News

This summer, the UMD Arboretum team is helping students dig into something meaningful—literally. With the support of a $59,831 Sustainability Fund Grant, the Arboretum has launched its first-ever paid summer internship program. The funding supports eight student interns for 320 hours of paid work and includes educational opportunities designed to connect them with professionals in the field.

Thousands of honeybees made an unexpected home high atop the Reckord Armory in June, drawing attention from passersby and prompting a uniquely delicate Facilities Management response. The swarm settled more than 30 feet up on one of the building’s east portico columns, creating a sizable nest just as crews were preparing to repaint the area. What followed was a careful, collaborative removal effort involving FM’s Pest Control team and experts from the Department of Entomology — all carried out with the goal of protecting both the bees and the building.

Almost fifty years ago, a high school student followed his appreciation of art and science to study architecture at UMD, where he took a part-time job in the Department of Physical Plant, the forerunner of Facilities Management (FM).

On a typical day, Facilities Management’s Space Management team is juggling space change requests, analyzing space-use data, and collaborating with campus partners to find efficient, data-informed solutions for evolving space issues. Part puzzle, part problem-solving, university space management is about making sure the rooms and buildings on campus, like classrooms, offices, study spaces, and labs, are being used in the best way possible. 

Lighting plays a critical but often overlooked role in making the University of Maryland campus safe and welcoming after dark. From pedestrian pathways to parking lots, Facilities Management’s (FM) Electrical Services Exterior Lighting team is responsible for keeping more than 2,600 pole lights operating smoothly across campus.

After five years of behind-the-scenes planning, testing, and teamwork, a new era of facilities service has officially begun. On April 7, Facilities Management and its partners in Residential Facilities, Dining Services, Recreation & Wellness, and STAMP launched SHIFT (also known internally as AssetWorks) through the new Facilities Service Central portal. This integrated system is already making it easier than ever to report and track facilities-related requests across campus.