Case Studies College and University

A 17-year-old Wesley Cooper would never forget the haunting screams of a woman burning to death in a car fire—and he never imagined his efforts to save her life would lead to a multiple careers. Seeing her car aflame in a ditch as a passerby, the teenager rushed to her aid, attempting to break the […]

There’s no shortage of strange stories when dealing with an annually revolving menagerie of college students. One day, you’re managing normal facilities-related issues—a clogged toilet or a broken pipe. And then you get a call you never imagined getting, the voice on the other end at once panicked and amused. “There’s an octopus in a […]

He’s doing all he can to sustain a sense of normality for academic and social life at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. Safety is Bruce Boyer’s priority as he tells Blueprint during an autumn interview when the small, Catholic liberal arts campus is quieter than usual. Residence hall occupancy is at 1,500, down from its usual […]

With its skyline views, proximity to Boston’s downtown Freedom Trail and a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, it was a housing lottery ticket Suffolk University undergraduate students could only dream of: a room at the former luxury Ames Hotel. Approaching the fall semester of 2020, anticipation was building to welcome first-year students […]

Though the subject can’t be avoided, Stephen Vedral would rather discuss something other than COVID-19. For months it’s seemed an all-consuming concern for his Northern Arizona University facilities team, giving rise to what he calls the very contagious “COVID fatigue.” He also reminds that when he assumed his responsibilities at this Flagstaff campus in the […]

On entering the state-of-the-art academic building, students will encounter an expansive and bright Welcome Center, STEM Outreach Center, café and collaborative commons. From there, they’ll have access to multi-use classrooms, research areas, teaching labs, conference rooms and offices—all part of the three-story, 107,000-square-foot brick and glass structure. The focal point of the facility, though, will […]

Kevin Costner once heard a whispering voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in his Iowa cornfield. One state west, in Nebraska, Lee McQueen has not heard mysterious voices. Still, as the University of Nebraska at Kearney expands into acreage once used to farm corn and alfalfa, the expansion carries a “The Field of […]

McKinley Avenue once wove its way through Ball State University’s North End on a gentle curve approaching and crossing the bridge over Duck Pond. Now that curve has become a traffic circle fronting new residence and dining halls, buildings that are just part of the growth at Ball State, notes Kelly Knable, the university’s director […]

Recognition within the highest circles of science is bringing the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, to the forefront of scientific research on a world stage. University professor Donna Strickland earned a Nobel Prize in Physics along with colleague Gérard Mourou of France in 2018. Based on their research and exploration of chirped pulse amplification, […]

Coming back to school at Carleton University in Ottawa has been an exciting experience for Golchehr “Goli” Monjazeb. The Carleton graduate, who’s now director of planning, design and construction, brings a lively and humorous approach to overseeing the university’s expansion. Her expertise ranges from architecture to project management and she’s built a career not only […]