Department of BiologyGetting started
Who do I talk to for new hire information and help?: Getting set up on Duke Payroll, obtaining my Duke ID, securing parking, directions for mail and shipping needs.
Katherine Trinajstich is our Human Resources and Payroll Specialist and can provide guidelines on new hires. Contact Katherine.trinajstich@duke.edu as soon as you identify a candidate for hire. New employees must be set up on Duke Corporate Payroll before beginning work.
How do I obtain keys to my office and lab space?
Email BiOpp@duke.edu, our internal ticketing platform for all requests/inquiries that are related to keys.
How it works:
- Send your key requests/inquiries to BiOpp@duke.edu
- Response time will be 24-48 business hours
- Coordination of key pickup and/or drop-off will be 9am to 4pm, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays
- Undergrad students will require a $10 cash deposit per key payable at the time of pickup and will be refunded when returning the key.
How do I join departmental listservs?
The following staff can subscribe you to our various listservs:
- Biology — all department members, general announcements: Katherine Trinajstich (katherine.trinajstich@duke.edu), Mai Nguyen (mai.p.nguyen@duke.edu)
- Biograds — all current Biology and program grad students: Donnyell Batts (donnyell.batts@duke.edu)
- Biostaff — administrative and research staff: Katherine Trinajstich, Mai Nguyen
- Biopostdocs — postdoctoral associates: Katherine Trinajstich, Mai Nguyen
- Bioprimary — all current, active faculty: Katherine Trinajstich, Mai Nguyen
- Biofaculty — all Bioprimary plus emeriti, secondary and adjunct faculty: Katherine Trinajstich, Mai Nguyen
- Greenhouse — all Greenhouse users: Jorge Fidhel-Gonzalez (jf122@duke.edu)
- Phytotron — all Phytotron users: Greg Piotrowski (gp48@duke.edu)
How do I create and manage my Duke online profile?
Directory and website information is pulled from several sources including your Payroll listing and from information you may create and edit at Scholars@Duke. For questions about Scholars@Duke not covered in the FAQs and user guides, please contact Biology’s Power Users Donnyell Batts or Katherine Trinajstich.
Computing support
Who do I contact to order a laptop or find support for issues on my current system?
Email tts-sciencehelp@duke.edu to open a ticket with Biology IT group. Include your office location and a brief description of the issue or use this link to create a ticket in your web browser that drops directly to the team: https://sites.duke.edu/helpdesk/request-it-help/. On some Apple computers there is also an icon with the Biology logo that will launch the same link. You can also use the QR code on the door of 150 in BioSci Building to create a ticket on your smartphone.
Room reservations
How do I reserve a room for my lab/committee/prelim meetings?
Visit the Duke EMS Room reservation system to reserve a Bio Sci or French conference room.
Contact Kat Zeph (katherine.zeph@duke.edu) to troubleshoot any issues you might have reserving BioSci and French conference rooms.
Registrar-controlled classrooms may be reserved once classes for the upcoming term have been scheduled: Aug 1 for Fall and Dec 1 for Spring. Contact Jill Foster (backup Kat) to facilitate these requests. These rooms include French 2237 (capacity 36), French 4233 (capacity 53), Bio Sci 144 (capacity 38) and others.
