Mice Keeping Facilities Leader Up at Night

At HEFF '16, we asked a number of facilities leaders what keeps them up at night. We got a lot of expected answers about looming deadlines, aging infrastructure and energy costs...but one stood out…

Juan Ontiveros, Associate VP of Utilities, Energy & Facilities Management at UT Austin, is responsible for conditioning the research facilities that house transgenic mice--and a slight mishap could spell death for these ultra-sensitive animals. The loss of just one mouse can cost thousands of dollars, according to NPR, while “some cannot be replaced at any cost.”

With $500 million worth of research located on the UT Austin campus, we don’t blame Ontiveros for counting rodents instead of sheep! Watch his comments below: