COMPUTER HELP
Click for eTicket
 |
|
REPORT SAFETY HAZARDS
|
|
MAKE SUGGESTIONS
 |
|
REPORT WRONGDOING
 |
|
READ PAST ISSUES OF N&V
 |
|
CONNECT
|
|
|
|
Ford's Focus
I am very excited to say that News & Views is back in production. While this issue is a bit longer than normal, I hope you will take the time to read it and get caught up.
Please make sure to take the News & Views survey below. We are looking at updating both the look and the content and would appreciate your feedback. It should only take a few minutes.
There are many new hires, as well as people who have moved on to new positions or retired since the last issue. Be sure to check out the list. We have also received a number of thank-you notes from customers. It really shows how much the work all of you do in OPP is valued across the University.
Have a great Thanksgiving holiday,
Ford
|
|
We Need Your Opinion!
We are planning to give News & Views a makeover, and we would like to hear from you! Please fill out this SHORT survey to help us create a better employee newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!
|
Photo Request: The Beards of OPP
In honor of No-Shave November, we are planning to highlight the many shapes, sizes, styles, and colors of beards at OPP. If you're sporting a beard, whether it's all the time or just for November, we want to see it and share it in a special feature in the next edition of News & Views.
Please send a photo of your beard to Susan Bedsworth. If you'd prefer, we can also come take a photo for you. We will be cropping all photos to show only the beard.
The deadline for photos is Friday, Dec. 7.
|
|
Black Friday Closedown
The University has declared the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, 2014, to be a special closedown day. More information regarding the closedown and what that means for you can be found on the OPP website.
|
|
Cheers
Simply Wonderful
Diane Frantz of OccMed passed along some positive feedback regarding service provided by Judy Hurd and Adam Lewis. Diane said the duo could not have been more customer service-oriented and were just wonderful to work with. Thank you, Judy and Adam!
Taking Care of Business
Lisa Broniszewski, Data Compliance Specialist, wrote OPP to thank Lee Shreckengast, Area Facilities Maintenance Mechanic. "I just wanted to send a quick email to say how much I appreciate Lee taking care of our building, and in particular our heat this morning in Oswald Tower. I have had the opportunity to talk to Lee several times in the past and he is an excellent communicator and will work on plan 'B' if plan 'A' doesn't work. He's also friendly and approachable."
Thank you, Lee!
We're Literally Floored!
Michelle Stem, Administrative Assistant in the Hosler Building, wrote OPP in early October to thank Rodney Starr and the Hosler Custodial Staff. "Rodney has the floors looking great! They haven't looked this nice in a long time. The timing couldn't be any better as we have VIPs coming in this weekend. The faculty have even noticed and commented on how clean and bright it looks now. Rodney is doing a great job all over. I have seen the floors in Deike have been waxed also. In general, the current custodial staff in Hosler has been great! We can see a huge different in the past few months. You have some great employees!" Thank you, Rodney, and the entire Hosler Custodial Staff!
Keeping the Greenhouse Green
Scott Diloreto, Greenhouse Manager in the College of Agricultural Sciences, wrote OPP this summer about the work of Wade Harpster. "Your guy Wade Hapster, he is outstanding and certainly an asset to OPP Area 5 and PSU. He is responsive, provides excellent service, and is a great communicator regarding WO status and repairs. The quality of his work is high, and he obviously cares about the function of our facilities. He has been instrumental in the timely repair of numerous important greenhouse mechanical systems in the last year. I am really happy to have him working in the greenhouses." Thank you, Wade!
Making Space
A new history professor at Penn State, Ari Kelman, wrote this summer to praise the work of Clair Steiner and Jake Gummo. According to Kelman, "They did the work in an incredibly timely fashion, which meant I could unpack my books. They also went way above and beyond the call of duty: they looked for hardware and shelving to match what's already in the office, they made sure that the work was done perfectly to match the line of shelves already here, and they cleaned up after themselves." Thank you, Clair and Jake!
