Updated June 18, 2023: The start of the campus shuttle service announced on June 15 has been temporarily delayed. The new start date will be announced soon.

Original story:

A pilot project between the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� and the (HDOT) will launch the State of �鶹��ý’s first autonomous electric “Min-E Bus” on the ����ԴDz� campus starting June 2023. This HDOT test project is the first under �鶹��ý’s Autonomous Vehicle Testing law passed in 2020 and will help the state meet its goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2045 as HDOT transitions to electric vehicles.

UH ����ԴDz�’s College of Engineering is a partner in the project, responsible for collecting and analyzing data for HDOT as it begins to add autonomous and electric vehicles to its fleet.

“This is a milestone for the Department of Transportation and the state,” said HDOT Director Ed Sniffen. “We are doing our part to meet the state’s sustainability goals and make our roads safer. As autonomous vehicles become more widely used, the rate and severity of car accidents is expected to drop, and that will save lives.”

The air-conditioned, 14-passenger, AV Star All-Electric Autonomous Min-E Bus features state-of-art technology Perrone Robotics TONY (To Navigate to You) autonomous system and meets all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. It is also able to serve passengers in wheelchairs and as a precautionary measure, human drivers will be seated at the wheel and able to take control, if needed.

The HDOT Min-E Bus will provide autonomous shuttle service to UH ����ԴDz�’s upper and lower campus over the summer in the first phase of the project. Phase 2, expected to begin in the fall, will expand the service to the Kauʻiokahaloa Nui Apartments faculty housing complex near the ����ԴDz� Marketplace.

“This pilot autonomous shuttle bus project will provide first-hand experience right here in �鶹��ý and help us collect invaluable data that will help in our understanding of what the future of transportation and mobility will look like,” said College of Engineering Dean Brennon Morioka. “It will help the state better prepare for the necessary changes in infrastructure as well as policies to accommodate large-scale autonomous vehicle deployments in �鶹��ý. We are very proud of the role that UH’s College of Engineering is playing in this initiative that HDOT is leading.”

Professor Guohui Zhang added, “This project will provide our students with an invaluable research opportunity to use what they have learned in the classroom to serve our state and community. In addition to better understanding the innovative, state-of-the-art autonomous driving technologies, we will emphasize vehicle-infrastructure interoperability and community-wide travel connectivity in this project. Our students will use this autonomous bus platform to advance their research horizons in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-empowered traffic mobility and safety enhancement, as well as traffic digital twin modeling and formulation.”

The project is a natural fit with UH, which has set a goal for the 10-campus system of zero carbon emissions by 2035. Compared to a comparable gas-powered passenger vehicle, the HDOT Min-E Bus is estimated to save more than 660 gallons of gas per year ($3,133 savings/year if cost of fuel is $4.60/gallon) and decrease carbon dioxide by 13,021 pounds/year.

Autonomous shuttle information

The autonomous shuttle is for UH ����ԴDz� students, faculty, staff and affiliates. The Phase 1 route for the HDOT Min-E Bus will run every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting from the Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies. The route with 11 stops will take it through student housing, down East West Road and Maile Way, to the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services (QLC), and back to the Kamakakūokalani Center.

There are 11 stops along the route in the following order:

• Kamakakūokalani Center
• Frear Hall
• Hale Noelani
• Hale Wainani
• Burns Hall
• Jefferson Hall
• St. John
• Varney Circle
• Paradise Palms
• Kennedy Theatre
• Gateway House on Dole Street

The route for a second phase is planned to run from the UH ����ԴDz� campus to the Kauʻiokahaloa Nui Apartments faculty housing located near the ����ԴDz� Marketplace.

Other UH ����ԴDz� units involved in the UH phases of the project include Commuter Services, Student Housing Services and Campus Operations and Facilities and the Office of Risk Management.

On April 5, the Board of Water Supply urged Oʻahu residents, businesses and government agencies to reduce water usage by 10% because of the Red Hill water crisis and the answered the call.

