Hero Story

Ms. Duffield has served as an employee and volunteer as follows:
• Newsroom Intern from January through August 2016 and all of 2017; Special Events Intern August through March, 2018.
• Volunteer for Detroit Reader Information Service: 2017 – present
• Volunteer for Membership: 2020 – present
• Volunteer for On-Air Fundraisers: 2017 – present
She has given more than 1,5000 hours to WDET
Ms. Duffield has been an invaluable volunteer at WDET over the last 7 years. She brought her professional experience as a radio host at a big band radio station in Chicago to our station and made a difference in each department where she volunteered.

Ruby started with WDET as a news intern. She then volunteered during Noel Night, which is an evening in December where many of the cultural institutions and organizations in Detroit’s Cultural Center open their doors to thousands of people. Because of her background, Jerome Vaughn, News Director at WDET, asked her to volunteer in the newsroom.

After that, Ms. Duffield volunteered with the special events team. In 2017, Ms. Duffield was on the team that covered the 2017 Michigan elections. On election night, WDET was ranked #1 as the station with the best real-time results.

After contributing so much to the station, Ms. Duffield, applied for, and was hired as a membership assistant in 2018. While working at the station she volunteered in other areas too. Ruby decided volunteering exclusively was a better fit. It allowed her to do more for the station focusing on multiple areas. In 2020, she resumed e her role as volunteer extraordinaire at WDET which was especially helpful during the COVID quarantine when most volunteers preferred to stay home.

Currently, she reads every other week for Detroit Reader Information Service (DRIS), an audio service that provides news and information for those with visual disabilities. She has been a DRIS volunteer since 2017.

Ms. Duffield also has been a volunteer in our membership services for almost three years where she packages premiums and works on our bi-annual On-Air Fundraisers. As a volunteer, Ms. Duffield has produced segments that ask for financial support and recorded spots for station promotions.

Because of her career in broadcasting, Ms. Duffield is also a volunteer mentor to station staff, interns and other volunteers Her goal is to keep staff and volunteers engaged and dedicated to the hard work that is required to maintain the hightest ethics in journalism and to be on-air 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Ms. Duffield grew up in Detroit. She moved to Chicago, but came back to Detroit in 1997. Since then she has been an ardent listener and supporter of WDET Public Radio – a non-profit community-funded public service. She is a big fan of the station’s Saturday music shows and is a strong believer in the diverse points of view and people who are part of the news and talk portions of WDET news day. She believes that WDET counteracts much of the polarization in current news shows and her work at the station strives to spread that message and build listenership and financial support.

Ms. Duffield embodies everything that WDET stands for in serving our diverse region. She teaches those new to the station and gives new employees the support they need. She has had an impact on the growth of our membership and the corresponding increase in revenue. She is directly connected to our members and helps them feel a part of WDET. She crosses boundaries, helps at events, assists with mailings, represents the station in the community and takes a lead role in member support. Ruby’s reading of the daily papers provides access to printed matter to the blind. At WDET, Ruby is the best of the best of our volunteers and there is no one like her.

Several members of the academic and media communities attest to the value of Ruby Duffield’s work. These include Wayne State University professors, community members and WDET senior leadership.

From Jerome Vaughn, News Director, WDET and Member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame
Ruby Duffield has volunteered at WDET for many years and has been a delight to work with.

Ruby first joined WDET many years ago, serving as an intern in WDET’s news department while studying at Wayne State University. During that time, she worked hard, relishing an opportunity to learn. She progressed to the point where she regularly wrote and voiced stories for WDET newscasts. Ruby clicked with members of the news department and we were sorry to see her leave after several months.

But Ruby didn’t leave for good. She came back to volunteer during fundraisers and other times when WDET needed extra hands.

Later, she began volunteering in the membership department, where she has made a difference in a number of areas, including sending out thank you gifts and helping the station to prepare for fundraiser. She’s such an important part of the team that she even pitches on-air during fundraisers.

