The Operations & Facilities Management Department Develops Method for Quantifying Researcher Performance and Space Use Efficiency (2022)
The Operations & Facilities Management Department (OFMD) was recently featured in a Tradeline article about quantifying the utilization of wet lab space as part of our effort to achieve growth and recruiting goals for the School of Medicine. The process led to the creation of a rolling five-year needs study with annual reporting of lab space utilization and researcher productivity. The reporting tool now provides university administrators with accurate, objective data on a yearly basis that helps them better utilize existing resources, improve adjacencies, and validate the potential need for renovations and new construction.
“After people, space is our greatest asset, so, we try to establish a campus culture where space is seen as a community asset rather than a departmental or individual asset,” says Mariah Harris, director of space programming at WUSM. “It can be challenging, but it goes a long way when you are trying to optimize existing research space. When space utilization is optimized, it means more dollars are going toward the innovative research happening in that lab.”
For more information, please visit the Tradeline website.
The Operations & Facilities Management Department Celebrates International Women’s Day (2022)
March 8th was International Women’s Day, celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The women in the Operations & Facilities Management Department (OFMD) at Washington University School of Medicine are commemorated on this particular day each year.
Female staff members working in male-dominated careers often have unique challenges in their work environments. With men outnumbering women by nine to one in facilities management leadership roles (according to a 2017 study by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources), it was an important day for the women in the Operations & Facilities Management Department. OFMD currently employs 161 women and 364 males.
The department organized the activities to show its appreciation for the female employees in OFMD for their hard work and dedication to the university.
Melissa Rockwell-Hopkins, associate vice chancellor, associate dean, said, “International Women’s Day is an important day where we celebrate women’s achievements at home and in the workplace. When women have access to the same opportunities as men, teams are more likely to prosper and serve the Washington University School of Medicine community”.
While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the Department from celebrating in person, the Department gave the female employees in OFMD a letter from Rockwell-Hopkins and Amanda Gorman’s book Call Us What We Carry. In addition, OFMD asked all employees to wear purple (the color of International Women’s Day) on March 8th. The Department was thrilled to hold its first International Women’s Day fundraiser. OFMD supported Rung for Women in St. Louis. Rung empowers women to grow and achieve sustained independence through collocated and coordinated educational, professional, and economic resources.
The Operations & Facilities Management Department Celebrates International Women’s Day (2021)
March 8 was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. On this day, the women in the Operations & Facilities Management Department (OFMD) at Washington University School of Medicine commemorated this special day in the Eric P. Newman Education Center (EPNEC). This was the second year the department celebrated this special day.
This celebration was impactful for the female staff members in the department who often have unique challenges in their personal and work environments. With men outnumbering women by nine to one in facilities management leadership roles (according to a 2017 study by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources), it was an especially important day for the women in the Operations & Facilities Management Department. OFMD currently employs around 178 women (as opposed to approximately 280 males).
The event was organized by Melissa Rockwell-Hopkins, assistant vice chancellor, assistant dean for the Operations and Facilities Management Department. She wanted to show her appreciation for the female employees who deserve to be acknowledged for their hard work and dedication to the university.
Rockwell-Hopkins said “International Women’s Day is a significant day where we celebrate women who support other women as well as our larger team in the workplace. By holding each other up and by empowering, educating and supporting each other, we are changing our world and improving the communities in which we live through our contributions to the School of Medicine.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the department from celebrating in person like last year, the female employees in OFMD were able to pick up gifts in EPNEC, including a letter from Rockwell-Hopkins, Maya Angelou’s And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems and a purple tumbler with a Maya Angelou quote:
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.”
The department also created and shared an inspirational video featuring members of OFMD who spoke about themselves and what they do for WUSM, their communities and their families. More than half the women in OFMD were able to visit EPNEC to pick up their gifts and watch the video.
The Operations & Facilities Management Department Celebrates International Women’s Day (2020)
March 8, 2020 was International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. On March 9, 2020, the women in the Operations & Facilities Management Department (OFMD) at Washington University School of Medicine joined to commemorate this special day with a reception in the Eric P. Newman Education Center.
This celebration was poignant for the female staff members in the department who often have unique challenges in their personal and work environments. With men outnumbering women by a staggering nine to one in facilities management leadership roles (according to a 2017 study by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources), it was an especially important day for the women in the Operations & Facilities Management Department. OFMD currently employs around 165 women (as opposed to approximately 287 males).
The event was organized by Melissa Rockwell-Hopkins, assistant vice chancellor, assistant dean for the Operations and Facilities Management Department. She wanted to show her appreciation for the female employees who deserve to be acknowledged for their hard work and dedication to the university.
Rockwell-Hopkins said “International Women’s Day speaks to us in several ways and is a significant statement that women support other women as well as our larger team in the workplace. We are pledging to you and each other in recognition of this important day that we matter. By holding each other up and by empowering, supporting and opening the doors of development, we are changing our world and improving the communities in which we live through our support of one another.”
More than half the women in OFMD attended the event which included a recognition ceremony honoring those who have gone above and beyond in the department to demonstrate the department’s core values of professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication and excellence.