Facilities Engineering
Our Engineering team supports CUIMC’s building systems and campus utilities infrastructure, as well as capital projects and state-of-good-repair projects throughout the campus.
How are we doing? We care about your experience working with us. Let us know how we’ve done, what we did right, and what we can do better.
Need help contacting us? If you’re not sure whom to contact for assistance, please call the Customer Service Center at 212-305-HELP (4357), option 3, or email cumc.facilities@columbia.edu for guidance.
Meet Our Team
Alfred Arce
- Assistant Director, Facilities Engineering
Alfred "Fred" Arce has devoted more than two decades of exceptional service to Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He currently serves as assistant director in Facilities Engineering, a post he has held since 2005. In this role, he oversees the day-to-day engineering operations, including all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. Prior to his current role, he worked as a plant superintendent, a painter, and a licensed refrigeration engineer within the Facilities Engineering department.
Before joining CUIMC, Fred spent 15 years working in all phases of construction.
Roger Giusti
- Director of Engineering Operations, Facilities Engineering
Roger Giusti joined Columbia University Irving Medical Center as the director of Engineering Operations in 2014. He is primarily responsible for managing the day-to-day engineering and maintenance operations for the entire campus. He oversees supervisors and unionized staff who perform the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of approximately three million square feet of space.
Before coming to CUIMC, Roger was the director of engineering for St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was responsible for a 505-bed facility and two satellite buildings, including a 100,000-square-foot research facility and ambulatory day surgery center.
John Hession
- Plant Superintendent
John Hession joined Facilities Management and the engineering team as a plant superintendent in October, 2022. Prior to Columbia, John was an operating engineer in class A commerical buildings in midtown and he worked for the NYC DOE as deputy director of facilites in Manhattan. Here, he will oversee the day-to-day engineering operations of the chiller and steam plants, and all associated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems throughout the CUIMC campus. He hopes that his private and public sector experience will help Columbia continue to grow and move into the future.
Jayson Mattei
- Plant Superintendent
Jayson Mattei joined the Office of Housing Services as plant superintendent in early 2019. As superintendent, Jayson has direct day-to-day oversight of facilities equipment to ensure operation at University standards. In addition to equipment optimization, Jayson works directly with all building maintenance and fire safety personnel to further uphold University standards and meet tenant needs.
Jayson has a passion for the facilities operation industry. He has previously served as a facilities manager for Grand Central Neighborhood, SKA Marin, and most recently WeWork. At WeWork, he managed and operated four buildings, totaling 350,000 total square feet. Over his career, he has managed a range of facilities, both privately and commercially owned.
Certifications
- Columbia University
- Construction Management Certification
- NATE (North American Technician Excellence)
- NATE Core
- HVAC Industry Competence Certifications (residential and light commercial)
- Environmental Protection Agency
- 608 Universal Technician
- RRP Lead Technician
- Type 1 Small Appliance
- Type 2 High Pressure, Type 3 Low Pressure Systems
- Indoor Air Quality Technician
- HVAC Preventive Maintenance Technician
- R-410A Technician Certifications
- Green HVAC Technician
- FDNY Certificates of Fitness
- F-89 Fire and Life Safety Director
- F-58 Fire Safety Director
- F-59 Emergency Action Plan Director
- S-14 Standpipe for Multiple-Zone Systems
- S-13 Citywide Standpipe Systems
- S-12 Sprinkler Systems
- S-95 Supervision of Fire Alarm Systems and Other Related Systems
- S-78 Cleaning and Testing of Smoke Detectors
- P-99 Low Pressure Oil Burner Operator
- P-98 Supervise Fuel-Oil Transfer in Buildings
- B-29 Supervision of Battery Systems and Other Related Equipment
- C-92 Supervising, Storage, Handling and Use of Flammable or Combustible Liquids
- F-07 Fire and Emergency Drill Conductor
- F-01 Citywide Fire Guard for Impairment
- A-35 Operate and Maintain Air Compressors
- G-60 Torch Use of Flammable Gases
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- 30-Hour General Industry
- 30-Hour Construction
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- Hazard Communication
- Emergency Action Plan
- Department of Environmental Protection
- NYC Air Pollution Control Code Certificate of Fitness (Boiler Oil Technician)
- National Fire Protection Association
- NFPA 13: Installation of Sprinkler Systems
- NFPA 20: nstallation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection
- NFPA 25: Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
- NFPA 3000s Training Certifications
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
- 30-hour Pest Control Core
- 7A Applicator and 7G Cooling Towers Maintenance
- North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
- PV Solar Panel Installation Course Certification
Abraham Pagan
- Mechanical Services Manager
Abraham Pagan has more than 25 years of experience in residential and mixed-use property management for major academic and health care institutions. Since joining Columbia University Irving Medical Center's Office of Housing Services as a manager in 2009, he has overseen repairs and maintenance operations for residential and office tenants. He is also part of the Facilities Emergency Management Operations Team.
Before joining CUIMC, Abe worked at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and One Hunters Point and One Hunters View in Long Island City.
Fun Facts about Abraham:
- Favorite place to eat around the neighborhood: Dallas BBQ’s at 166th Street and Broadway
- Favorite sport to watch/team to root for: Basketball/New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets
Certifications
- FDNY Certificates of Fitness
- P-16 Low PSI Oil Burner
- S-12 Citywide Sprinkler Systems
- S-13 Citywide Standpipe Systems
- S-95 Supervision of Fire Alarm Systems
- Department of Environmental Protection: Air Pollution
- Environmental Protection Agency: Universal Technician
- U.S. Department of Labor: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), General Safety & Health
Praveen Prakash, PE
- Director, Housing Facilities Engineering
Praveen Prakash joined Columbia University Irving Medical Center in early 2024. He is responsible for the engineering operations and maintenance of the CUIMC campus residential buildings, encompassing almost 1000 tenant occupied units and administrative offices and the associated HVAC, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing systems. Praveen is supported by an experienced team of superintendents, mechanics, and handypersons. In addition, he assists other engineering departments in executing capital projects and sustainability initiatives. Prior to CUIMC, Praveen was part of the Facilities Engineering management team for Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Polytechnic University.
- Certified Energy Manager, Association of Energy Engineers
- Professional Engineer, State of NY
Anthony Roberts
- East Campus Building Manager
Anthony has over 20 years of experience in facilities management and previously held positions with Blumenfeld Development Group and Columbia University’s Facilities Operations (Morningside). Anthony is looking forward to providing the highest quality of customer service and technical expertise possible in his new role.
Madeline Segarra
- Engineering Analyst, Facilities Engineering
Since joining the Engineering team in 2014, Madeline Segarra has played a pivotal role in supporting the director of Engineering Operations and the associate director of Energy Management and Sustainability. She oversees the matrix, workflow, and design of the work order system for the team and tracks, logs, and reports all energy and sustainability data. She also helped implement a new work order system for the Columbia University Irving Medical Center community to use when submitting work requests.
Before coming to CUIMC, Madeline worked as an executive assistant at Merrill Corporation to the sales, marketing, communications, and compliance divisions.
