payback is sweet, isn’t it, Coach?”

After the remarks, and after Scheyer and Zoubek presented a No. 1 Duke jersey to Obama, Krzyzewski handed the president a framed, wooden copy of the 2010 bracket, complete with a large Blue Devil logo in the middle.

“You see that, it says ‘Duke’,” Krzyzewski said, pointing at the line where the national title winner is scribbled in.

While the coach did get to have his payback at the president’s own house Thursday, he had nothing but kind words for his host after the ceremony.

“For him to take the time out and greet us in such a way was just terrific,” Krzyzewski said.

In a summer that marked the launch of off-campus and online courses at Duke U., some interested students were unable to participate because of difficulties with financial aid.

The Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid, which learned about the courses just before the start of summer session I, did not have adequate policies in place to allocate funding to students who wished to enroll in these new courses, said Alison Rabil, assistant vice provost and director of Financial Aid.

“Our policies didn’t sit with the way these courses were structured, so we didn’t know how to interpret our policies,” Rabil said. “So we said, ‘Now we need to develop policies for this,’ and that is not always quick. We don’t want our people to be cut short.”

Rabil added that she is meeting with administrators next week to work on fixing the problem.

The nature of the new courses presented problems for the office’s traditional method of distributing aid. One course is taught across both summer sessions, so students are enrolled as less than half-time students for each semester, disqualifying them for financial aid.

Other students were advised against using their aid to enroll in online or off-campus courses because they would not receive allowance for summer room, board or books. 

“The implication was this is not the most effective use of the funds,” Rabil said.

English professor Cathy Shuman, who teaches ENGLISH 109S: “Writing the Experience: Civic Engagement and Creative Nonfiction” said at least three students withdrew from her course after hearing from the financial aid office. The online course requires that students participate in a civic engagement program during the summer in addition to taking the course.

Rising senior Samera Beshir was one of those students. Beshir said she signed up for the class but received an e-mail from her financial aid counselor May 13 informing her that she was not eligible for financial aid because she would be enrolled as a less than half-time student. Beshir would have to enroll in another credit to qualify for aid, the e-mail said.

“I wouldn’t be able to afford summer school during the summer without financial aid, so I had to drop out,” said Beshir, who is participating in the DukeEngage program in Cape Town, South Africa. “It’s basically impossible to take two classes while you are engaging in service-learning.”

Beshir, who said the course would have alleviated some pressure next year because it would have fulfilled some of her graduation requirements, added that she wishes the University could have worked out the issue.

“I think the school wants to give everyone the educational opportunities and doesn’t want money to get in the way of that,” she said. “But to have money again get in the way is disappointing and strays from the intentions of the University, I suppose.”

Rabil said she wishes that more students could have taken advantage of the new courses this summer.

“Unfortunately we had some students who dropped [courses] because they felt they had to drop [them],” Rabil said. “They had tough decisions to make. And now we have to make the administration seamless.”

Shuman said she was upset to learn that finances prevented many students from enrolling in her course, especially since she said about 20 students initially expressed interest in the class, which was capped at 10. Five students are now enrolled, she said.

“Obviously I was disappointed when I thought I would have eight or nine and now I have five,” Shuman said. “I am also disappointed for the students. The course that I am teaching, it’s designed to be the only course that you take. I am really hoping that if we do it again, we start thinking about this issue… and we figure out a way around it.

Rabil said she wants to fix financial aid issues for special courses run during the summer in the future.

“These things kept popping up in my office in not necessarily a consistent way,” she said. “We need to be included in these conversations [about developing new courses]. It wasn’t as well planned in terms of the impact financial aid would have on students as we would have preferred by virtue of the fact that it was a new offering. I am not particularly happy with the way it turned out.”

With increasing costs in employee benefits for fiscal year 2010-2011, Duke will consider changes to its health care package within the next two years, University administrators said Thursday.

Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said Duke’s current health care model is unsustainable and will likely undergo significant changes in the near future. The budget for next fiscal year projects a 14 percent increase in employee benefit expenses, largely resulting from rising health care costs.

Although administrators have not yet decided how to manage benefit costs, Trask said possibilities include restructuring salaries, raising co-payments, reducing insurance benefits and restructuring Duke’s retirement contribution.

“Up until now we’ve tried really, really hard to protect employee benefits,” Trask said. “We cannot continue to have that kind of increase. We’re going to have to change the way we pay for [health care] because we don’t have enough money to move forward.”

Benefit costs encompass everything from health care and retirement to educational assistance and employee discounts. The total employee benefit package for Duke costs approximately $384 million, according to the University’s 2008-2009 financial statements. About half of these expenses are federal and state taxes, and the other half largely results from health care and retirement costs, Trask said.

Vice President for Human Resources Kyle Cavanaugh said the cost of employee benefits rose by seven percent in fiscal year 2009-2010. He said a higher number of employees in the University and Duke University Health System combined with rising costs in health care contracts and prescription drugs increased expenses.

“A big driver last year was in our health care plans, which now cost for this year approximately $145 million,” Cavanaugh said. “Twenty-five percent of that is in prescription costs. There was an 18 percent increase in prescription costs just last year because more medications [and] more costly medications were utilized.”

Vice President for Finance Hof Milam said the University is primarily concerned with keeping the cost of health care affordable without compromising quality.

“It is certainly not sustainable at the current rate of increase,” Milam said. “And as far as what we’ll do to deal with it, it just involves an analysis of trade-offs. There’s only so much we can sustain with compensation and benefits…. We have to decide how to strike that balance.”

Although costs are rising, Cavanaugh said the University’s health care benefits are still “exceedingly competitive” compared with similar organizations.

Trask said Duke offers its health care and benefits package at about 25 to 30 percent less than comparable institutions. He attributed lower costs to the University’s “history, geography… brilliant management and a lot of luck.”

Cavanaugh said last year the University hired an external consultant to compare Duke’s health plans with those of other local and regional organizations as well as comparable universities. Continuing conversations with other universities also allow Duke to understand its responsibilities in light of new health care reform.

“As we start to look out for 2011 and beyond we are in the middle of doing quite a bit of planning,” Cavanaugh said. “Not only annual things, but all of the changes associated with national health care reform. We are working our way through how these changes will be managed for next year.”

Duke’s benefit plan continues to attract a high number of applicants for various positions at the University and DUHS, Trask said, adding that in bleaker times, people tend to understand and appreciate the quality of benefits Duke provides.

Last year, the University received a record number of applications for employment—approximately 124,000 applications for University and DUHS positions, according to Duke’s Human Resources website. That same year, the University hired about 2,151 new employees—537 fewer than the year before.

“At a time when we’ve gone through the current economic crisis, we’ve become even more attractive,” Cavanaugh said. “In some cases, we have dozens and dozens of highly competitive people competing for the same positions.”

Trask added that retirement benefits may also account for the increased number of applicants. Several local employers have stopped paying for retirement, and Duke’s plan guarantees a pension.

Just months after becoming executive director of the Robertson Scholars Program, Alex Perwich has resigned his post

Perwich officially left his position as the head of the 10-year-old merit scholarship program June 1. He originally took on the position Feb. 15.

The Robertson program grants scholarships to 36 incoming freshmen—18 at both Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—covering tuition, room, board, summer stipends and other fees.

Perwich would not address the details of his leave, but said he is relocating to Atlanta, Ga. to address personal matters.

“This was a fairly unanticipated circumstance or set of circumstances,” Perwich said. “As I reflect on my career, more often than not I have sacrificed family for my career, and so in this case I chose the reverse. That aspect of the choice is positive for me, but having to give up what I think is just an incredible program, that’s a significant letdown.”

Jeanne Kirschner, Robertson Scholars Program associate director for finance, administration and planning, said the program has assembled a leadership team to find a replacement for Perwich.