| Location | Capacity | Description & features | To reserve | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2231 French | 179 | Auditorium. AV console, Panopto recording enabled | 25Live | Large classes, seminars and meetings |
| 2237 French | 36 | Lecture room, Panopto recording enabled | 25Live | Seminars, meetings |
| 3319 French | 10 | Conference room, whiteboard, video screen | EMS | Lab and committee meetings, prelims, closed-door defenses |
| 4217 French | 4-6 | Conference room, whiteboard | EMS | Small group meetings |
| 4219 French | 15 | Conference room, whiteboard, video screen, disc microphones | EMS | Lab and committee meetings, prelims, closed-door defenses |
| 4233 French | 53 | Classroom, whiteboards, zoom cart, disc microphones, audio can be inconsistent | 25Live | Classes, seminars and meetings |
| 4320 French | 10 | Conference room, whiteboard, video screen | EMS | Lab and committee meetings, prelims, closed-door defenses |
| 111 BioSci | 344 | Auditorium. AV console, Panopto recording enabled | 25Live | Large classes, seminars |
| 139 BioSci | 10-15 | Conference room, Zoom cart, whiteboard, pulldown screen | EMS | Lab and committee meetings, prelims, closed-door defenses |
| 144 BioSci | 38 | Lecture room. AV enabled, zoom cart, whiteboards | 25Live | Classes, seminars and meetings |
| 248 BioSci | 15-20 | AV enabled, zoom cart, blackboard, kitchenette | EMS | Blocked out daily 11:30am-1pm for lunch; meetings, small breakfast gatherings |
Our staff can provide additional information and guidance on reserving rooms not listed above.
How do I schedule a Zoom cart for my class or meeting?
We work with tts-av@duke.edu to request Zoom carts for Bio Sci & French classrooms.
Zoom carts are coordinated through Biology for Bio-owned conference rooms: BioSci 139 (15); 248 (15-20); French 3319 (10); 4217 (4-6); 4219 (15); 4320 (10), contact Kat Zeph.
Purchasing
I need to purchase equipment, research or office supplies. Who do I contact for guidelines?
Contact Mai Nguyen for guidance on the appropriate office and process.
- Mai will assist with obtaining your Duke Procurement card.
- Jim Tunney (jtunney@duke.edu) is your resource for questions on Duke’s spending policies and oversees: Biology department accounts, Faculty discretionary accounts, Grad Student accounts
How do I navigate the Duke Grant award process?
Mai Nguyen oversees Biology’s Grants administration team. Mai and the Grants administration team are your resource for navigating Duke’s awards administration and liaison with the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Shipping, mail
Is there a difference between FedEx Express and FedEx Ground pickup?
Yes. FedEx Express picks up daily M-F around 3:30 p.m. FedEx Ground has to be scheduled for pickup Ground can take 1-3 days for pickup.
Where do I find FedEx or shipping supplies?
Shipping supplies (packing peanuts, bubble-wrap, packing tape, empty boxes, FedEx envelopes/boxes) are in the mail room for anyone’s use.
Does the department have a UPS account?
No. Biology does not have a UPS account, but there is a box labeled “UPS'' for pickups. A pickup would have to be scheduled directly with UPS.
Is there a scheduled delivery time for FedEx or UPS deliveries?
No. They deliver based upon the type of delivery (first AM, afternoon, Express or Ground…) selected by the sender. Deliveries can be multiple times a day.
What information is required for FedEx Shipments?
Print out an additional shipping label and include the code or grant to charge. If grant-related, include details/purpose of the shipment and sign the form. Place it in the envelope by the FedEx pickup, or Jim Tunney’s mailbox.
Why was my FedEx Express package not picked up? What should be done?
On occasion, especially when a temp driver is assigned the route, FedEx will not pick up by 3:30. If it is still there by 4:30, make an attempt to call before 5 p.m. to schedule a “late pickup.” When calling they will request a tracking number and the number of packages. Otherwise the package can be dropped off at any FedEx/Kinkos location, usually before 6:30. Dry Ice shipments can only be delivered to the 2311 Englert Drive, Durham 27713 location.
What information should be included on US Postal Mail?
Mail and packages (frequently Amazon) require the Box 90338 designation. Mail/packages will be delayed by Duke Postal Services when it is missing the Box number. They use the Box number, not street/building address for deliveries.
What time is the mail delivered/picked-up?
Campus mail is typically delivered around 1:30 each day.
My package said it was delivered, but it is not in the mail room.
Packages shipped via the US Postal Service (Amazon) are delivered and signed-for by Duke Postal Operations then delivered to the dept the same or next business day. Packages can also be delivered directly to the lab, the Ev Anth mailroom or the FFSC loading dock for large shipments. Packages may also be misdelivered. Biology receives 1-2 packages a month designated for another building/dept.
