By Jalynn BugajCustomer Relations & Communications intern At Facilities & Services, we keep things running by staying sharp, safe, and ready for anything! Training is important for the shops and trades because it not only enhances skills, but helps to improve safety, and keep teams up to date with the best practices. Training ensures that operations run smoothly and effectively. Ask the grounds workers, refrigeration … Continue reading Training for Excellence
Over 100 years ago, the Main Library opened with a secret kept behind brick. Now 100 years later, it’s been revealed to the modern public: a time capsule! And the only way in was through ‘caveman stuff’ as brickmason foreperson Eric Quinley said. F&S brickmasons wreck, tear, beat and saw their way through walls like these every day. But the impressive part is the ability … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Brickmasons Part of History
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is no novice at securing federal research grants. The campus regularly receives among the most federal money between all research universities from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and other federal agencies. And nearly every dollar is for administrating the project or team to accelerate innovation and discovery — they are almost never for ‘capital’ projects … Continue reading $51M IBRL Grant Thanks to F&S
By Jalynn BugajF&S customer relations & communications intern Shhhhh… Can you hear that? Exactly. Neither can anyone else—thanks to the Hush Hybrid pod! Say hello to the future of workplace privacy: Introducing the Hush Hybrid pod, a game-changing solution designed to transform how staff navigate virtual conversations and meetings in an open office. The Hush Hybrid pod is on a 60-day trial in Lincoln Hall, … Continue reading Hush Hybrid Pod Trial
The world is complicated, but thanks to numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 campus facility managers can know exactly what level of cleanliness to expect of building service workers (BSWs) in their public spaces. BSWs clean across all three shifts, day and night, in 223 campus buildings. Pete Varney, director of Transportation & Building Services (TBS), references the five standardized levels established and maintained … Continue reading Cleaning Campus Buildings, as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Sometimes, you gotta check in on your friends. F&S executive team members accepted an invitation from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) in part just to visit the facility and understand the importance of their relationship. Specifically, IGB director Gene Robinson and director of operations and facilities Jesse Southern, welcomed F&S representatives and led a tour of laboratories, offices, and basement spaces. … Continue reading Visit to ‘Appreciative’ Partner: IGB
By Jalynn BugajF&S customer relations & communications intern New drink rail? No problem! With five Facilities & Services shops collaborating to make a drink rail for the Colonnades Club at Memorial Stadium, the finished result is nothing short of spectacular. Each shop brought their unique expertise to the table, resulting in a drink rail that not only enhances the club’s aesthetics but also provides a … Continue reading Crafting the Colonnades Club Drink Rail
Adopted from:Rebecca BigelowF&S Dispatch, 2021 When the Marching Illini step off for their new tunnel entrance at the start of pregame, Illinois football fans feel the excitement build in Memorial Stadium. The sights and sounds of the band, the cheerleaders, the team, even the fans themselves, all play an integral role in the enjoyment of a football game. But the unsung heroes of the day … Continue reading Are You Ready for Some Football? F&S Makes Sure of It
On campus, if you have an air conditioner or anything with refrigerant in it, F&S refrigeration mechanics recover it by separating it, weighing it, and testing it for purity. And as of recently, they sell it. Kody Egolf, refrigeration mechanic foreperson, attended an ASHRAE convention–the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers–and learned about a buy-back program where companies will pay to take canisters … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Refrigerant Leftovers Save Money
By Jalynn BugajF&S customer relations & communications intern At F&S, women are transforming the trades by showing that skill and dedication come in all forms. By challenging old stereotypes and leading with expertise, they’re setting a new standard for success in the industry. Women who work in crafts and trades, fields traditionally dominated by men, often encounter unique challenges related to perceptions of their skills, … Continue reading Breaking Barriers and Building Futures: How Women at F&S are Redefining the Trades
