Movement-Inspired Art Enhances Freer Hall

By Jalynn BugajF&S customer relations & communications intern Five pieces of colorful, unique artwork now illuminate multiple spaces within Louise Freer Hall. The framed images portray activity in various forms. Previously known as the Women’s Gymnasium, Louise Freer Hall, also referred to as Freer Hall, became the Department of Kinesiology in 2017. Lori Hepner’s Artistic Vision The art was created by Lori Hepner and was … Continue reading Movement-Inspired Art Enhances Freer Hall

E15 Lot Art: “The Path Forward”

If you’re east of Memorial Stadium, find your path towards a new campus multi-story parking deck: E15! It holds 450 vehicles, including some electric charging stations, and helps replace spots lost when nearby Wymer Hall started construction. On its exterior is an abstract aluminum wall sculpture: “The Path Forward.” It is part of the university’s Art-in-Architecture (AiA) program, which presents public art on construction projects … Continue reading E15 Lot Art: “The Path Forward”

Landscape Updates to the Mammoth Sculpture

By Jalynn BugajF&S customer relations & communications intern The Pleistocene Garden: Recreating History The mammoth sculpture, located south of the Natural History Building (NHB), and near the Main Quad where its ancestors wandered 30,000 years prior, finds itself amongst some new additions. The new thoughtfully curated landscape not only enhances the area but offers homage to the mammoth’s past. The landscaping concept, termed a “Pleistocene … Continue reading Landscape Updates to the Mammoth Sculpture

Students Dive into Trades at F&S Tour

By Jalynn BugajF&S customer relations & communications intern Local high school students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a day in the life of tradespeople, giving them a firsthand look at potential future careers. The students, representing eight local school districts, toured F&S shops such as the mill, insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, painters, and electricians. The Summer Construction Program, part of the “Education for … Continue reading Students Dive into Trades at F&S Tour

CSEA Winners for 2024 Include Two F&S Employees

By Rebecca Bigelow The University of Illinois blended two former award programs—the Chancellor’s Academic Professional Excellence (CAPE) award and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Staff Award (CDSA)—into one program: Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Awards (CSEA). Campus wanted a program with a single set of rules and protocols that recognizes the contributions of all university staff members. Read the Illinois News Bureau story about all the 2024 winners here. … Continue reading CSEA Winners for 2024 Include Two F&S Employees

Shop Spotlight: Cement Finishers, Laborers One Bucket at a Time

Cement finishers used their collective thinking cap to finish a summer job at Fred H. Turner Student Services Building, along with plenty of help from F&S construction laborers. The goal: get cement into the basement through an underground entrance. Mission very possible. Picture a Cement Truck Picture a cement truck. It has that giant spout to spread the viscous compound directly where there’s a street … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Cement Finishers, Laborers One Bucket at a Time

Shop Spotlight: Sheetmetal Workers

You want real power? Try stepping (safely!) into an air handling unit (AHU) running full bore in the bowels of the Beckman Institute. The 1.46 inches of static pressure within the AHU is strong enough to knock you over when stepping through the doorway – if you’re close enough, it’ll try to drag you in. The small room features one thing: a giant fan whirring … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Sheetmetal Workers

INSIDER Magazine: ECIP Awards

F&S Utilities & Energy Services (UES) performs some of the most important work on campus, producing and distributing steam, water, and electricity across 24M gross square feet, more than 600 buildings, and to a ‘town’ of more than 50,000 students and 10,000 employees. So, when building experts and facility managers perform renovations, retrocommmissioning, or other work that reduces energy consumption, recognition is in order! The … Continue reading INSIDER Magazine: ECIP Awards

INSIDER Magazine: African American Heritage Trail Unveiled

By Rebecca Bigelow Local Black history and the history of campus intersect in Champaign-Urbana. It’s no wonder then that several stops on the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail tell the story of both. The trail committee collaborated with the university to ensure that several of these stories are memorialized around campus. Brent Lewis, university landscape architect, and Don Gerard, construction project coordinator represented F&S … Continue reading INSIDER Magazine: African American Heritage Trail Unveiled