“We want to do our part in knowing the urgency of water conservation, especially with what is happening at Red Hill,” said Blake Araki, director of campus operations and facilities. “Our team has stepped up to the challenge and has done an incredible job of maintaining our beautiful campus while conserving water.”

UH Mānoa voluntarily reduced on campus water consumption by 10% and stopped watering large lawn areas, reduced irrigation, put new plantings on hold, postponed fire protection system testing that discharged water and instructed maintenance staff to address leaking fixtures with urgency.

The UH Building and Grounds Management has continued to reduce water usage while maintaining plant and tree health by watering landscaping when necessary and spreading mulch around campus.

The Mānoa campus continues to reduce watering large lawn areas by 50–75%, as needed depending on the condition of the area, and is reducing the frequency of irrigation for shrubbery by 20%.

UH Facilities Operations implemented a water conservation program to reduce domestic water usage for chilled water plant chemical treatment systems by approximately 25%. Domestic water usage for a chilled water plant can contribute up to 15% of the total building water usage.

Long-term planning

Reducing water usage on campus has been a collaboration across multiple units including: landscaping, campus operations and facilities.

Some long-term plans are to continue replacing plumbing fixtures with low flow fixtures; reducing make-up water demand on central air conditioning systems by consulting with appropriate chemical treatment vendors on various treatment programs; and reducing operating hours of the larger chilled water plants in buildings around campus.

Reporting leaks

Reports on water fixture leaks in buildings around campus have increased by more than 20%, with people being more proactive in filling out a report when they see a leak.

The UH community can report any leaking fixtures on campus by submitting a work request to the work coordination center at manoawcc@hawaii.edu.

Read more UH Mānoa sustainability stories.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� will shine a little brighter, use less energy and be safer at night after a major project to upgrade the lighting poles along the upper campus main roadways with new energy-efficient LED lights is completed. The UH ����ԴDz� Office of Campus Operations and Facilities will begin replacing 150 lighting poles, fixtures and foundations on East-West Road and Maile Way in October in a project expected to take about 18 months.

“This project will not only make our campus safer with better lighting, it is another step toward UH’s goal of being net-zero (producing as much energy from renewable sources as consumed) by 2035,” said Jan Gouveia, UH vice president for administration. “In the last 11 years, we have saved more than 50 million kilowatt-hours (KWh) through projects like these and by redesigning and reworking of systems.”

The new LED lighting system will use 64% less energy, with an estimated annual energy consumption of 29,346kWh compared to 82,346kWh with the current High-Intensity Discharge light fixtures. Additionally, LEDs have a longer lifespan, and require less maintenance and fewer replacements.

UH ����ԴDz� completed similar exterior lighting upgrades over the last several years, which yielded better lighting and energy savings of millions of kilowatt hours annually. Those projects included the law school library courtyard and the parking lots at the Pacific Biosciences Research Center, Center for Korean Studies, Kennedy Theatre and Spalding Hall, among others.

• Related �鶹��ýNews story: UH ����ԴDz� net zero heroes improve energy efficiency, track progress, March 1, 2021

The LEDs have automated time-clocks and turn on from 6 p.m.–7 a.m. daily, for the safety and benefit of students, faculty and staff commuters who traverse the campus at night and during the early morning hours. Their motion-activated illumination controls also help to increase safety and save energy at the same time.

“Reducing our energy use has helped save the university millions of kilowatt-hours annually, and makes for a more sustainable ����ԴDz� campus in the future,” said UH ����ԴDz� project manager Daren Lui.

Construction is expected to begin in late October 2022 and will affect pedestrian and vehicular access along East-West Road and Maile Way roadways. Project completion is expected by January 2024.

See the UH Office of Sustainability’s Energy Efficiency website for information on multiple energy savings projects on campus.

