In the bustling landscape of the University of California, Davis, lies a silent community of guardians—towering sentinels that silently witness the ebb and flow of campus life. These guardians, however, have been given newfound recognition and care through an ambitious project aimed at understanding, mapping, and preserving UC Davis' arboreal riches.

In a recent interview with Joe Lestanguet, inspector, Planner, Estimator (IPE) for Facilities Management Building Maintenance Mechanical unit, we delved into the background and details of a transformative project to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and contribute to our campus sustainability goals.

In the dynamic landscape of a campus such as ours, adapting facilities to meet evolving needs is paramount. One such transformative endeavor took place at Cowell building's second story, housing the Center for Advocacy, Resources, and Education (CARES). Spearheaded by Student Affairs Director Matthew Fucile and Divisional Resources Associate Director Carol Swafford, this project breathed new life into the space, providing CARES with enhanced functionality and privacy.

The exterior lighting team, who manages over 13,000 lights and 5 intersections of traffic signals on campus, works tirelessly to improve campus safety. We sat down with Philip Erickson, who supervises the team, to talk about all the important work they are doing. 

This quarter we’re highlighting a team that works to ensure our work order management system runs smoothly and efficiently: the Tririga Users Group! This Group meets monthly to look into any changes that can be made to improve work order management for both facilities employees and customers. 

The Tririga work order management system allows facilities staff to assign work tasks to certain shops, track the progress of tasks, and mark tasks as resolved or complete. Facilities Management (FM) customers who have access to Tririga can submit tasks and track their progress. 

This quarter we’re highlighting some of the fantastic work our engineering team does with students and faculty on our campus and across the entire UC system! We sat down with engineering project manager Alex Malm to talk about the annual Global Energy Managers Workshop and the Path to Zero Net Energy class offered to students. 

As we walk around campus, we often overlook the intricate systems that silently work behind the scenes. Today, we take a closer look into a significant project that plays a pivotal role in both our research efforts and the sustainability of our campus: the renovation of the exhaust fans in the Physics building. We had the opportunity to chat with the team driving this initiative. 

Looking for a cost-effective way to give your office a facelift? Look no further than Facilities Management’s Office Refresh program! An Office Refresh can bring your office from drab to fab in just a week! We sat down with Structural IPE (Inspector Planner Estimator) Sam Fernandez to get all the details about how the Office Refresh program started, what’s included, and how to sign up.

As we step into the new year, I can’t help but look back on the incredible achievements we’ve accomplished. I want to express my sincere thanks to Facilities Management staff for their unwavering commitment to the University’s mission.

As one of the most sustainable college campuses in North America  ,UC Davis works hard to make sure campus buildings maintain high standards of sustainability. Leading this effort is the Green Buildings Team, whom we had the pleasure of speaking with about their role on campus.