Get to Know … Chris Townend

Chris Townend took over as the College of Engineering’s facilities manager in June 2022, but his tenure with Villanova dates back to September 1986, when he joined the University as a Mechanical Engineering technician—his first job out of college. Over the years, he’s served in various roles on campus and has grown to love everything about the Philadelphia region, from the history and mild climate to the nearby mountains and rolling hills— and, of course, that it’s home to Villanova.

Sequoia Sighting

Townend has seen a lot of change on Villanova’s campus— so much so that not much surprises him anymore. One of the most memorable things he’s witnessed was the moving of a giant sequoia from the campus green to a new location near Dougherty Hall. It was lifted by a rig and transported without any trimming or changes to the tree’s massive size.

Expansion Express

Townend has enjoyed watching the College of Engineering expansion project progress. Highlights have included seeing the workers detach the east end of the concrete structure using giant diamond blades and their preparation of the site for the footing and foundation walls. Occasional thumps and bumps and crane sightings aside, he says, the project represents “civil and construction engineering at its best.”

Helpful Hobby

When he’s not in the lab or on campus, Townend enjoys traveling and fly fishing. He’s also a stalwart for clean water and serves on the board of CRCwatersheds.org, a grassroots organization serving a large portion of Delaware County, Pa. He chairs the Stream Cleanup Committee, which removed a record 40 tons of trash in 2022 with the help of almost 1,000 volunteers at 35 sites in the watershed.

Mr. Fixit

Townend has always had an uncanny ability to fix things, even before internet tutorials took off on YouTube. He likes to practice the six R’s of sustainability—refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and rot—to help limit our impact on the environment. It’s a talent Townend believes we can all learn and live by.