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The A-Team: A Desk of His Own

Rodney Coffin has advanced at Duke with help from the Professional Development Institute

Rodney Coffin sifts through grant folders in the Office of Research Support. Photo by Marsha Green.
Rodney Coffin sifts through grant folders in the Office of Research Support. Photo by Marsha Green.

Just before 10 a.m. each day, Rodney Coffin carries a 12- to 18-inch tall stack of folders to the team room in the Office of Research Support.

As staff assistant for the department, he matches incoming mail and questions sent by email with the appropriate file for the grant or award application for research funding at Duke

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"The filing room is my second home here," Coffin said.

His "first home" is a cheerful reception desk adorned with photos of his four children.

"All the jobs I did before were manual," Coffin said. "I never had a desk before."

Coffin has worked at Duke on and off for a dozen years, alternating time as a patient transporter, postal operations worker and warehouse clerk. His supervisor at the Duke Press warehouse encouraged him to apply for the yearlong Office Staff Development program offered by Duke's Professional Development Institute in 2011.

He was accepted, and while learning basic business writing, office etiquette and Duke's administrative computer systems, Coffin gathered his courage and applied for an entry-level office position at the Office of Research Support.

On a recent Wednesday morning, Coffin navigated the small room that houses files on roughly 1,800 grants and contracts at Duke. His fingers flew across folders as he filed correspondence about government- or industry-sponsored research projects. Back at his desk, he answered emails, pulled out a sheet on how to update the

Funding Opportunities website and pulled figures for the monthly budget report.

"I had to learn to multi-task to do this job," he said. "The Professional Development Institute helped me figure out how to manage my time and stretch myself."Despite the challenges of learning new acronyms, computer programs and work skills, Coffin enjoys being an essential member of the team.

"I am still learning, but it feels good to be of service," Coffin said. "It is a great opportunity for growth."