University of North Texas 
Division News
Division of Finance & Administration News
Each week, we highlight the work being done in our departments or the people who work hard for UNT. We appreciate the efforts our staff members make that support UNT and make it a great place to learn and work!
Summer 2026 news items
Transportation Services expands Lot 40 for student commuters This summer, Transportation Services more than doubled parking in Lot 40, a student
commuter lot next to the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life along Welch Street.
The lot now has 498 parking spaces in a prime location on the east side of campus.
The lot was able to be expanded by removing an empty field.
Parking permits are now on sale for all students, faculty and staff members! Visit
unt.aimsparking.com to log in and purchase your 2026-27 permit. New this year, there
will be no physical permit. Transportation Services will “read” license plates with
cameras that verify your permit. If you have multiple cars, you can list them all
in the permit portal without having to move the sticker between them (one car parked
at a time). The 2025-26 parking permits expire Aug. 16.
Updated article from July 20, 2026.
Risk Management program provided support for FIFA World Cup games FIFA World Cup games and activities took over the news all summer – and UNT had a
role to play in the fun!
UNT was designated as an official 2026 Base Camp.
In Risk Management Services, the Emergency Management and Safety Services team worked with the State of Texas Disaster District Emergency Operations Center to represent colleges and universities; sharing information and working with regional partners to keep our community safe.
Huge events like FIFA bring people together from all over the world.
UNT was designated as an official 2026 Base Camp.
In Risk Management Services, the Emergency Management and Safety Services team worked with the State of Texas Disaster District Emergency Operations Center to represent colleges and universities; sharing information and working with regional partners to keep our community safe.
Huge events like FIFA bring people together from all over the world.
It takes strong teamwork behind the scenes to make sure these events are safe and
successful, and we were happy to be a part of it!
Updated article from July 20, 2026.
Facilities electrician saves UNT nearly $30,000 with self-designed spill kits Facilities Electrician Lou Passantino, shown at left, makes a habit of asking the
right questions when he sees a quote or needs to make a purchase. During one regular
day at work, Lou was asked to get quotes for generator spill kits. These yellow bins
hold materials to help address diesel fuel spills and prevent them from becoming a
hazard.
When Lou priced out pre-made spill kits they were about $1,900 each. That number seemed high to Lou. Working with Trey Wilson in Facilities Stores, Lou was able to get materials to make his own spill kits, at a cost of about $322 each.
Lou’s work helped save UNT $27,000 for the 17 spill kits needed. He used coconut-based absorbent materials that are better for the environment than kitty litter and more effective because it can absorb 15 times more spillage than kitty litter. His work on this project has significant meaning for UNT and is a great example of living our UNT Values.
When Lou priced out pre-made spill kits they were about $1,900 each. That number seemed high to Lou. Working with Trey Wilson in Facilities Stores, Lou was able to get materials to make his own spill kits, at a cost of about $322 each.
Lou’s work helped save UNT $27,000 for the 17 spill kits needed. He used coconut-based absorbent materials that are better for the environment than kitty litter and more effective because it can absorb 15 times more spillage than kitty litter. His work on this project has significant meaning for UNT and is a great example of living our UNT Values.
Updated article from June 1, 2026.
Top Gallup supervisors recognized -- including a perfect score! In May, we recognized our top managers who received excellent scores as part of the
annual Gallup survey.
Assistant Chancellor and Chief HR Officer Alayne Sewick and VP Clayton Gibson presented an award to UNT Police Department's Sgt. Riley Dixon, who made history at UNT by being one of two managers on our campus to receive a perfect 5.00 Gallup score.
Assistant Chancellor and Chief HR Officer Alayne Sewick and VP Clayton Gibson presented an award to UNT Police Department's Sgt. Riley Dixon, who made history at UNT by being one of two managers on our campus to receive a perfect 5.00 Gallup score.
Notably, Sgt. Zane Hagar received the second-highest score for all managers in our
division with a 4.92.
At our annual division meeting, we also recognized other top-performing managers: Custodial Services Supervisor Minerva Morales; Associate Director for Parking Nikki Sparks; Electrical Supervisor Andy Merritt; Assistant Director for Facilities Kathy Neira; Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Polk; Senior Facilities Planning Manager Kim Nguyen; Senior Director for Facilities Hilary Liscano; Director of Asset Management Jimmy Grounds; Director of Environmental Health and Safety Chris Erickson; Police Investigations Unit Lt. Chris Boesch; and Facilities Maintenance Manager Ricky Carney.
Their efforts give their teams support, motivation, proper guidance and show the importance of great leadership across UNT.
At our annual division meeting, we also recognized other top-performing managers: Custodial Services Supervisor Minerva Morales; Associate Director for Parking Nikki Sparks; Electrical Supervisor Andy Merritt; Assistant Director for Facilities Kathy Neira; Assistant Police Chief Jeremy Polk; Senior Facilities Planning Manager Kim Nguyen; Senior Director for Facilities Hilary Liscano; Director of Asset Management Jimmy Grounds; Director of Environmental Health and Safety Chris Erickson; Police Investigations Unit Lt. Chris Boesch; and Facilities Maintenance Manager Ricky Carney.
Their efforts give their teams support, motivation, proper guidance and show the importance of great leadership across UNT.
Updated article from June 1, 2026.
Texas Municipal Clerks Association director receives award In March 2026, Texas Municipal Clerks Association Administrative Director Miriam Sheehan,
pictured at left, received the Award of Excellence from the Dallas Fort Worth Association
Executives, the largest professional society in North Texas serving association professionals
and industry partners.
This recognition highlights the strength of TMCA’s leadership and its influence within
the association community.
TMCA oversees the education and accreditation of muncipal clerks from throughout the
state of Texas. TMCA operates as a department of UNT, with a partnership focused on
education and professional development that dates back to 1967. Through UNT, the Texas
Municipal Clerks Certification Program has grown into one of the oldest programs of
its kind in the nation.
Visit their website for more information: https://municlerks.unt.edu/index.html.
Updated article from May 1, 2026.
UNT Budget staff gets tour of new Science & Technology building The University Budget Office staff received a tour of UNT's new Science & Technology
building during the spring 2026 semester. Many times our staff members play a role
in bringing ideas to fruition but they don't get to see an up-close view of how the
end product happens. This tour allowed them to get a better idea of how the building
is progressing and showed the budget staff how their assistance with funding and budgeting
makes big projects such as this possible.
The building, paid for with bonds approved by the state in 2021, will have more modern
research facilities. It will support biology, biomedical engineering, chemistry, physics,
data science, computer science and engineering programs.
More information about the project is here: https://research.unt.edu/unt-science-and-technology-building.html
UNT Facilities is also tracking any road/sidewalk closures. Be sure to follow their
Construction Report page for updates on this project and others on or near UNT's campus:
https://facilities.unt.edu/construction/construction-report.html.
Updated article from May 1, 2026.