News

On Wednesday, April 9, UMD's Arboretum held its annual Arbor Day planting ceremony. This year's tree was a Black Gum Wildfire cultivar, native to Maryland and featuring red leaf tips as they emerge, deep green leaves through the summer, and a brilliant red display in the autumn. The tree was planted at the northwest corner of the Clarence Mitchell Building. See the Photo Gallery here.

Water main breaks can be disruptive, but Facilities Management (FM) is always ready to respond. Here’s what causes them, how we handle them, and what we’re doing to prevent future issues. How common are water main breaks? UMD experiences 10 to 25 water main breaks each year. In the past two years (2023-24), we’ve been on the higher end of that range: 28 breaks in 2023 and 24 in 2024. (For comparison, the region’s water provider WSSC reports that they repair more than 1,700 water main breaks annually.)

Five Facilities Management (FM) team members start their day with one goal in mind: ensuring that campus facilities customers receive excellent service and that work requests run smoothly, no matter what comes their way. Whether coordinating with FM staff for a quick repair or overseeing a large-scale renovation, as the vital link between building occupants and FM services, Facility Managers are the go-to professionals who make sure every request is handled efficiently and effectively, while keeping everyone aligned throughout the process.

Each year, on the last Saturday in April, tens of thousands of visitors flock to UMD’s College Park Campus to celebrate Maryland Day. This campus-wide celebration of learning, discovery, and fun features hundreds of free exhibitions and events. “I consider Maryland Day a Triple Crown event of campus celebrations (along with Commencement and Family-Homecoming Weekends),” said Gabe Purviance, Assistant Director of Building & Landscape Maintenance.

Temporary vehicle and bike lane striping was completed in Lot Z over Spring Break as part of a major initiative aimed at improving campus connectivity, safety and accessibility. The Alumni Drive Complete Street is the first of several planned complete streets outlined in the 2023 Campus Facilities Plan and supports the university’s strategic vision by creating a more pedestrian- and micromobility-friendly environment while ensuring efficient road use for all campus travelers.

While many of us take mail delivery for granted, it plays a crucial role in keeping UMD running smoothly. Even in the digital age, physical mail remains essential to students, faculty, and staff. Facilities Management’s (FM) Mail Services team ensures the seamless delivery of more than 206,000 letters and packages each month, with that number surpassing 300,000 during peak periods like the start of the fall semester and the holiday season. Every piece of mail is delivered within 24 hours of arrival—an impressive feat considering the scale of operations.