An aging pedestrian walkway on the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� campus got a brand-new look while saving the university thousands of dollars, thanks to the hard work of students.

Located between the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services and Saunders Hall, the 100-foot walkway became very uneven and filled with potholes through the years, creating a pedestrian hazard. More than 40 students from a construction materials course, under the guidance of Professor Amarjit Singh, took matters into their own hands.

After approval from Campus Operations and Facilities (COPF), students prepared the layout and structural and pavement design for the new walkway in March. The proposal was approved by the Office of Project Delivery in April. The COPF-Buildings and Grounds Management (BGM) Department helped with excavation, heavy equipment, installation of the rebar and partial placement of the aggregate subbase. The students compacted the subgrade and subbase, specified the concrete mix, and fabricated and installed the formwork. The students procured the rebar and lumber and various tools. Hawaiian Cement donated the aggregate and the concrete. Students arranged for a concrete pump truck and then assisted BGM workers to pour and vibrate the concrete. Hensel Phelps contributed two professional masons to make a perfect surface finish.

In total, the students worked with and gathered approvals from UH ����ԴDz�’s Office of Planning and Facilities, Office of Project Delivery, ����ԴDz� Sustainability Office, Facilities Management Office, Buildings and Grounds Management, and the Environmental Health and Safety Office.

Project completed under budget

The students initially budgeted $4,300 for a 40-foot walkway project. However, thanks to the Hawaiian Cement donation and other cost saving measures, the students were able to complete the full 100-foot walkway in approximately $3,500. This saved the university an estimated amount upwards of $40,000, if an outside structural engineering consultant and contractor were hired.

Making a difference on campus

Rumesh Senthilnathan, a junior majoring in civil and environmental engineering, was one of the student leads in the project.

“It was a good feeling to learn what it takes to turn an idea into reality in the real world,” Senthilnathan said. “I had a real taste of what it takes to get everything and everyone on track. The trick was to roll with the punches because nothing was perfect and will never be, but we must strive to make the finished product as close to perfection and humanly possible.”

Senthilnathan credited Singh, teaching assistant Jacob Passoff and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering lab tech Jonathan Imai with helping to supervise all aspects of the project.

“This was a great learning experience for students who will handle future large-scale construction projects in the state, country, or anywhere in the world,” Singh said. “There was great collaboration between the Facilities Department and the students. This project was a win for UH ����ԴDz� that got a solid walkway to high quality industry standards for minimal cost. The students completed the project well below budget and were ready for the pour one week ahead of schedule. Students learned strategies for effective execution of works. In the end, the stated purpose of the walkway is to improve life on campus one walkway at a time, as well as encourage student learning.”

UH ����ԴDz� Director of Campus Operations and Facilities Blake Araki credited Roxanne Adams, COPF–BGM director; Yosuke Jo, BGM-Landscape Services manager; and Brandon Shima, Office of Project Delivery–design manager with helping to oversee the project from start to finish.

This work is an example of UH ����ԴDz�’s goals of (PDF) and (PDF), two of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

—By Marc Arakaki

While the campus was still not at full capacity over the summer due the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Campus Operations and Facilities completed a special project on the third floor of Kuykendall Hall and took advantage of the empty space to do a total refresh of three general classrooms.

In three classrooms on the third floor—rooms 301, 306 and 310—the project team replaced the carpet, cove base, window blinds, chair guards, patched and painted all surfaces in each room, installed new LED lights, repaired and replaced ceiling soffits and tiles, replaced all air conditioning system air devices, replaced light switch and outlet cover plates, repaired projector screens and other miscellaneous items.

Ceiling tiles in the corridor were repaired and replaced, new LED lights installed, and wall surfaces were patched and painted. The restrooms had work done to repair damaged wall and floor ceramic tiles, replace mirrors, patch and paint wall surfaces, replace damaged plumbing fixtures, install hands-free faucets and paper towel dispensers and replace damaged lights.

