Have you been wondering about the random projects that are going on around campus? Well, The Insider sat down with Pitt-Greensburg President Dr. Bob Gregerson to talk about the current and ongoing changes happening at Pitt-Greensburg.
Over the summer, a few projects occurred while students were enjoying their summer break.
According to Dr. Gregerson, a couple of hundred lights all across campus were replaced with LEDS.
“They were old halogen bulbs. Old-school halogen bulbs. So these are now new high-efficiency LED lighting,” Gregerson said. “We’re going to spend a lot less money on electricity.”
While most of the lights have already been replaced, Gregerson mentioned that the project is ongoing because some materials are still on backorder.
Some other projects completed over the summer included the paving of Chambers lot and new roofs for two of the buildings in The Academic Villages.
During the upcoming winter break, the gym will be receiving new bleachers. Some other projects include upgraded air conditioning for Millstein Library, installing Frisbee golf poles around campus, and, according to Gregerson, “Another roof on another building. That never ends”
One of the bigger issues for some projects involves the creek that runs through campus. One project–renovating the athletics fields–is progressing slowly due to the creek’s flood zone. Another is bridge maintenance. Due to flooding from the creek, the bridge leading up to The Villages has received some water damage. The bridge is safe and has no real structural damage, and while maintenance cannot drive on it, it is safe for pedestrians and students to walk on.
Speaking of safety, some students may have noticed the out-of-commissioned safety kiosks. Gregerson explained that the campus is working on that.
”There were too many in a short, small space. And they’re old enough that we can’t get replacement parts, and so we’re having to retrofit them with new equipment.”
While some of the kiosks may currently be out of order, Gregerson encourages Pitt students to get the new PittSafe App for help. Students can go to the App Store or Google Play Store and enter PittSafe to download the app.
And about that water fountain.
According to Gregerson, there is a leak. A contractor and maintenance staff found a leak that goes to the creek. The leak is deep beneath the fountain, and according to Gregerson, it’s severe, dropping 10,000 gallons of water a day when the fountain is operating. The estimated cost to repair the fountain is a quarter of a million dollars, Gregerson said.
Gregerson said he’s working on that. But priorities are priorities.
“We’re sort of squirreling away some money so that we can have money set aside for that,” Gregerson said. “But it’s lower priority than fixing a roof that is leaking.”
Did You Know
Did you know that Dr. Gregerson used to be a professor teaching biology? He worked up from professor to dean to president at multiple institutions, finally landing here at Pitt-Greensburg, where he’s been since July 1, 2019. A few other things students may not know about Dr. Gregerson are that his job includes fundraising, supervising department heads, and handling government relations, and that his favorite spot on campus is by the front entrance, by the flowering trees and creek.
