LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2024) — Through a partnership with UK Grounds in Facilities Management and the Lewis Honors College, honors students recently transformed the space between the University of Kentucky Lewis Honors College and The 90 into a pollinator garden, replacing non-native grasses and shrubs with vibrant native species.
The University of Kentucky campus spans over 900 acres and is home to more than 100 buildings, each with its own set of unique needs. Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of 13 programmers and engineering technicians helps keep it all running smoothly.
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.
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.
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.
From fiscal year 2017 to ’25, while the university’s campus grew by 13.6%, energy use per square foot has decreased by an impressive 19.2%.
As spring takes hold across the Bluegrass, the University of Kentucky’s Facilities Management division has been hard at work preparing campus for a season of renewal and transformation.