I don’t think there’s much more I can say about Ruby. She’s the best.

From Carmen Garcia, WDET Assistant Director of Philanthropy
WDET is fortunate to have the extraordinary volunteer efforts of Ruby Duffield. Two mornings each month, Ruby arrives at WDET in time for a 7 AM shift as a Volunteer Reader for the Detroit Radio Information Service (DRIS). DRIS serves people who are blind or can't hold or comprehend printed material. In addition to keeping them informed, the service helps combat loneliness. The volunteers offer companionship, in addition to presenting news and information. Ruby and her reading partners alternate reading articles from the Detroit News and Free Press. When Ruby finishes the two-hour reading shift, she heads over to the WDET Membership Department to help in a variety of ways. Ruby does it ALL, from letter preparation and envelope stuffing, to sending out WDET thank you gifts (mugs, t-shirts & tote bags) to members. Ruby brings warmth and humor to her WDET volunteer activities, we are so grateful to have her in the WDET family!

From Michael Fuhlhage, Associate Professor, Wayne State University:
I’ve had the honor of knowing Ruby Duffield since she was a student of mine in my News Reporting course in 2015. She really set the pace for her fellow classmates in terms of professionalism, analytical ability, skills of observation, eagerness to learn, and raw writing ability. After earning high marks in that class, she became a valuable and well-liked presence in the Department of Communication, writing freelance copy for the program’s website that included profiles of faculty members and features on department events. She distinguishes herself as a journalist with thorough preparation for interviews, careful research into background to deliver a deeper understanding of the subjects she writes about, and an accessible and engaging writing style. And she does so with hustle and positive energy.
From Kimmerly Piper-Aiken, Associate Professor, Wayne State University:
Ruby Duffield excelled in all of the Journalism classes she took with me at Wayne State University. In the Broadcast News Writing and TV News Reporting classes, Ruby exceeded my expectations for excellence with her energy, intellect, and problem-solving skills. By the time Ruby took my Advanced TV Production – MetroArts Detroit class, she stepped into an Associate Producer role and did exceptional work. She pro-actively pitched guest ideas for the shows and arranged for and facilitated guest appearances at our Midtown TV Studio. Ruby was organized and served as a mentor for her peers. I know she has extended these skills as a volunteer and I give her my highest recommendation."

From Fred Stella, Program Host WGVU, Grand Rapids Public Media Station
Ruby's commitment to WDET-FM over the past decade is, I believe, unique. Internships are for the most part used to propel a college student into the workings of an industry or profession for the purposes of gaining on-the-ground knowledge and acquiring credit towards a degree. For Ms. Duffield, all of this happened. But in her case graduation day (with a degree in Media) did not sever the relationship between her and the station. Being in a position to wait for the "perfect" job, she decided that doing pro bono work for Detroit's NPR affiliate was a better use for her time than taking just any job, in or out of the communications field. Though not affiliated with WDET in any way other than as a donor, I am aware of the importance of volunteers in public radio. For over 25 years I have hosted a weekly program on Grand Rapids NPR affiliate WGVU-FM. My admiration for those who fill in the gaps with their time and talents is quite high. It is from this standpoint that I recognize the value that Ruby Duffield brings to her colleagues.

In my almost 50 years of knowing Ruby, one thing that stands out among her virtues is her love for Detroit. While living for a time in Ohio and Illinois suited her well enough, returning to Detroit just seemed like a hand fitting the glove so perfectly. She acts as a great ambassador to the city, and WDET has given her a great platform from which to act. While I can't recall verbatim the accolades that have been mentioned by co-workers, I can assure anyone that she is greatly appreciated and loved by those who do serve professionally at the station. And it has been made clear on several occasions that if there ever was a job opening that suited Ruby's talents she would be courted immediately. It is my understanding that Ruby is now in a position where seeking paid employment is not a priority. But that has not dimmed her passion for public radio and her desire to serve.