In the Diamond Head lobby area on the third floor, existing classroom tables and concrete benches were relocated along the lobby perimeter to allow for extra study, seating and gathering areas.

“Our facilities team did a phenomenal job spearheading this special project and were able to take advantage of the empty space in Kuykendall Hall this summer to make sure everything was ready for classes in the fall,” said Blake Araki, director of campus operations and facilities.

• Related �鶹��ýNews story: Major uptick in Mānoa campus upkeep during pandemic, June 2, 2020

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UH Mānoa operations and facilities team were able to complete a number of campus improvements including:

• Repaving and resurfacing of approximately 290,000 square feet (6.5 acres) of roadways and parking lots
• Repairs to air conditioning cooling towers and chillers that serve the Campus Center Complex—Campus Center, Hemenway Hall and the Warrior Recreation Center
• A deep cleaning to the Campus Center meeting rooms and courtyard, including the benches

This effort is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

Construction crews finished tearing down Snyder Hall on iconic McCarthy Mall on the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa campus on July 2. The project is on schedule and will be completed before the start of the fall 2021 semester.

Site preparation started in the spring, with the actual demolition of the 59-year-old, five-story, concrete building beginning on June 2. Crews will now remove the remaining debris and prepare the site for temporary landscaping.

The state Legislature has provided $70 million in funding for a replacement building that will include flexible learning and office spaces that support modern methods of online delivery, collaboration and advising. The project is in the planning phases with construction tentatively scheduled to start in 2022/2023.

• Related story: Eerie animal noises, world-class research part of Snyder Hall’s history

Snyder Hall’s former occupants are now located in the $65-million Life Sciences Building that opened in July 2020.

The Snyder Hall demolition marks the start of Phase 2 of the UH Mānoa Mini Master Plan that includes the construction of a replacement building. Phase 1 included the demolition of Henke Hall in 2017 and the construction of the Life Sciences Building in its place on the Diamond Head end of McCarthy Mall.

With hundreds of employees working on campus to keep operations online, a call for masks was sent out. And UH Mānoa community members responded in a big way.

The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTHAR) and the Department of Theatre and Dance provided Buildings and Grounds Management teams and facilities employees with about 500 masks.

“Our employees appreciate the aloha these volunteers provided with their own hands and hearts,” said Blake Araki, director of Office of Campus Operations and Facilities. “Our employees have never left. They’ve been here the whole time to make sure our campus is safe and that essential operations can continue.”

The department was able to purchase several hundred more masks, allowing front line employees to have a mask for almost each day of the week.

To help the cause, CTHAR alumna Sylvia Kop and husband Mark, owners of Hula Supply Center, donated more than 500 yards of fabric for the masks.

• Related �鶹��ýNews story: Volunteers needed to sew masks for UH ����ԴDz� facilities crew, April 7, 2020

The has entered into a pre-closing agreement and pre-construction right of entry with for its first major public-private partnership (P3) that will provide on-campus housing for UH ����ԴDz� graduate students and faculty members.

The estimated $110 million building project will provide 388 affordable rental housing units along with a child-care facility and ground floor retail space. It will be located on the former NOAA site (approximately 2.2 acres) on Dole Street next to Burns Hall, across the street from Frear Hall. The pre-closing agreement was approved by the Board of Regents in March.

“We are constantly working to find pioneering opportunities to enhance the experience for our students, faculty and staff on campus,” said Kalbert Young, UH vice president for budget and finance and chief financial officer. “The new housing project helps meet the demand for modern, on-campus housing at a reasonable cost.”

The university is actively pursuing P3s as a way to monetize UH-owned lands to generate another revenue stream beyond tuition and state funding such as real property development, renewable energy development and facilities maintenance.