Kirschner said she does not know when the team will complete its work, but said that it will meet throughout the summer. She said the team will include members of the Robertson Foundation, an external consultant and herself. Kirschner said she could not comment on the specifics of the process because every search is different.

Kirschner said Perwich’s leave will not significantly affect the scholarship program.

“We are still a tremendous program and we will continue to deliver a great program,” Kirschner said. “This should be nothing unusual for the scholars.”

Perwich added that he has received a “strong sense of support” from students and staff affiliated with the Robertson Scholars program since he announced his resignation. He said he thinks the program is very successful and will remain that way.

“This is a fast-moving train with lots of things going on all the time,” Perwich said. “It will thrive the way it’s thrived for the past 10 years. The hopes remain the same.”

Although Perwich said the Robertson Scholars program is constantly busy, his leave comes at a relatively slow time.

“As the organization sits right now, it is the summer so probably from an academic point of view that is a slack period,” Perwich said. He added that the program is currently running summer courses, preparing for the incoming freshmen and starting to recruit the Class of 2015.

Before heading the Robertson Scholars program, Perwich was unaffiliated with either Duke or UNC. He formerly worked as an economics professor at United States Military Academy at West Point and served as chief executive officer of the world’s largest collegiate honor society and as president of WaterDesk Corp., an alternative energy start-up.

Although his time at the scholarship program was brief, Perwich said he enjoyed developing “human capital.”

“The purpose of enabling human beings to realize their leadership potential just hits a very near and dear sweet spot for me,” he said. “There is a very warm place in my heart for developing exceptional human talent, especially young talent. You almost think of it parentally.

Kirschner said she is disappointed to see Perwich leave, but also glad that he is able to take time to address important personal matters.

“Of course we were surprised,” Kirschner said. “We wish him nothing but the best.”

As Duke University brings in more private donations this fiscal year than last, officials are still cautiously hopeful and planning another University-wide fundraising campaign.

As of May 29, the Annual Fund and the University as a whole have received 10 percent increases in private donations from a year ago, said William Conescu, executive director of alumni and development communications. Reunion givings are up 18 percent so far this fiscal year, said Hank Woods, assistant vice president for the Annual Fund.

This year’s increase in donations marks a turnaround from the decline in private support in fiscal year 2008-2009, when private giving dropped to $301.6 million from the record-high $385.7 million received the previous year, Vice President for University Development Robert Shepard said. Reunion givings fell 15 percent in fiscal year 2008-2009 from the year before, and the University’s overall private donations weathered a 23 percent drop as of mid-April last year.

“It was difficult last year with the downturn and the fact that there were some major pledges and gifts the year before that wouldn’t be renewed,” Shepard said.

Although the Office of University Development, which organizes University-wide fundraising, has begun planning its next fundraising initiative, its launch date is yet to be determined.

“No formal decisions have been made, but we’re looking forward and obviously waiting, to some extent, for the recovery of the economy to launch the next fundraising initiative,” Shepard said.

Conescu declined to specify in what form the fundraising initiative might take shape. In the last two years, the University has organized a Phonathon, raising more than $400,000 each year.

The number of donors so far this fiscal year, approximately 90,000 corporations, foundations and individuals, is consistent with last year’s data, Conescu wrote in an e-mail.

Donors to the Annual Fund include alumni, parents, students, faculty staff and friends of the University, Woods wrote in an e-mail. Donations from Reunions Weekend go toward the Annual Fund, which comprised approximately 7 to 8 percent of the University’s total annual private givings over the last two fiscal years, according to the University’s development annual reports from the last two fiscal years.

Although the University does not have a public fundraising goal for this fiscal year ending June 30, its Annual Fund goal is to raise $26.3 million from 45,000 participants, according to the fund’s website. The Annual Fund has raised $21 million so far from just more than 39,000 donors. It raised $24 million last fiscal year and $26.1 million the year before.

“We certainly have done some projections and some planning and our hope and expectation was that donations would rise,” Shepard said.

