With more than 130 staff covering over 100 buildings across the University of Kentucky campus, Facilities Management Custodial Services ensures that every classroom, lab, hallway, study space, office and restroom are ready for the students, faculty, staff and visitors that rely on them each day. Their work happens quietly, often before the sun rises and long after most people have gone home, but the impact is anything but invisible.
At UK, campus construction projects are more than just buildings. They are carefully planned, designed and managed endeavors that shape the future of education, research and student life. Behind every new residence hall, classroom, healthcare facility or research space is a dedicated Facilities Management team in Planning, Design, and Construction working together with UK leadership and campus stakeholders to turn vision into reality.
On Sept. 17, the University of Kentucky’s Facilities Management arboriculture team joined more than 40 volunteers from across the region in a day of service called Saluting Branches. The program brings together tree care professionals who donate their time and expertise to care for trees and landscapes at properties serving veterans across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital expansion project is moving forward with innovation and collaboration at the heart of its design process. In a recent design session hosted by the architect's design team, UK HealthCare, Capital Project Management in Facilities Management, and stakeholders gathered to refine the layout of new operating rooms (ORs) using an innovative approach: 3D-printed, to-scale models of hospital equipment and furniture.
Major construction projects, featuring new construction and renovations, are underway across campus, signaling a period of transformation aimed at enhancing the overall student and patient experience. Here are updates on some of the construction projects happening across UK’s central campus.
Through a partnership with UK Grounds and the Lewis Honors College, students in this fall’s honors course titled “The Lexington Ecosystem” (HON 301) will take the lead in preparing and planting the pollinator garden, which was designed by students in last spring’s “Urban Restoration Ecology” course, taught by Senior Lewis Lecturer Kenton Sena, Ph.D.
University of Kentucky Recycling has implemented new initiatives for the 2025 football season to support their long-term goal of making Kroger Field a zero-waste facility by 2030. This season, UK Recycling is expanding fan engagement.
On August 30, during the University of Kentucky Football season opener, UK debuted its new 30-second institutional spot voiced by UK Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Pope. What viewers don't see, however, is the careful preparation and behind-the-scenes effort that went into making the video possible, including work done by the Facilities Management team.
From logistics to labor, signage to sustainability, and everything in between, the Facilities Management team made a lasting first impression for thousands of Wildcats and their families.
The Universty of Kentucky Sustainable Office Certification (SOC) Program will be certifying its third cohort of offices this fall.