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Weaving Up a Storm

Klugh Jordan loves to knit clothing

When she's not working on her kniting, Klugh Jordan loves to hike. Here, she poses at the Mono Pass at Yosemite National Park in September 2012. Photo courtesy of Klugh Jordan.
When she's not working on her kniting, Klugh Jordan loves to hike. Here, she poses at the Mono Pass at Yosemite National Park in September 2012. Photo courtesy of Klugh Jordan.

Name: Klugh JordanPosition: Departmental business manager, Environmental Sciences and Policy Division at Nicholas School of the Environment Years at Duke: 4

What I do at Duke: I manage our divisional business office. Our office administers the division's sponsored research programs and payroll. I oversee the budgets, basically doing anything with financial or administrative needs for faculty, staff and students of the division.

If I had $5 million, I would: Definitely start with a lot of travel. I'd probably start with a big trip around to national parks across the country. I did a similar trip several years ago and would love to expand on that. After a lot of travel, I'd think about college funds for my nieces and nephews and get involved with charities.

My first ever job: I worked the cash register at a Kerr Drug in Raleigh while I was a senior in high school. I liked it. I liked the interactions with people as they were checking out.

My dream job: I sometimes fanaticize about opening a yarn shop. I love to knit and love hanging out in yarn shops, so sometimes I think about retiring to the mountains and opening up a yarn store. Hillsborough and Raleigh have great yarn shops. I recently knitted a sweater that took my about four months to make.

If someone wanted to start a conversation with me they should ask me about: What I did the past weekend. I'm usually working in the yard and try to get out for a hike at a state park. I also like to get out and see my family. All my extended family is in North Carolina.

The best advice I ever received: Do what makes you happy. One of my aunts was a big mentor for me growing up and she drove home for me that work shouldn't be everything.

What I love about Duke: I really like all the energy of the students. I was a student at Duke, so I have a real connection to the Nicholas School, where I graduated in 2004 with a master's degree in environmental management. Plus, the campus is beautiful. I love going to the Duke Gardens during my lunch hour to walk around.

When I'm not at work, I like to: I love being outdoors. The quarry at the Eno River State Park is a great place to go swimming in the summer. The trails are also great because they're so convenient.

If I could have one superpower, it would be: The ability not to need sleep because I could get so much more done if I didn't have to sleep. There's never enough time for exercise, visiting with friends or cooking as much as I'd like.

Something most people don't know about me is: I got an undergraduate degree in dance from UNC-Greensboro.

A Movie I like: I really like documentaries because they're such interesting stories. Just think - someone found another person's story interesting enough to make a movie out of it. It makes you realize how diverse we all are and how interesting our back stories can be. The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham sparked my interest in documentaries.