With $5.3 million until the Annual Fund reaches its goal before the June 30 deadline, Conescu said previous patterns in giving show good chances of raising the remaining funds, as giving peaks at the end of the fiscal year.

“Knock on wood, we feel pretty good about the increases that we’ve seen,” Shepard said.

According to the Annual Fund website, 44 percent of this year’s Annual Fund goal can be attributed to reunion giving goals for alumni who celebrated reunions in 2010. For this fiscal year, the reunions giving goal is approximately $11.5 million.

University Development sets goals for classes preparing to attend reunions weekend based on a class’s initial size, age and income as well as its prior giving patterns and discussions with the class’ volunteer leaders, Woods said. The Class of 1980’s 30th reunion this year, for example, would be compared to the Class of 1979’s 30th reunion last year. Goals this year range from $200,000 for the Class of 2005 to $2.15 million for the Classes of 1980 and 1985.

Five of the 10 classes that celebrated reunions this year have already reached, and in some cases surpassed, reunion goals.

Looking ahead, Conescu expanded on Shepard’s observation that certain major gifts made in previous years will not be repeated this fiscal year. Conescu noted that several of these gifts were made specifically to the Financial Aid Initiative, which concluded in 2008. The initiative raised $308.5 million, according to the annual report.

Conescu also noted that cash donations from the Charlotte-based Duke Endowment, the University’s single largest donor, decreased from almost $78 million in fiscal year 2007-2008 to $40 million in fiscal year 2008-2009, a decrease likely attributable to the endowment’s fall in worth from a November 2007 peak of $3.3 billion. Conescu declined to reveal how much the Duke Endowment has granted the University this fiscal year.

Duke Endowment Chair Russell Robinson, Trinity ’54 and Law ’56, expects the losses to affect giving this fiscal year and likely into fiscal year 2011, The Chronicle reported in March.

Conescu declined to comment on the current private donation total to the University, or how diminished assets of the Charlotte-based Duke Endowment may affect donations. The Office of University Development will publish its 2009-2010 Development Annual Report by late summer or early Fall.

Tod Laursen, chair of the Duke U. Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, announced May 3 that he will leave Duke to become the president of Khalifa University of Science, Research and Technology, a young university in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Laursen has been at Duke for 18 years and previously served as senior associate dean for education for the Pratt School of Engineering. The Chronicle’s Taylor Doherty sat down with Laursen May 28 to discuss Khalifa.

The Chronicle: Could you tell me a little more about Khalifa University?

Tod Laursen: It has existed as Khalifa University for a couple of years. It is an engineering school, [and a state school] is the exact analog. …This is the university that is particular to Abu Dhabi, which is the largest of the seven emirates. The ruler, very much [so], and the people on the board of the university are really taking it as a priority to diversify their economy away from oil. They know to do that they need to improve the educational system at all levels, and they really need an excellent state university, particularly in technology and medicine.

TC: Have you gotten a sense of how college life in the United Arab Emirates and America differ?

TL: I think I’m going to learn a lot more about that. Of course, the university now is in temporary quarters and so things like student housing—which will exist when the permanent campus is built—don’t yet exist…. I think that there are aspects of student life there that are still to be developed, and I think that’s one of the things that’s going to be kind of fun, to look into what the different traditions can be and what it will be like to be a student at Khalifa as opposed to other alternatives.

TC: Do you think that the character of the university will reflect the American influence that you bring as the school’s president?

TL: I think so, but it’s important not to just sort of impose that footprint, either. Certainly, I think from the standpoint of, as I understand it, the sheiks, there is an interest in looking into the American system as sort of a way of designing the university, but I think that it would be a mistake not to be sensitive to local traditions.  I think for me, it’s going to be very much a learning exercise.

TC: As president, will you have to completely give up teaching? Will you miss that time in the classroom with students?