P3s are nationally recognized as a great way for government entities to enhance financing options, shift operating costs, leverage assets and capitalize on private-sector expertise.
—Kalbert Young

“P3s are nationally recognized as a great way for government entities to enhance financing options, shift operating costs, leverage assets and capitalize on private-sector expertise,” said Young. “The Office of Strategic Development and Partnership that was established in June 2019 will lead the coordination of real property administration for the 10 UH campuses, and P3s are a significant part of our strategy moving forward.”

Greystar will design-build, finance, operate and maintain the family-oriented mixed-use rental housing project. The company is considered a global leader in the investment, development and management of high-quality rental housing properties and collegiate facilities.

“We are thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to partner with a company of Greystar’s caliber,” said UH Vice President for Administration Jan Gouveia. “They are national leaders in the university housing industry and we look forward to bringing their expertise to our campus.”

In addition to providing affordable, on-campus housing, the project is expected to generate residual free-cash flow to UH in the form of ground lease rent.

• More on UH ����ԴDz�’s plan to transform the campus.

This message was shared with the faculty, and staff of the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� on March 29, 2020.

Aloha UH Manoa faculty and staff,

A number of adjustments regarding campus facilities will be made due to a significant drop in usage as a result of the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and state and county orders. Following President Lassner’s March 18 message, these changes include maximizing social distancing in accord with health guidelines. Thank you for your patience during this time.

Effective Monday, March 30, the following changes will be made affecting access to and operations of all UH Manoa upper campus buildings. These changes will reduce the workforce reporting to campus and allow personnel to focus on servicing areas that must remain open to support critical operations. Exceptions to these conditions will be made on a case-by-case basis to support research and other appropriate on-campus needs, while continuing to protect the health and safety of all employees.

In general, all upper campus buildings will:

• Be closed and locked until further notice. Occupants with keys will still be able to access the building. A notice will be posted on buildings that are closed.
• A limited number of buildings will remain open. These buildings will only have one entrance that is accessible during “regular” business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). A notice will be posted on the building to indicate which door is operable.
• For those buildings that are still open, only a limited number of restrooms will be open. A notice will be posted on the building to indicate which bathrooms are open and closed.
• For those buildings that are still open, there will be no trash pick-up in individual offices or other “private” areas like conference and meeting rooms. Trash will continue to be picked up in common areas (i.e., bathrooms, hallways, etc.).
• At this time, air conditioners are operating as normal, excluding some general classrooms. However, plans for air conditioner schedule changes are coming in the next two weeks.

If you are not able to access a building, please contact the Work Coordination Center at (808) 956-7134 (weekdays, 7 a.m to 4 p.m.), For after hours and weekends, contact the UH ����ԴDz� Department of Public Safety at (808) 956-6911. For further questions, email covid19@hawaii.edu.

Your cooperation and kokua during this challenging time is greatly appreciated.

Mahalo Nui Loa,
UH Manoa

Preliminary results of the Pedestrian Movement Study that mapped pathway usage around the campus were recently released by the UH ����ԴDz� Facilities— team.

Sensors were used to anonymously count the number of wi-fi-enabled devices that moved through the campus during the fall 2018 semester, allowing analysts to estimate pedestrian traffic on campus. The study is intended to help guide decisions on future improvements to the campus such as additional lighting, bike racks and outdoor seating, etc.

The research team is asking the UH ����ԴDz� community for feedback on how they use the pathways on campus and where they see patterns of movement.

See the visualization of pedestrian traffic on campus and leave feedback at the .

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� Facilities— team is evaluating ways to improve pedestrian and other access pathways throughout its campus. To this end, the team is seeking a better understanding of current movement patterns of the campus community. To help with this, they have partnered with to install devices that count the presence of wi-fi signals from mobile or other devices without registering any identifiable data or information. These devices will remain in place throughout the fall semester.

The data collected will be used to generate “heat maps” of activity on the campus. By analyzing how the heat maps change during different times of day, times of year and under various conditions, such as rainy or sunny weather, planners will be able to visualize patterns of use. Those patterns can guide decisions on future improvements to the campus such as additional lighting, bike and/or skateboard racks, outdoor seating, kiosk locations, etc.