With Pride
Thomas Motel, Laboratory Supervisor/Facilities Coordinator in Hosler, wrote to OPP regarding the work of Cindy Feagley, who he says has been "providing outstanding support since her hiring and deserves recognition," and Jordan Thompson. In reference to Jordan he wrote, "Rarely have I witnessed someone with the energy and commitment to his tasks...Jordan tackles it with a pride in his work and an uplifting attitude. He is not only responsive, but proactive as well. Jordan will often approach me and suggest better ways of doing something, which ultimately works out better for the department and/or the Custodial staff." Thank you, Cindy and Jordan!
And the Rain, Rain, Rain Came Down, Down Down... Heavy rains on Aug. 3 flooded Chandlee Lab's ground floor, as well as many other areas and buildings on campus. Watch the video to see what the clean-up crew faced.
 | | Chandlee Lab floods during August storm. |
Saving Money
Donita Gibboney, Administrative Officer, wrote OPP in August regarding Bob Hutchison. "Bob Hutchison has done a phenomenal job in servicing our location. He was integral in having meters installed on our steam lines, finding a multiplier error that was resulting in our bills being tripled, and following up on a routine basis regarding this error to ensure it was resolved. It is employees like Bob that give Penn State a good name." Thanks, Bob!
Winning the Lottery
Kathleen Bieschke, Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education, wrote OPP this summer regarding the Cedar Building Custodial staff. " I feel like I won the lottery in regard to the custodial staff. Sue Yoder
has used the summer to clean this building from top to bottom and the difference from May until now is just remarkable. It's just so evident that she cares about doing a good job. Troy Brown is also quite good, very responsive and attentive to detail."
Thank you, Sue and Troy!
Customer Service Excellence
Bonnie Auman, Administrative Support Assistant with EHS, wrote to OPP to praise the customer service provided by Wade Harpster and Bob Johnsonbaugh. Bonnie and her coworkers arrived at Eisenhower Parking Deck to find it uncomfortable, hot, and humid. Even the paper in the printer was wet and crinkled from the humidity. Wade and Bob reported to check on the inquiry, fixed the issue, and then returned later that day to follow up and make sure everything was working properly. Bonnie was thrilled to see how much they cared about her concerns. Thank you, Bob and Wade!
New TerraCycle Bins
The OPP Design & Construction Green Team have added new Chip Bag TerraCycle bins in the following locations:
1. 102 HR Office, Against Back Wall by Microwave 2. 105-A Conference Room 3. 105-B Conference Room 4. 113 Design Room, on Snack Cabinet 5. 113-B Print Room, by coffeemaker 6. 148-F Conference Room, on Countertop by Microwave 7. Room 163 8. OPP Room 214 9. Renovation Services
|
|
Welcomes & Farewells
Mike Ripka accepted a position as an HVAC Maintenance Mechanic. He began work on Nov. 24.
Abby Lodge began a position as a Plant Production Technician on Nov. 24.
Lisa Smeltzer accepted an Administrative Support Assistant Position with OPP Stores. She started on Nov. 24.
Dave McClelland accepted the Facilities Supervisor 3 Third Shift position in Area 3. He began work on Nov. 17. David Waltz accepted the Grade 7 Groundskeeper, Landscape A position and began on Nov. 10. Tammy Maslanik accepted the Shutdown Coordinator position and began work on Nov. 3.
Darin Bressler accepted a Planner Estimator 3 position and began work on Nov. 3.
Shana Coder began work as an Administrative Support Assistant on Nov. 3.
Asma Khalifa accepted an Administrative Support Assistant position and began work on Oct. 20 at the front desk of the Physical Plant Building.
Jennifer Burk began work as a Facilities Specialist in WRC on Sept. 29.
Mark Rose began work as an Electrical Integrity Analyst on Sept. 22.
Kirsten Herb began work as a Facilities Specialist at the WRC on Sept. 22.
Randy Brown accepted a Maintenance Worker Utility position in District 21 and began work on Sept. 21.
David Baird accepted a Maintenance Utility Worker position with District 22 and began work on Sept. 15. Todd Johnson began work on Sept. 15 as a Maintenance Worker Utility Piping.
Mark Patterson accepted the position of Maintenance Program Second Shift Supervisor in September.
Ryan Sweitzer began work in the WRC as a Facilities Specialist on Sept. 8.
