UB Buzz

A Supportive Sidekick

Most people recognize Ed McMahon as the longtime sidekick of "Tonight Show" host Johnny Carson and as a pitchman. Quinnipiac University (Conn.) has a personal connection to McMahon, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 86.
He had supported the university since his daughter Linda attended in late 1970s. According to a release on Quinnipiac's website, McMahon gave a donation in 1993 that led to the creation of a topnotch media production facility. The Ed McMahon Mass Communications Center provides hands-on training in all aspects of radio, television, journalism and multimedia production.
Alumni and friends of the university are being encouraged to post thoughts and memories of McMahon on the discussion board on the university's School of Communications Facebook page.

We Can Rebuild It

As the push to get more people to drive alternative energy vehicles continues, the question should be ask—who is going to fix these electric and hybrid cars when they start to break down.
Instructors at community and technical colleges have been training these new mechanics for several years.
In a good example of recycling, student in the Alternative Fuels program at Ohio Technical College converted a 1997 Ford van to run on electric power, complete with solar panels to recharge the batteries.
In addition to receiving a new drive train and systems, the “Electro-Van” was spruced up with a new, green paint job.
The next student project will be converting a 1982 Mercedes to run on bio-diesel.
Learn more about campus efforts to make transportation more environmentally responsible in the June 2009 and June 2008 issues of UB.

Park It Here

Walker Parking Consultants drove away from the recent International Parking Institute conference in Denver with four project awards, one of them for a campus project.

The Underhill Field and Parking Garage at the University of California in Berkeley, California received the design Award of Excellence (first place) and an Honorable Mention Award (third place) for architectural achievement. The 1,000 space, 4-level facility is located two blocks south of the main Berkeley campus and includes a lighted recreational turf field and running track on the roof level. The facility was constructed using the design-build delivery method.

Also recognized were:
• The Garfield Street Community Center and Parking Garage in Hollywood, Florida, for design. It provides parking for 408 vehicles on 6 levels. The façade features architectural elements designed in harmony with local architectural themes. Pedestrian plazas are integrated throughout the site and feature paddle ball courts.
• The Claremont Village Expansion Parking Structure in Claremont, California, for architectural achievement. The design of this 477 space 4-level parking structure was driven by the desire to create a landmark entry to the City of Claremont, which historically was the center of the citrus packing industry. The parking structure also provides 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and a landscaped public plaza with views to Mount Baldy.
• The Tampa General Hospital Parking Structure Expansion. Completed in 2007, the 1,389 space 7-level precast parking structure was a part of the hospital’s expansion program. Four vehicular bridges and one pedestrian bridge connect the hospital addition to the existing parking structures. The top level is designed for emergency helicopter landing.

For more info and photos on any of these projects, click here.