The heat map analysis is part of a greater effort to improve the ����ԴDz� campus and facilities planning. Community input is encouraged, and anyone can . The feedback site seeks to establish how people use the campus and identify what areas of campus may be in need of improvement to better enhance the overall educational experience for the campus community.

University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� needs the community’s help in creating a better, more intuitive campus. UH ����ԴDz� is asking for feedback on the buildings, grounds and overall experience at the .

The website outlines the vision and process for the design of the UH ����ԴDz� campus. It gives the people who best know the campus—the students, faculty, staff and alumni—an opportunity to participate in the capital improvement process.

Community members are encouraged to with the new map-based feedback tool. The feedback forum hopes to establish how people use the campus and identify what areas of campus may be in need of improvement to better enhance the overall educational experience for the campus community.

Participants can add a marker to the map by selecting a green pin to highlight a place that they like or select a red pin to indicate a place that could be improved. Viewers can label and add comments to their pins.

The forum is designed to collect general feedback as well as answers to a question of the month that will give the community even more opportunities to participate in the campus improvement process.

The ����ԴDz� Campus: Framework for the Future Plan consists of (1) developing goals, objectives and guiding principles that align with the university’s core values to help shape the overall campus plan, (2) developing physical planning strategies that build on quantitative assessments of campus space use, and (3) defining and prioritizing key projects that will be outcome-specific and occur within zones throughout the campus.

​

Comments are welcomed on the new draft of the University of �鶹��ý System Integrated Academic and Facilities Plan.

This plan was requested by the to provide a strategic vision to align and leverage the unique mission, capabilities and resources of each campus while reducing unnecessary duplication and increasing collaboration and sharing of capacity.

• See the plan

In the current fiscal environment, this can enable more effective and efficient use of finances, buildings and land, and human resources across the UH System to advance the higher education goals of the entire State of �鶹��ý.

The new draft is available for review and comment. For best impact, comments should be provided by April 7, 2017.

The has awarded $25,000 to support the . This funding will be dedicated to a pilot certification program for facilities managers to achieve a sustainable facility manager certification through the .

“Commercial buildings are complex facilities. To a hospital, corporation or education system, the actual building itself is a critical asset for them to achieve their mission. The technical skills required to manage these buildings are changing as technology evolves and people’s expectations around energy efficiency and indoor comfort increase,” said Scott Lagana, �鶹��ý business leader for , a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and services and a brand of .

“As an industry, we need to address this skill gap by partnering with educational institutions to introduce this field to students. By doing so we can demonstrate the impact facility managers have—not only the overall productivity of the organizations they support—but world issues like energy efficiency and climate change.”

Meeting workforce needs

Buildings and facilities of all types have become much larger and more complicated. Computerized building control systems, networks and equipment devices have significantly increased the need for expertise in technical facilities management.

Two facilities management concentrations will be offered at UH West Oʻahu, one in the business administration division and a transfer pathway option for community college students into the bachelor of applied science program at UH West Oʻahu. Both options are designed to prepare students and working professionals for positions in the building and facilities management fields.

Participants will learn about topics including building operations, heating, ventilating and air conditioning system design and optimization, LEED building design, capital and operational budget planning and personnel management.

“We are extremely grateful to the Trane and Ingersoll Rand Corporations for this generous support of our facilities management initiatives,” said UH West Oʻahu Director of Strategic Initiatives Sherry Proper. “This sponsorship will enable us to further connect our facilities management curriculum with industry needs. Specifically, we will run a pilot program in May 2016 to provide a continuing education course in energy-efficient, sustainable facilities practices using the IFMA Sustainable Facilities Professional (SFP) curriculum that leads to professional IFMA SFP certification.”

—

The is offering a four-day professional development certificate course Cost Estimating for Decision Makers, designed for current facility management practitioners who use cost estimating and engineering economics for rational decision making.

