Content Authored by: Imran Ghori
Custodian recognized as ‘exceptional’ by industry magazine
Irma Andrade, a senior custodian with UC Riverside’s Facilities Services, has been honored by an industry magazine as an exceptional employee with an attention to detail. Andrade was featured as one of the “Faces of the Frontline” in a recent issue of Clean Link, an online site which covers the cleaning industry. The article describes how she’s...
Dining Services wins food services awards
UC Riverside’s Dining Services won top prizes in two categories in the National Association of College and University Food Services 2020 Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards. Emerbee’s took the silver prize in retail sales, awarded to campus retail locations with innovative features and techniques. The 600-square-foot café, located next to the...
UCR expands outdoor art with sculptures
UC Riverside is expanding its collection of outdoor art with a new series of sculptures by female artists. The four sculptures, each in different mediums and styles, were installed starting in December with the final piece added last month. Two pieces were created for this project while the other two were previously displayed elsewhere. The project...
Campus holds major biosafety drill
UC Riverside held its first biohazard safety drill in four years this summer, partnering with local emergency response agencies to test campus preparedness. The June 29 drill included first responders from the Riverside Fire Department and Hazardous Materials team, who tested the response to an emergency at a biosafety level 3 lab. Also...
Student Success Center to open in September
UC Riverside’s Student Success Center will be a building unlike any other on campus with high-tech lecture halls, scenic views, and a prominent location on the Carillon Mall. The three-story building is expected to be completed by the end of August and open in September, following almost two years of construction on a nearly 1-acre site south of...
Staff employees strongly support flexible work options in survey
UC Riverside staff members indicated strong support for continued remote or hybrid work options in a recent survey of work preferences. About 93% of respondents favored remote/hybrid work options while 74% of supervisors believe that staff members can work well in a remote or hybrid option, according to the results. The survey was sent to 2,830...
Campus dining venues readying for reopening
Getting a bite to eat at UC Riverside will be easier in the coming weeks as dining venues begin opening on campus. The first to reopen will be venues at the HUB starting with the Scotty’s convenience store on Aug. 23. The store’s offerings include pre-made sandwiches, salads, snacks, and beverages along with other retail grocery items. Others will...
New parking structure opens
UC Riverside’s new four-level parking structure is now open. Located at the east end of campus, the 1,079-space facility will significantly increase available parking for students, employees, and visitors, and help meet the needs of the growing university, according to Transportation Services. “This facility provides the parking capacity we need to...
Staff Assembly honors outstanding employees
Ten UC Riverside staff members have been honored by UCR Staff Assembly as part of its annual Outstanding Staff Awards. The awards are meant to recognize staff members for excellence in their work, commitment to the university’s mission, and making UC Riverside and their communities a better place for all. Staff and faculty employees nominated staff...
What to expect when buildings reopen
UC Riverside is beginning to open up its core campus again, returning to daytime weekday access for campus buildings. Starting Aug. 16, Facilities Services will begin unlocking and locking buildings at their normal operating hours as the campus prepares for the return of more in-person work and instruction this fall. Campus buildings had been...
North District ready to open
UC Riverside’s largest new student housing development in years is getting ready for a fall grand opening. Construction of the two large buildings that make up the North District project are complete with crews now finishing installation of furniture and going through final inspections, said Osvaldo Diaz, vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle, a...
Coffee socials offer a return to normalcy on campus
Enjoying coffee and conversation outside Hinderaker Hall has long been a morning tradition at UC Riverside. It’s a scene that has been missing for the past 15 months. But in a sign of the return to in-person operations in the fall, a crowd once again gathered on a recent bright Tuesday morning to sip coffee and eat doughnuts. The coffee socials...
Campus earns Gold rating for sustainability
UC Riverside has earned a top rating for sustainability in an index of the nation’s most sustainable colleges and universities. The campus received a gold rating from the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, or AASHE - STARS. AASHE’s STARS program has more than 900 participants in...
Six new trustees appointed to UCR Foundation board
The UCR Foundation Board of Trustees has welcomed six new members who began their two-year terms July 1. The 45-member volunteer Board of Trustees oversees UCR’s affiliated foundation, receiving and managing the investment of a $257.5 million endowment as of May 31 that supports the long-term strength of UCR’s research programs, colleges, and...
Campus vaccination rates continue to rise
About 46% of UC Riverside employees and 38% of students have submitted proof of COVID-19 vaccinations as of early July. The campus is continuing to encourage students and employees to get vaccinated and submit proof with high vaccination rates considered essential to reducing restrictions on campus and ensuring the health and safety of the campus...
New state-of-the-art greenhouse facility readies for opening
UC Riverside’s new Plant Research 1 is already starting to stand out on campus, with its gleaming glass frame and the scenic Box Springs Mountains in the background. The two-story building also represents a step forward in high-tech plant research space that researchers expect to use by this fall. Construction of the new 30,000-square-foot concrete...
Preparing for parking on campus this fall
UC Riverside students, faculty, and staff members will see some changes in campus parking this fall. A new parking structure and a switch from hang-tag parking permits to digital license plate recognition are among the biggest differences. Here’s what to expect related to parking and other transportation issues this fall. Permit options...
UCR wins UCOP safety award
UC Riverside has been awarded the Presidential Award for Campus Excellence in Health and Safety for the second year in a row after achieving the UC system’s lowest incident case rate in 2020. The UC Office of the President presented the award on May 20 to the Environmental Health & Safety department at the systemwide Risk Summit. The incident rate...
UCR employees to lead systemwide group
Two UC Riverside employees will lead the systemwide organization advocating for University of California staff, giving the campus a greater influence on policy decisions. Crystal Petrini, a financial and administrative officer and past president of the UCR Staff Assembly, will begin her term as chair of Council of UC Staff Assemblies, or CUCSA, on...
How California’s June 15 reopening will affect UCR
June 23 update: Under the latest state guidelines, most vaccinated employees and students may work indoors without face coverings, physical distancing is no longer required, and all worksites can operate at 100% capacity. Learn more in this announcement. The California economy will reopen June 15 with the state lifting many restrictions on...