Facilities Engineering

Estefany Andino-Mendez joined Facilities Engineering as a senior project engineer in early 2019. Before joining the medical center, Estefany was a commissioning provider for eight years with a primary focus on healthcare facilities throughout the New York City and Long Island areas. She received a bachelor of engineering in facilities engineering from SUNY Maritime College.

Certifications

• Certified Commissioning Professional
• LEED AP BD+C

Anton Dedvukaj supervises the engineers who support the west campus, including the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center, Allan Rosenfield Building, Hammer Health Sciences Center, and 600 West 168th St. He also serves as the fire safety director for the Vagelos Education Center.

Known for his commitment to providing exemplary customer service, Anton works diligently with his team to ensure maximum comfort for building occupants. Furthermore, he collaborates with members of the Dean’s Advisory Committee, which includes deans and students from the four schools, to plan for and successfully implement projects.

Before joining CUIMC in 2016, he managed a 235-unit co-op on the Upper East Side; a smaller 100-unit co-op on the Upper West Side; and served as a landlord to three rent-stabilized buildings in the Bronx, where he spent part of his childhood.

Anton's hobbies include building art for exhibition, including musical instruments and motorcycles. He is proud of his family's deep connections to the health care field, from his wife, a medical bookkeeper, to his three children, who are all either currently enrolled or soon-to-be enrolled in medical school.

Certifications

• New York City Fire Department Certificates of Fitness: F-85 Certificates of Fitness as Fire Safety Director with Active Shooter and Medical Emergency Preparedness

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 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

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

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.