Category: Insider

Building Services window washers
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Growing Building Services: Window Washers

F&S established, and is growing, a window washing team that strategically cleans windows at approximately 270 campus buildings. “We are excited to grow the team and add a significant new service that will beautify campus buildings,” said Pete Varney, director of Transportation & Building Services. Varney said it had been over 10 years since this type of work has been done regularly on campus. “It … Continue reading Growing Building Services: Window Washers

Travis Tate
Building Service Workers BSWs transformation
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Adapting Building Services: New Custodial Operations

F&S Building Service Workers (BSWs) began rolling out a new cleaning program this summer. So, when each employee received certificates honoring workshop completion, pomp and circumstance played for all. Much deserved! F&S partnered with the Cleaning Management Institute, the education division of the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA). Approximately 40 BSWs from all three working shifts are enacting the program, which is being piloted in … Continue reading Adapting Building Services: New Custodial Operations

Travis Tate
The Fighting Illini football team take care of business on homecoming, defeating Minnesota 26-14 to move to 6-1 on the season and into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West. The Illini lead the country in total defense, touchdowns allowed, interceptions, and opponent passer rating.
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For the Fans!

A couple pipefitters and plumbing projects improved facilities that host the highest level of intercollegiate athletic competition. Memorial Stadium and Huff Hall are among the most well-known sporting homes in the state. Both promote a positive fan experience for the coming seasons and well into the future. At the home of the Fighting Illini football program, nearing its 100th birthday, on the east side: the … Continue reading For the Fans!

Travis Tate
Forbes Natural History Building
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Prizing Performance (with 🍕pizza🍕)

Good behavior nets pizza, especially for administrators and building liaisons at six Grainger College of Engineering buildings. So when this multi-year energy avoidance project, completed through Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) team at F&S, came to an end, already showing $2.9M in cost avoidance, a few folks celebrated, alongside Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director Ehab Kamarah, and Utilities & Energy Services Director Rob Roman. Sylvia … Continue reading Prizing Performance (with 🍕pizza🍕)

Travis Tate
Urbana Fire Department firefighters train at the Archives and Special Collections Building
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Library Hosts Firefighter Safety Training

The former “Undergraduate Library,” now called the Archives and Special Collections building, has been undergoing demolition and full-scale renovations for months, as it prepares to transition from a study and learning space to a storage facility for certain types of books and other documents. F&S Capital Programs project managers Jon Hasselbring and Sandra Roesler have helped lead the demolition and construction. Two floors had been … Continue reading Library Hosts Firefighter Safety Training

Travis Tate
Altgeld stone cleaning
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Altgeld Glow Up: Generations of Dirt Cleaned From Eons-old Stone

When you’re as old as Altgeld Hall, you deserve a nice cleansing scrub. The stony skin of the building dates to as far back as 1896, after all, and a lot of history, and other gunk, has built up on the stone. Even a U of I student’s thesis from more than 50 years ago notes the coloration change. Roughly hewn, randomly placed hard pink … Continue reading Altgeld Glow Up: Generations of Dirt Cleaned From Eons-old Stone

Travis Tate
Arbor Day 2023 tree campus USA flag
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Arbor Day 2023 on the Main Quad

The national holiday Arbor Day was April 28, 2023; locally, it was easily seen on the University of Illinois Main Quad that day. To celebrate, F&S helped plant and honor a new horizon elm tree just west of Davenport Hall. Campus tree and sustainability experts spoke, including Brent Lewis, university landscape architect, and Morgan White, associate director of sustainability; Mike DeLorenzo, Vice Chancellor for Administration … Continue reading Arbor Day 2023 on the Main Quad

Travis Tate
Ironworkers and Operator Engineers installing safer bridge over the Boneyard Creek.
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Making It Safe: A New Green Boneyard Bridge

Ironworkers make things safer. In the end, their repairs to a bridge over the Boneyard Creek will last decades and allow safe passage between student housing and buildings on the Grainger College of Engineering Quad. The now-bright green bridge is just north of the Astronomy Building. The culprit causing damage was rust, which disintegrated parts of the bridge bottom. F&S ironworkers Mike Paris and Rene … Continue reading Making It Safe: A New Green Boneyard Bridge

Travis Tate
Mike Larson, F&S Abbott Power Plant, gives a tour to local girl scouts
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Girl Power: Education at Abbott

Local girl scouts came on a Saturday morning to learn about the utility systems operated at Abbott Power Plant. Associate professor in Civil and Electrical Engineering (CEE) in the Grainger College of Engineering, Ashlynn Stillwell helped organize and manage the groups and distributed safety and personal protective equipment (PPE). Stillwell is also the former Central Illinois Girl Scout leader. Kids toured the power plant with … Continue reading Girl Power: Education at Abbott

Travis Tate