Moe Tabrizi, director of the energy conservation program at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has been named interim director of planning, design and construction while a search is conducted to replace outgoing director and architect Steve Thweatt.
Paul Tabolt, vice chancellor for administration, made the announcement today to inform campus departments that are involved in current or pending construction projects.
Thweatt, who has been campus architect and director of planning, design and construction at CU-Boulder since 1994, is leaving in March for a position at Emory University in Atlanta.
"Steve Thweatt has made a lasting and visible impression on the campus in the 12-plus years that he has served as the director of planning, design and construction," Tabolt said. "We owe a debt of gratitude to Steve as he moves on to this new phase of his career."
Tabolt said he was "pleased to announce that Moe Tabrizi will replace Steve as the interim director of planning, design and construction, effective March 16. Moe has earned a solid reputation in this community and beyond for his commitment to sustainability and resource conservation."
As energy conservation officer, Tabrizi has recommended conservation improvements, developed and implemented a program to conserve energy, prepared grant proposals for campus conservation projects and analyzed energy consumption data to pinpoint significant utility savings.
Tabrizi will take over Thweatt's duties, overseeing all capital planning, new construction, renovations and improvement projects on the campus.听
The transition will be "seamless, won't skip a beat," Thweatt said. Because other people currently are handling all major campus projects, the planners and project managers will remain the same and clients won't see any changes, he said.
Three major projects currently under way at CU-Boulder include the business building addition and renovation, completion of work on student recreation fields, including Farrand Field to be completed this summer, and the demolition of the Sibell Wolle Fine Arts Building starting this summer to make way for construction of a new Visual Arts Complex beginning in the fall.
Also on the horizon is construction of a new indoor athletic practice facility adjacent to Boulder Creek off Folsom Street, which is scheduled for completion in mid-October.
All CU-Boulder planning and construction contacts will remain the same and all requests will be processed as usual, Thweatt said. The campus commitment to maintaining CU-Boulder's architectural integrity, frequently cited as one of the nation's most beautiful, will continue, Thweatt said.
Thweatt's position oversees five divisions in the facilities management department, including the offices of facilities planning; design and construction; engineering; capital assets and space planning; and campus architect.
Since 1994, Thweatt estimates he has overseen the construction, renovation or improvement of about 40 percent of all campus building space. In April he will assume the position of associate vice president for design and construction at Emory University.