TL: Well, I’m actually going to try [to teach]. I think it’s probably not realistic to do it right away, but it’s one of the best ways I know to get to know students better, to know what’s on their minds, to have a notion of what can sort of be improved, to know what level of preparation they bring, which is one of the other unknowns.

TC: As you consider your move abroad, what do you think you will miss most about the U.S.?

TL: I’m a sports nut. I love college basketball, but I actually love college football even more. For me, one of the things that I’ve liked about Duke and about being on American campuses in general is that I like the mix of academics, social [life] and sports. For me, the sort of totality of the campus experience is something that I really enjoy. I’m sure the campus in the United Arab Emirates will develop our flavor and have that, but I have to admit I have to figure out a way to get my college football fix on Saturdays during the fall.

TC: Well at least as a sports fan, you get to leave right after Duke won a national title in basketball.

TL: That’s true—it’s actually my first one in the 18 years. The back-to-backs [in 1991 and 1992] were right before I joined the faculty, and then in 2001 I took my sabbatical, so  I was actually gone. I almost missed the boat.

TC: You’ve been at Duke for 18 years. What will you miss about life at the University?

TL: The thing that I love about Duke students—and that I very much hope that I’ll find there—is how generally interested [they] are in everything. There are a lot of places, especially in engineering, where kids are very narrowly focused on engineering and may not have that many interests outside of it. You know, I suppose that can happen from time to time in Pratt, but far more often kids are really interested in very powerful stuff: music, economics, whatever it might be. It has made it a lot of fun to teach here.

TC: How did your family react to the news of your appointment?

TL: My wife and sons were totally enthusiastic about it. They were, at the outset, more enthusiastic than I was…. My oldest son is [heading to college in the Fall], so for him, it’s looking like a good place to spend his breaks, but that’s the extent of it. My younger son is 16, and so he’ll be looking at the last couple years of his high school [there]. He was actually a very big advocate and champion for doing this because… he is very interested in Arabic history and music and language.

TC: Through this process so far, what have you learned about the United Arab Emirates?

TL: The thing that I have really been struck by that I didn’t appreciate before this is how open a society the UAE is…. You’ve basically got a society that from a certain standpoint, at least economically, has every advantage. There have been times in the past when other cultures have sort of sat on their laurels rather than thinking about what the next thing might be. The sense that I’ve gotten in the UAE is that people really realize that the oil economy is very finite and that there are things that they’re going to need to do in order… to have a better future.

Duke U. police have concluded their internal investigation into the March officer-involved shooting outside Duke Hospital that left a Durham man dead.

Although the State Bureau of Investigation is continuing to review the March 13 incident, Michael Schoenfeld, vice president for public affairs and government relations, said May 24 that the Duke University Police Department has completed its inquiry.

“DUPD has concluded its internal investigation of the incident and found that the actions of the officers were necessary and reasonable under departmental policy,” Schoenfeld said.

Schoenfeld declined to comment on the actions of the officers and the particular circumstances of the shooting.

DUPD officers Larry Carter and Jeffrey Liberto responded to a report of a suspicious person outside of Duke University Hospital’s main entrance at approximately 1:09 a.m. March 13. Durham resident Aaron Lorenzo Dorsey, 25, attacked the officers and attempted to take one of their guns, DUPD Chief John Dailey said in a statement March 17.

When other attempts to stop Dorsey failed, one officer fired his gun once, fatally injuring Dorsey, Dailey said in the statement. Dailey deferred all further comments to Schoenfeld.

Noelle Talley, public information officer for the North Carolina Department of Justice, declined to say when SBI will release further information about the case.

“When SBI agents complete their work, they will share their findings with the district attorney for Durham,” she wrote in an e-mail.

Schoenfeld said the SBI is typically involved in investigating officer-involved incidents and that it often takes a considerable amount of time to investigate cases.

Dorsey’s body was taken to the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill for an autopsy and identification following the shooting. The autopsy report is not yet complete but must be released by June 13, 90 days after the incident.

