--- title: A Peek Inside … Director of Residential Facilities Andrea Crabb’s Office date: 2024-04-05T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/a-peek-inside-director-of-residential-facilities-andrea-crabbs-office" section: Articles --- # A Peek Inside … Director of Residential Facilities Andrea Crabb’s Office *April 5, 2024* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih) > Disney Magic, CIA Secrets and Terp Pride Reflect Eclectic Career *Andrea Crabb Office 01172024 SC 0521 1920x1080 — Director of Residential Facilities Andrea Crabb celebrates her far-flung career as a female engineer with mementos throughout her office.* What’s harder: Designing gadgets for America’s secret agents—a la “Q” from James Bond flicks—or getting a steady supply of two-ply toilet paper for University of Maryland’s residence halls? It’s a question that confounds even UMD Director of [Residential Facilities](https://4service.umd.edu/) Andrea Crabb, possibly the only person in the world who’s tackled both tasks. “Students will ask us for all sorts of crazy things, from green roofs to masseuses in the halls,” she said. “But I think we’re going to be able to get that two-ply.” Now in her 11th year, Crabb oversees a team that’s responsible for cleaning and maintaining all the residential and Greek housing across campus—that’s 2.7 million square feet—as well as recreation facilities such as [Eppley Recreation Center](https://recwell.umd.edu/eppley-recreation-center-0) and [Ritchie Coliseum](https://recwell.umd.edu/ritchie-coliseum-0). She’s had an unusual career, going from the mysterious world of the Central Intelligence Agency (“The fact that I can even tell you I worked there means I didn’t do anything that secretive”) to the most magical place on Earth, Disney’s theme parks in Florida, before coming to UMD. It was a homecoming of sorts; her parents are both UMD grads and Terp fans, and her son is now a student. “I was pregnant with Grayson when I came to games at Cole Field House, and I said he’s either going to come out singing the fight song or he’s going to want nothing to do with Maryland,” she said. “Luckily, he’s here!” Crabb shared how engineering has taken her across the globe, the challenges of dealing with hippo poop and why she feels a kinship with Tinker Bell. **A Case of Mistaken … Location** *Andrea Crabb's CIA badge* --- *Bookshelf with Testudo, books, old valve* **Disney Delights** The valve on the left is from the iconic Epcot fountain, which Crabb grabbed during an upgrade as a memento of her seven years at Disney. “I’ve always wanted to build one here for the students, but they won’t let me!” She had moved to Orlando in the early 2000s to seek better work-life balance after having her son, and found herself thrown into a world of engineering puzzles, from figuring out how to dehumidify the “Pirates of the Caribbean” water ride to properly filter excrement from a hippo pond in Animal Kingdom. The “Look Book” on her shelf details the dress code required of all cast members (what Disney calls employees), even behind-the-scenes ones like Crabb. The guide includes acceptable fabrics, skirt length, earrings and more: “My girlfriend got written up for having black nail polish!” --- *Tinker Bell* --- *NCAA Final Four Ticket* --- *Two framed images of buildings on UMD's campus* **Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Tags:** [A Peek Inside](https://today.umd.edu/topic/a-peek-inside) **Units:** [Division of Student Affairs](https://today.umd.edu/topic/division-student-affairs)