What’s Behind the Construction Tape in Higher Education Facilities?

What does campus construction have to do with student success? In this episode of Facilities in Focus, host Mackenna Moralez speaks with Gretchen Catlin, chief facilities and general services officer for the University of Maine System how strategic facilities planning impacts everything from housing shortages to collaborative learning spaces. She also offers unique insights into construction trends that currently surround education facilities. Packed with real-world examples, creative solutions and even a few surprising stories from behind the scenes, this conversation sheds light on why facilities management is at the heart of higher education’s future. 

“If you build it, they will come — and that’s what excites me most about facilities: creating safe, engaging spaces that truly shape the student experience,” Catlin says. 

The Facilities in Focus podcast publishes bi-weekly. The third season will cover education facilities. 

For comments or to be a guest on the Facilities in Focus podcast, please email Mackenna at [e-mail]. 

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