Ryan Aughenbaugh accepted an Area Facilities Maintenance Mechanic position and began work on Sept. 8.
David Cole accepted a position as an Electrician. He began work on Sept. 8.
Justin Wisor began work as a Facilities Supervisor in Area 2 on Sept. 8.
Walter Shambaugh accepted a position as a Heat & Vent Technician and began work on Sept. 8.
Mark Patterson began work as a Facilities Supervisor with Buildings and Grounds on Sept. 8.
Stan Walker accepted a position as Building Maintenance Worker and began work on Sept. 7. He is in District 51.
Bill Scullin accepted a position as Facilities Supervisor and began employment on Sept. 2.
Joe Preslovich began working as an Area Landscape Maintenance Worker on Aug. 25.
George Crust accepted a position as an Area Landscape Maintenance Worker on Aug. 25.
Larry Matsko accepted a Utility Maintenance Worker position in District 13. He began work on Aug. 24.
Fred Sweeley began working as a Custodian in District 43 on Aug. 24. He transferred from Housing & Food Services.
Daren Lewis began work as Building Services HVAC Supervisor on Aug. 18.
Kyle Nolf accepted a position as an Equipment Operator effective Aug. 18.
Greg Herman accepted the Health Physicist 3 position and began work on Aug. 18.
Jim Kyle accepted a Maintenance Work Utility position and began work on Aug. 18.
Robert Lewis began work as a Maintenance Work Utility on Aug. 18 in District 12.
Greg Thomas moved from Maintenance Worker Utility to Waste Collector effective Aug. 18.
Kristine Lorah joined Custodial Services as an Administrative Support Assistant in August.
Janine Hansel accepted a position as Administrative Support Assistant in Commonwealth Services and began work on Aug. 4.
Nathan Cromley accepted a position as a Groundskeeper Horticultural Worker.
Andrew Gutberlet accepted a position with Energy & Engineering as the Manager of Engineering Services. He began work on Aug. 4.
Joe Lonjin accepted a position as a Maximo Business Analyst with Work Control and began work on Aug. 4.
Pat Kasper accepted a Facilities Supervisor position in Area 5. He began work on Aug. 4.
Howard Bone began work as a Custodian on Aug. 3 in District 43.
Roger Warner accepted a Maintenance Worker Utility position in District 21. He began work on Aug. 3.
Matt Walder began work as the Roofing/General Supervisor for Maintenance Programs on July 28.
Daniel Wilkinson accepted a Custodian position in District 42. He began work on July 28.
Jonathan Emel began work as a Custodian in District 42 on July 28.
Bikem Oskin accepted an Administrative Support Assistant position and started on July 28.
Christine Simon accepted a position as a Custodian in District 22 and began working on July 28 .
Joe Ficarro began work as a Maintenance Worker Utility in District 13 on July 27.
Shauna Nevel accepted a Maximo Business Analyst position in Work Control. She began work on July 21.
Teri Kerr began work as an Administrative Support Assistant in Design and Construction - Project Management on July 14.
John Shimmel began a full-time position as a DDC Specialist on July 14.
Leon Yoder began working as a WWTP Worker Spray Field on July 14.
Sandra Bryan accepted a Custodian position in District 41 and began on July 13.
Chris Diehl began work as a Maintenance Worker Utility on July 13.
Penny Waite accepted a Custodian position at Penn State Altoona. She began work on July 13.
Robert Hall accepted a position as a Mechanical Planner/Estimator in June.
Joe Dinardo started his position as Lead Scheduler in May.
Kevin Hahn started as an Electrical Planner/Estimator n May.
Doug Tubbs began wring as an Electrical Planner in May.
Josh Harkins started a position as a Maintenance Engineer in April.
Farewells
Katie Rountree accepted a position with Arts and Architecture. Her last day was Oct. 31.
Bryan Dann's last day in OPP was Sept. 7. He accepted a position in ARL.
Willard Carper, Maintenance Worker Fire Suppression, left Penn State. His last day was Sept. 4.
Rich Sweitzer, Facilities Supervisor, concluded his time with OPP at Penn State on Aug. 21.