Facilities and Infrastructure
Who do I contact about my office/lab functions or other space issues?
Mai Nguyen is your first contact for general questions about BioSci and French space.
- Duke’s Facilities Management supports university building maintenance and repairs: facilities.duke.edu
Visitors to Duke
I want to invite a job candidate to Duke. Where do I start?
Jim Tunney can provide guidelines on spending allowances for guests of the department.
Your grants administrator can provide guidelines on your award’s spending allowances.
Advertising for a job opening
How do I place a job announcement?
Contact Mai Nguyen. Mai will advise how to identify appropriate job categories and walk you through Duke’s Human Resources job posting process.
- Academicjobsonline.org is the resource Duke uses for non-staff positions.
Duke Bioscience Greenhouse
How do I schedule a tour at Duke Bioscience Greenhouse Teaching Collection?
Please send an email to greenhousestaff@duke.edu, with the most relevant information about your visit (visit date and time/duration, how many people, if you are interested in a special group of plants or not.)
Our staff will contact you as soon as possible to schedule your visit.
How do you request a rental space in the Duke Bioscience Greenhouse research area?
Please send an email to Jorge Fidhel Gonzalez (jf122@duke.edu) with the most relevant information about your experiment: Environmental conditions that your experiment will need, the type of crop, and how many sq. feet you need, how many months you may need to rent the space, etc.
Our team will process your request and contact you as soon as possible.
I am a professor at Duke University, and I need to grow or borrow some plants from the Duke Bioscience Greenhouse Teaching Collection. How can I contact Duke Bioscience Greenhouse?
Our mission is to support our community, professors, and staff in all academic activities. Please send a message to greenhousestaff@duke.edu or a direct email to Kristin Dimac-Stohl (kristin.dimac@duke.edu).
We will be happy to process your request and contact you as soon as possible.
Where is Duke Bioscience Greenhouse building, and what is the best way to get there?
Duke Bioscience Greenhouse is located behind the French Family Science Center building (124 Science. Drive, Durham, NC 27708). The best way to get there on foot is by following these directions from Science Drive:
- Go to the lobby of The French Family Science Center building (124 Science Dr.).
- Take the elevator located on the opposite side of the lobby (Elevator #2).
- Go to level # 1 (Basement).
- Turn right after you get out of the elevator.
- Turn right again, and you will see the Chemistry Department office in front of you,
- Walk several steps, turn right again,
- You will see a hallway; walk down this hallway all the way to the end.
- At the end, there are metal doors.
- Use your Duke ID card on the left-hand side card reader to access the Greenhouse Supply Hallway (Zone 19).
- Walk straight down the Greenhouse supply hallway to the end, and you will find the main Greenhouse door.
- Use the card reader to access Duke Bioscience Greenhouse.
Please arrange your visit with Duke Greenhouse staff, greenhousestaff@duke.edu, prior to your visit.
Duke Phytotron
What is the Phytotron?
The Duke Phytotron houses controlled environment chambers available to anyone needing stable and controllable environmental conditions for research projects in botany, zoology, and engineering. The name is derived from two words Phyto - meaning plant, and Tron - meaning machine. Plant machine refers to the over 70 growth chambers that are available.
How do I request chamber space in the Phytotron?
If you or your lab would like to rent research space in the Phytotron, contact the manager, Greg Piotrowski (gp48@duke.edu) or chamber specialist Max Betts (max.betts@duke.edu) to discuss availability and set up card access to the building.
Where is the Phytotron located?
The Duke Phytotron is located behind the French Family Science Center (FFSC, 124 Science Drive). Walk through the main door of the FFSC and across the lobby to the doors at the opposite end. As you exit, the Phytotron building will be directly in front of you and the Bioscience Greenhouses to your left.
How do I arrange a visit to the Phytotron?
Please contact us at phytostaff@duke.edu to schedule a visit.