The Cost Estimating for Decision Makers course will help participants:

• Develop and evaluate cost estimates before implementing projects
• Become competent practitioners and informed consumers of cost estimates
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of the cost estimate approach, the role of risk and uncertainty and sensitivity analysis
• Know the right questions to ask when receiving cost estimates

Instructor Dan Nussbaum holds a PhD in mathematics from , and has a fellowship from the in Econometrics and Operations Research at . As director of the Naval Center for Cost Analysis in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Navy in Washington, D.C., Nussbaum worked as the chief advisor to the secretary of the Navy on all aspects of cost and schedule estimating and control.

Cost Estimating for Decision Makers is designed for facility managers, property managers, general managers, sustainability directors, resource managers and practitioners who review cost estimates and are responsible for making decisions that involve resource allocations and policy choices. The course is also geared for contractors and others who want to understand how facilities managers make financial decisions.

Course information

The Cost Estimating for Decision Makers course will be held from September 28 through October 1, 1–5 p.m. at UH West Oʻahu.

The course costs $250 for �鶹��ý residents and (IFMA) �鶹��ý members and $500 for non-�鶹��ý residents.

To register, call (808) 689-2384 or contact Sherry Proper via email to receive a course registration form.

Cost Estimating for Decision Makers at UH West Oʻahu is funded by a grant from the Office of Naval Research and support from the IFMA �鶹��ý Chapter and �鶹��ý Energy, the conservation and efficiency program.

—By Julie Funasaki Yuen

This fall, the will offer a new bachelor of applied science concentration in facilities management, the first of its kind in �鶹��ý. UH West Oʻahu will join a group of just nine universities across the country to address the growing need for qualified facility management professionals.

UH West Oʻahu’s facilities management concentration was created to educate future professionals in the evolving facility management industry that is increasingly characterized by computerized, electronic systems and modern energy-efficient facilities as well as aging building infrastructures. According to the International Facility Management Association Foundation, 50 percent of the existing facility management workforce will retire in 5 to 15 years. UH West Oʻahu facilities management students will graduate into a field filled with high-demand, high-paying, local and national career opportunities in facilities planning and maintenance, building management and operations.

“We are thrilled to add this innovative academic concentration to our bachelor of applied science program,” said UH West Oʻahu Interim Academic Program Officer and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Sherry Proper. “It is a great example of UH West Oʻahu’s attention to workforce needs in �鶹��ý and of our collaboration with both private and public industries. We are extremely grateful to have government organizations and private businesses supporting this initiative that will prepare future professionals for exciting careers as facilities managers.”

Through the UH West Oʻahu bachelor of applied science in facilities management, students and current professionals will have the opportunity to earn the following facility management certifications:

• Building operator certification
• IFMA facility management professional
• IFMA sustainable facility management professional
• IFMA certified facility manager

Degree partnerships

The UH West Oʻahu bachelor of applied science in facilities management was developed in partnership with the that provided the university with funding for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs including facilities management where students take courses in science, pre-engineering, facility operations, energy efficiency and business.

“The new facilities management concentration will provide a tremendous opportunity for students interested in a career that combines the STEM related field of sustainable buildings with elements of business management,” said Richard Carlin of the Office of Naval Research.

The UH West Oʻahu facilities management concentration is also sponsored by the (IFMA), the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for facility management professionals, and , the ratepayer-fundedenergy conservation and efficiency program serving �鶹��ý, ����Բ�ʻ��, Maui, Oʻahu, that supported the inception of the Facilities Management program and provided funding for curriculum development, training and education for UH West Oʻahu instructors, and development of industry support.

For more information about the bachelor of applied science in facilities management, visit the UH West Oʻahu . To apply to UH West Oʻahu, visit , call (808) 689-2900 or email uhwo.admissions@hawaii.edu. The fall 2015 application deadline is July 1.