Vince Gray, Administrative Support Assistant, accepted a position with the President's Office. His transfer was effective on Aug. 19.
Dan Simco, Custodian, had his last day at Penn State on Aug. 1.
Stephanie Zelem, Administrative Support Assistant, accepted a position at Penn State Altoona. Her last day was July 25.
Chad Brown accepted a new position with the College of Engineering. His last day was July 14.
|
|
Holiday Wish Tree
 OPP is once again sponsoring a Holiday Wish Tree. Please consider participating in the collection and making the holiday special for needy children and families in the area.
- Wish Ornaments for needy children will be available in the lobby of the Physical Plant Building From Dec. 1-12.
- Dinner Ornaments to sponsor a family's holiday dinner can be picked up from Beth Clark.
Wish gifts need to be returned (unwrapped) to the lobby of OPP or to Beth in 268L OPP by Dec. 12. Wrapping paper donations are also welcome.
|
|
Training Days
An online driver safety training module targeted to young drivers is available for University employees. The title of the course is "Defensive Driving Fundamentals" and can be accessed via the following link: Online Driver Safety Training Course.
The course takes approximately one hour to complete and employees must print a "certificate of completion" and submit to their immediate supervisor. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining the training certificates for the length of employment or until the employee reaches the age of 21.
Questions regarding the training should be referred to the Center for Workplace Learning and Performance at 814-865-8216 or learning@psu.edu. |
|
Spirit of Physical Plant Awards
Each year, OPP employees are invited to nominate fellow workers who best exemplify the qualities of professionalism, loyalty, integrity, dedication, and respect for customers. On Nov. 4, several individuals within Custodial, Technical Service, and Staff were recognized with Spirit of Physical Plant Awards at a reception in the Bryce Jordan Center. We hope you'll join us in congratulating the honorees.
Custodial
Technical Service
Staff
|
|
For Beaver Stadium, A Zero Waste Future in the Works
By Meghan Garrity, Daily Collegian
Once the fans filter out of Beaver Stadium and tailgaters pack their card tables and empty coolers into the trunks of their cars, the traces of football Saturday's day-long festivities remain in their wake.
Forgotten pompoms, programs and leftover food scraps litter the bleachers and fields. Cigarette butts, shattered glass bottles, soda cans and napkins are hidden between patches of dirt and downtrodden blades of grass.
|
|
An Early Thanksgiving Dinner
The folks in Accounting, Payroll, Telecommunications Support, OPP ITS, OPP Stores, and General Stores got an early start to their Thanksgiving holiday. On Thursday, Nov. 20 the group gathered for a delicious Thanksgiving lunch.
|
|
Dedicated to Diversity
There are several workshops being offered by the Affirmative Action Office through the Center for Workplace Learning and Performance in December:
Dec. 17, 2014
9 - 11 a.m.
431 James M. Elliott Building
Unable to attend these dates or looking for individual sessions for your unit? Please contact Charleon Jeffries (cxj164@psu.edu) or the Affirmative Action Office (814-863-0471) to discuss other programming opportunities. |
|
Carpooling
 You can find a list of carpoolers and regional bus services through the RideShare Program and a full list of all transportation options at the new Transportation Services site. Or you can contact Susan Bedsworth to post a request in News & Views.
Philipsburg to University Park
Carpool riders traveling from Philipsburg to University Park for 3rd Shift (10 p.m.-6:30 a.m., Sunday-Friday) are wanted.
If there is enough interest/need, there will be two cars (one for Grade 9s and one for Grade 10s).
|
|
Photo of the Month
 | |
Jerry Witherite, Auto Technician in OPP's auto repair facility, has worked at Penn State for 25 years.
Jerry's photo was part of a series of images captured by Penn State undergrad Mary Clark for a course she was taking in the College of Communications. Her full gallery of images can be found here. |
|
|
|
Up For Grabs
Looking for something? Selling something? Post it on "Up for Grabs!"
Any OPP employee can post an item FOR FREE with their name, department, and e-mail address.
|
|
Contact Us
If you have any comments or suggestions for News & Views, contact Susan Bedsworth by e-mail or at 863-9620.
|
|
|
