OESO Employee of the Quarter
October - December 2007
Teresa Ray
Radiation Safety

Teresa Ray began work in the OESO Radiation Safety Division only a few months ago, but she has already had a huge positive impact. Teresa rapidly learned the mechanics of her administrative specialist position, Duke’s business system, and the routes to the Division's key contacts scattered across Duke’s large campus. She has also voluntarily undertaken several projects that have addressed long-standing problems or streamlined operations within the RSD, including:
- Resolved the chronic problem posed by overcrowded files of former faculty who previously used radioactive material. These file folders packed three of four filing cabinet drawers so tightly that newly created files had to be misfiled to the only slightly less packed bottom drawer since there was no room to file them alphabetically. Teresa worked with management to develop a procedure for reviewing these files, culling the paper not required for regulatory compliance, separating out the remaining documentation into that requiring short term (three years) retention and long term (as long as Duke has a license) retention, scanned the long term documentation (all four packed cabinet drawers’ worth!), and finally refiled the culled AU folders into just two drawers with room for future growth. Because she also implemented a written procedure for handling all future “gone” AU files, this documentation is now processed as soon as it appears rather than piling up. Since these files now exist electronically as well, the Division can now explore “paperless” archiving.
- Organized hundreds of data, software and reference CD’s into logical categories, then indexed, labeled and created storage locations for this media, so they can now be easily accessed and used as needed;
- Reorganized the RSD supply room, which had fallen into such disarray that it was difficult to locate material;
- When the Division’s sophisticated new photocopier raised questions, volunteered to research the manual and provided a seminar for the Division on proper use and features;
- Reorganized the Division’s huge array of regulatory record binders in the conference room, including replacing damaged binders, so that now records are much easier to find and maintain;
- Helped organize Divisional activities such as collecting a holiday donation for the housekeeping staff and setting up the Divisional pot luck meetings; and
- Assisted in the collection and compilation of data for a laser safety research project, then co-authored the resulting paper submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Teresa approaches all assigned duties in an exemplary manner, accomplishing tasks rapidly and efficiently with little or no supervision. She has demonstrated the ability to work through obstacles and find the necessary information to perform any given undertaking, and always with a professional and friendly demeanor that makes her a pleasure for colleagues within and outside of the Department to deal with. She has actively sought ways to improve the Division’s operations, then cheerfully and professionally proceeded to implement these improvements, all while conducting her routine job duties in a timely fashion with an excellent level of quality and attention to detail.