In a quiet conference room on the second floor of the Healthy Kentucky Research Building at the University of Kentucky, Pushpa Pokharel, a Henry Clay High School senior and Project SEARCH intern, works diligently to clean every surface. She employs an impressive degree of detail, going beyond mere tidying to ensure surfaces are spotless and hygienic.
“The Keeping Space,” a 15-minute documentary that shines a light on the often-unseen work by University of Kentucky custodian Shelia Lackey, will be featured 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2, at Lexington’s Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center. Documentary co-directors Jena Seiler, Ph.D., Lewis Honors College lecturer, and Nicole Martin, former honors college director of academic affairs, will be at the screening and participating in the discussion.
When tens of thousands of fans pour into Kroger Field on a Saturday to cheer for the Wildcats, few realize the coordinated effort that helps keep every light on, every restroom clean and running, every lawn trimmed and every walkway safe. Behind the roar of the crowd during the football season is a team of nearly 100 Facilities Management employees from groundskeepers, electricians and custodians to plumbers and technicians, whose behind-the-scenes work helps make game day possible.
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%.