Beep beep! Kiddos coming through! The Child Development Laboratory (CDL) from the Department of Human Development & Family Studies hosted a touch a truck event for daycare attendees, youngsters up to age 5, thanks to a few of F&S’ vehicles. “If you know children, trucks are a huge interest of young children in the age we serve at CDL (6 weeks to 5 years),” said … Continue reading For the Kids: Touch a Truck!
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
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
When Logan Fisher came to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in fall 2023, he didn’t really understand what F&S did…now, after time as a student employee, his future career as an architect will call on the memory of positive impact he personally left to future students, faculty, and staff. Fisher worked with coordinator of special programs in building maintenance Patrick Wood and sign shop foreperson … Continue reading INSIDER Magazine: Learning and Labor
F&S employs more than 1,000 highly-skilled and dedicated workers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A small portion of that workforce comes from students working in a field close to what they study academically. The week of April 8-12 was declared National Student Employment Week by the National Student Employment Association (NSEA). See below for tremendous success stories from four 2024 student employees, and how … Continue reading Students at Work with F&S
How does the F&S Tool Room operate? Andy Harpst, Tool Room supervisor: In the Tool Room, I recommend, determine, and procure tools, technical equipment and safety/personal protective equipment needed to satisfy the job requirements of journeymen in all crafts and trades within F&S. I also recommend modifications to equipment and tools. These decisions on tools and equipment are procurement-based on intensive research and knowledge involving the … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Tool Room
When it’s cold out, we all need a blanket to stay warm. Mechanical systems are just as receptive to that extra layer, and in fact, insulation accomplishes many things that make campus more sustainable. The F&S Building Heat & Frost Insulators, called shop 52 at F&S, provide insulation fabrication for systems in buildings all across campus – often in tight spaces, basements, and attics alike. … Continue reading Shop Spotlight: Insulators
The Chez Veterans Center (CVC) is a special place for special people, home to student military veterans at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. There, Veterans can meet and visit with others, including those who live in the facility. The staff, and the facility itself, help make life easier, including for those with disabilities from their service. The F&S mill shop recently made something for CVC, … Continue reading Chez coin display: “Breathtaking” work by mill
As Told by Rose Sisco, Illinois ExtensionMumford Hall “It was really fortuitous.” “You know how bad it was on Monday. I got out of my car where I park out back at Mumford Hall. That day, it was a sheet of ice. I couldn’t get out.” Before Rose could think or notice, Luis Michel, a pipefitter was on his way to assist her to the … Continue reading F&S’ Luis Michel’s Help a “Matter of Life and Death”
A circular iced steel sleeve spends time in a cooler filled with dry ice measured at about -120 degrees Fahrenheit (F). After a couple of hours, machinist shop foreperson Stuart DeHaro said the metal part, a cylinder about 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall, will shrink by a few 1000ths of an inch, just enough to allow it to slip into place on … Continue reading Machinists and the Cold Steel “O”