One officer was slightly injured in the confrontation March 13. In March, Dailey declined to say which officer was injured but noted that he was treated and later released by Duke University Medical Center’s Emergency Department.

The Dartmouth women’s lacrosse team continues to rack up post-season accolades after an impressive Spring campaign that led the team to finish 12th in the nation.

Goalie Julie Wadland was named to the IWLCA Coaches’ All-America Third Team. With the award, Wadland becomes the first Big Green player to garner honors from the IWLCA since 2007.

The All-American nod is in recognition of Wadland’s stellar career between the pipes for the Big Green. A two-year captain, Wadland often kept the Big Green in games with impressive saves at key moments. During her career, she racked up 450 saves and finishes third on Dartmouth’s all-time saves list. During the 2010 season, she ranked in the top five in the nation in goals against average and posted a .457 save percentage.

Defender Shannie MacKenzie also garnered All-American status as she was named to WomensLacrosse.com’s first team All-America. Additionally Greta Meyer received recognition from the website, and was named to the All-America third team.

Following head coach Amy Patton’s defense-first philosophy, MacKenzie was the centerpiece of the Big Green protection. She ranked second on the team in both ground balls, with 30, and turnovers, with 24. With MacKenzie’s services, the team ranked fifth in the nation in scoring offense, conceding only 7.94 goals per a game.

Meyer posted equally impressive numbers this season for the offense, leading Dartmouth in scoring this season with 58 points on 35 goals and 23 assists. She was an efficient scorer in the low attack for Dartmouth, putting 77 percent of her shots on goal and netting 57.4 percent of her attempts.

Although Wadland is set to graduate in two weeks, Meyer and MacKenzie are two of 10 retuning starters to the team next year.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is right around the corner. From June 11 to July 11, 32 countries will compete in South Africa to be proclaimed the world champions.

Much like the rest of the world unites to watch the event unfold, so too will UCF students, faculty and staff congregate as part of the International Football Fest at the Barbara Ying Center.

Knights can expect to watch games throughout the World Cup on the International Service Center’s 150-inch projection screen. Food, refreshments and prizes will also be given away to students who attend.

According to Rocky Blesso, the cultural programmer for the ISC, UCF has about 1,600 international students who come from more than 120 different countries.

During the 2006 World Cup, International Services held a similar event, Blesso said. At some games, attendance was more than 100 UCF Knights of all nationalities.

“No matter what is going on in the world with respect to politics, religion or conflict, the World Cup is a great time for people to get together to celebrate and appreciate cultural differences,” Blesso said. “The event is designed to be social but also educational in that it promotes health and exercise.”

“I’m a big football fan,” said Benjamin Slaughter, a senior anthropology major. “I’m team USA all the way, but I think it will be great to see some games with people from other countries.”

The Barbara Ying Center will be open for many games on weekdays and will have a special showing of the World Cup Final on July 11.

The idea behind the International Football Fest is to offer an opportunity for students to mingle in a diverse environment united by their love of country and their love of soccer.
“Students were able to show national pride, make new friends and learn about other cultures,” Blesso said of the last International Football Fest.

And although the first game is still a week away, some students are already excited for the World Cup and the International Football Fest.

“I’m really stoked for the World Cup,” said Brent Barnhart, a senior literature major. “It will be awesome to watch some games at the school with other fans at the Football Fest.”

The World Cup has a rich history.

The tournament has been held every four years, except during World War II, since 1930.

The current World Cup champion is Italy, which won in 2006.

With thousands in attendance and millions more watching in their home countries, the World Cup is one of the largest sporting events in the world.

This year’s tournament is history-making as it will be the first World Cup held in Africa.

For those that are worried about how they can get their soccer fix when the World Cup ends, International Services has a round-robin tournament during International Education Week in November of each year.

Prizes for some of the games will be given out during halftime.

For more information and a schedule for the International Football Festival, visit www.intl.ucf.edu. For more information of the 2010 FIFA World Cup go to www.fifa.com/worldcup.