WELCOME
From Executive Vice President David M. Greenberg
After three years where pandemic considerations brought about modifications large and small to University operations, Fiscal Year 2023 was somewhat remarkable for its normalcy. While University Facilities and Operations continues to do much behind the scenes for health and safety – particularly the deployment of stringent procedures to maintain indoor air quality – there was a measure of relief to support students, faculty, and staff engaged in life at the University relatively uninterrupted.
The return to regularity also brought opportunity to University Facilities and Operations – an opportunity for more innovation to continuously improve the customer experience, and a chance to look inward at our staff to help nurture an environment where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
Both of these efforts are on display throughout the report that follows. I want to particularly call out the work by the inaugural members of our Equity and Inclusion Council, which recently commemorated its one-year anniversary. University Facilities and Operations staff members are in many ways the backbone of Columbia through the myriad ways our organization supports the University. The Equity and Inclusion Council, among its many goals, is working to ensure that staff are recognized for their work that does not get the spotlight of the annual report yet ultimately defines our organization.
Fiscal Year 2023 was also a milestone year for Columbia with its change of presidency. On behalf of University Facilities and Operations, I am excited to offer our organization’s expertise and commitment to excellence in support of President Minouche Shafik’s vision for Columbia’s future.
I thank everyone at University Facilities and Operations for your tireless efforts, for celebrating each other’s accomplishments, for building on lessons learned, and for uniting together to reach higher as we present this review of FY23 to the University community.
YEAR IN REVIEW
A look back at all we accomplished during Fiscal Year 2023
Testimonials
What the Columbia community is saying about our work
"Seeing these labs and learning about the impressive work being done in them left me excited, almost giddy, like a new rotation student. It was clear that the renovation had been done with incredible attention to detail and consideration for the researchers and their science."
- Paige Wilson, Columbia Biological Sciences
"[Battle of the Dining Halls] was honestly one of my favorite Columbia events all year, good job guys <3. I love Columbia Dining."
- Columbia Dining customer
"I was amazed at how smoothly drop-off went! We arrived to cheering upperclassmen, unloaded, ate, and all the stuff magically appeared in my daughter's room! Thank you to the RAs, NSOP leaders, volunteers, Housing, Family Life, and Dining for such a joyful experience!"
- Mother of Columbia undergraduate student
"I love Columbia Public Safety! As an international student that has never left my home country until now, I was really nervous about safety in NYC. Whether it's 10 p.m. or 4 a.m., my calls have always been answered when I request a Walking Safety Escort to take me home safely."
- Sherry Fernandes, Columbia Journalism School '23
"Columbia Mail staff are some of the hardest working and kindest employees at Columbia. They always make what could be a stressful errand into an easy and enjoyable interaction!”
- Columbia Mail customer
"I found a home in John Jay. Every one of the staff feels like family. My besties and I have made it our routine to eat our dinner on campus and that has made such a huge impact on our bond as we eat the yummy food. Thank you for being our home!"
- Columbia Dining customer
AWARDS
Awards we've received for our work
Columbia Business School and The Square, a one-acre public green space at the Manhattanville campus, were jointly awarded LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for their sustainable design and construction
This esteemed designation is a result of Columbia's commitment to sustainability and hard work from the project team, who utilized a wide range of sustainable strategies during the development of the buildings, including leveraging site advantages, optimizing energy performance, improving indoor air quality, and more.
Columbia received a Citation Award for the disability access lift in the International Affairs Building from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Westchester + Hudson Valley Chapter. The award recognized the architectural design of the lift as part of AIA Westchester + Hudson Valley’s 2022 Design Awards ceremony, which honors projects that have made a positive aesthetic and social contribution to the built environment.
Columbia ranked third out of 250 residential portfolios with at least 500 units in an analysis to identify New York City’s highest-performing residential portfolios conducted by Openigloo, a marketplace to help renters find quality apartments and rate their buildings and landlords. Moving up a spot from last year’s ranking, Columbia keeps “renters overwhelmingly happy with the buildings’ affordability and the attentiveness of management,” according to the report.
Executive Vice President for University Facilities and Operations David M. Greenberg was named to New York Build’s “Construction Idols” shortlist for 2023, recognizing leaders in New York City’s construction industry. Greenberg joined a diverse group of 33 individuals from the construction industry, including architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers among this year’s honorees.
Based on feedback from students, Columbia Dining was selected by the Princeton Review as one of the top 25 for Best Campus Food. The best campus food ranking is based on student ratings of the food at their colleges.
Columbia University’s new Business School buildings at the Manhattanville campus were recognized with an Honor Award in the Architecture category from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York, the highest level of achievement granted as part of the organization’s 2023 Design Awards program.
Columbia Dining was presented with the Together We Can Make a Difference Award at the Sharing Our Stories Benefit Gala and Auction hosted by Community Impact at Columbia on April 19, 2023. The award recognizes Columbia Dining’s commitment to supporting the local community and food accessibility initiatives.
Columbia Business School buildings and The Square have been selected as finalists for Urban Land Institute New York’s (ULI NY) Awards for Excellence in Development competition. The annual awards ceremony recognizes construction projects in New York State for outstanding development, including in architecture and design, and for having a transformative impact on their communities.
Nine women who work for the Facilities and Operations team were recognized at the Women Builders Council (WBC) 17th Annual Champion Awards Red Tie Reception held at Guastavino's. The women from Facilities and Operations were honored in two categories: Outstanding Women in Construction and the Next Generation of Women Builders.
Outstanding Women in Construction
- Terri Caldes, Director, Human Resources
- Emerald Currie, Director, University Events Management
- Tammy Cockerham, Manager, Training & Quality Assurance
- Sejal Shah, Manager, Distributed Energy Systems
- Eleonora Andreeva, Project Manager, Manhattanville Development Group
Next Generation of Women Builders
- Sarah Milena Matos, Supervisor, Client Services - Operations
- Angela Ramos de Tejada, Supervisor, Custodial Services - Operations
- Adriana Childress, Project Manager, Manhattanville Development Group
- Karmen Naidoo, Manager, Engineering Audit
The annual Circle of Excellence Awards, organized by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), recognize exceptional achievements in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing. The Facilities and Operations Strategic Communication team, on behalf of Columbia Dining, was recognized in the marketing branding category for the creative design framework at Chef Mike’s Sub Shop.
Columbia Dining's Chef Don’s was recognized in Food Management’s list of 21 college and university chefs who made a difference over the past year. More than 600 chefs from organizations across the country were nominated for this honor.
In the News
Moments when our work was featured in the news
