Greetings from Mike Averett, Assistant Vice President, Facilities Management and Campus Operations

Spring is here, and this year more than most I am happy to see sunshine, flowers, green grass and the noise of geese, activity of squirrels and hustle and bustle of students actively working to finish up semester projects as they look forward to another end of the school year. I am grateful that for the most part we are past the ice, snow and cold.

This year has been full of many accomplishments and some challenges. Early on in the school year we were able to witness another great celebration for the opening of Lincoln Commons. I am thankful for the tremendous amount of collaboration and work that our internal grounds and maintenance teams performed in order to ensure we had a great ribbon cutting and opening to the building for our students. I am also grateful for the great work that our construction partners have done over the last 24-36 months to make this building and New Hall a reality. The work that all of our Facilities Services folks perform to make this campus beautiful, including all of the behind-the scenes work, is truly appreciated.

This winter and early spring has been a challenge for our facilities teams, but as they do each year for whatever challenges they face they do so with positive attitudes and a “can do” spirit. I am thankful to work with great group of individuals who are willing to come in the early morning hours and on weekends to ensure that we have a safe and inviting place to work and study!

We have many great employees all well deserving of the praise and compliments they receive. Highlighted in this edition is the annual Facilities Services Employee of the year, Joe Davis. Joe was recognized for his exemplary performance throughout the year. Keep up the great work and thank you for representing us so well!

I also want to recognize and thank Bob Dale for his dedication and long standing service to the University of Evansville. Bob spent 38 years here at the University and during that time saw a numerous amount of improvements and changes. Bob had a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience, great attitude, and a wonderful sense of humor. Bob will be sorely missed. The University of Evansville Facilities Department and overall University campus benefited greatly through is knowledge of all things grounds and tree related.  

I commented to some individuals in the last few weeks if the pace would slow down. We have completed a number of large and small projects over the last few years. I’ve come to realize that in the foreseeable future at least, the pace will only quicken as we are in a transitional and pivotal time in the history of UE. With the upcoming Freeland Clubhouse, hopeful changes and upgrades to the central plant, and multiple roof projects, we seem to continue to be on a swift pace. It is certainly an exciting time to be working at the University and I am proud to be part of a team of Facilities professionals that play such a vital role in its success.

Getting Ready for Cooling Season!

It’s almost that time again — cooling season is right around the corner!

Our Central Plant Cooling System keeps most of our campus cool and comfortable. Each year, we gear up by giving the system a little TLC. That means a thorough cleaning and any needed repairs to keep everything running smoothly.

We’ll be brushing and cleaning the internal tubes in the chillers, clearing out any sediment from the cooling tower, and this year, we’re also swapping out a faulty cooling tower fan motor.

Keeping things cool — one fan motor at a time!

Around Campus: Behind the Scenes (But Actually Seen!)

You may not always notice them, but our Facilities team is constantly at work—setting up events, moving equipment, and handling maintenance all across campus. Most of the time, their efforts happen quietly in the background, but the impact is always front and center.

This week, we’re pulling back the curtain and shining a light on our incredible crew. Check out these behind-the-scenes photos of our team in action—doing what they do best and being seen!