| April 15, 2009 | Vol 10. No. 9 |
The NetGazette features profiles of new and current faculty, staff and administrators. If you have an idea for a Canisius profile, please send an E-mail to Kristin Etu '91, NetGazette editor, at etuk@canisius.edu.
Thomas A. Pilarz, Lead HVAC Mechanic, Facilities Management
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| Tom Pilarz checks the boiler in the basement of Lyons Hall. |
The Canisius College campus includes nearly 40 buildings that require heat, ventilation and air conditioning. Thomas A. Pilarz, lead HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) mechanic for facilities management, makes it his number one priority to ensure that all systems are functional when students and employees arrive on campus.
“Eleven engineers work three separate shifts, 24/7 to make sure everything runs smoothly, including the heaters, air conditioners, boilers and refrigeration equipment,” says Pilarz. “If a student has a problem in the middle of the night and calls public safety, one of us will respond right away.”
Pilarz says he is proud to be a member of the college’s Department of Facilities Management, which he says is an extremely hard-working group – from housekeeping, to grounds, to building maintenance and repair.
He is also committed to serving his country. For nearly 15 years, he has served with the National Guard in the 107th Civil Engineering Squadron based out of Niagara Falls. Most recently, Pilarz was deployed with his unit from December 2007 to May 2008 and stationed in Sather Air Force Base in Bagdad, Iraq.
“Our job was to maintain the facilities," says Pilarz. "I took care of the refrigeration equipment in the morgue. We also needed to provide heat, because it snowed in Iraq for the first time in more than four decades during my tour.”
Pilarz adds that his unit volunteered at a grammar school near Baghdad which involved update of its electrical and air conditioning systems.
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| Tom Pilarz (left) with Iraqi security forces at a grammar school near Baghdad, Iraq. |
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| Pilarz at Ground Zero. His National Guard unit, based out of Niagara Falls, was activated on September 12, 2001 to provide security at the site. |
Pilarz’s unit was also called up after 9/11 to serve as security for Ground Zero. He says that although the situation was incredibly tragic, being able to help was “the highlight of my career.”
Prior to Canisius, Pilarz served for more than 10 years in the Air Force, a time he says enabled him to travel to more than 20 countries and more than 30 states.
Pilarz, a Depew resident, is an avid Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres fan. In his off-time, he enjoys the outdoors, movies and dining out.
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Gregory R. Wood, PhD, wears many hats. Among them are professor, department chair, researcher, club advisor and rock star. Wait a minute. Rock star?
“For the last seven or eight years, I have played at coffee houses and ‘open-mike’ nights at different venues around the city,” says Wood, who sings and plays guitar.
In fact, Wood participated in the third annual “Transformation After Hours: Buffalo Business Takes Center Stage” a benefit for Upstate New York Transplant Services (UNYTS) at Ani DiFranco’s Asbury Hall in Buffalo.
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| Greg Wood performs at the UNYTS benefit at Asbury Hall last November. |
“I am a huge Ani DiFranco fan, so it was like a dream come true for me to play at that venue and in front of such a large audience,” says Wood. He characterizes his music as “modern folk” and has written nearly 30 original songs.
Wood joined the Department of Management and Marketing in 1987 and specializes in behavioral decision-making. He teaches courses such as MKT 201: Principles of Marketing and MKT 320: Consumer Behavior, but he especially enjoys the development of new courses. “Wealth, Heaven and Right Living,” gives students strategies to become independently wealthy and challenges them to examine their motives to do so.
As co-advisor for the Canisius College Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), he accompanied the group to the National AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans, LA in March. The Canisius chapter picked up two awards at the conference.
“The conference was highly geared toward professional development,” says Wood. “We were so close to the French Quarter so we had the opportunity to take the students on a boat tour of the Louisiana swamps. It was a nice balance.”
Wood grew up as a self-described “Army brat” in the Pacific Northwest, Michigan and Germany. He began his undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland extension campus in Munich and obtained his bachelor’s degreee in psychology from Oakland University and a PhD in social psychology from the State University of New York at Albany.
“I initially thought I wanted become a clinical psychologist but I am much happier with what I do now,” adds Wood. “There will always be a new class of students, or a different research topic to pursue.”
Wood also enjoys cooking (especially trying out new recipes on his family!) and plays “Santa Claus” every year for the residents of Clarence Center. The event is hosted by two local businesses.
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| For the last four years, “Santa” Wood and his family and friends have entertained Clarence Center residents during the holiday season. From left to right: Emily Najmulski, Allyson Wood, Megan Najmulski, Toni Murray ’11, Gregory Wood, PhD, Kellie Najmulski ’13 and Michael Wood. |