Alumni Spotlight
Tim Muzzi
By James Carskadon, Alumnus Spring 2020, page 32
When Tim Muzzi (MSU BARC May 1979) drives to his office on the MSU campus, he travels past several reminders of the past 15 years of his career.
“When I was in private practice and worked on a building, I may never see that building again,” said Muzzi, who has served as the university architect at MSU since 2004. “But here, I see every one of them every day. Good or bad, I live with it. I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to come back here and do this.”
Muzzi has overseen the design and construction of more than $1 billion in campus construction projects, working to ensure each facility fits within the university’s long-term plan and meets the needs of its users. Some of his favorite projects include the construction of Old Main Academic Center, the new Dudy Noble Field, and major renovations to Lee Hall and Colvard Student Union.
Before he was making plans for a large land-grant campus, Muzzi got his start designing grocery stores
for Sunflower Foods. At the time, he had attained an associate degree in drafting and design. When the School of Architecture was opening at MSU, he took the opportunity to advance his education in a field he had grown to enjoy. He was accepted into the program and finished with the school’s second graduating class in 1979. He then had a successful career in private practice before returning to his alma mater.
Mississippi State’s campus features buildings that have been designed and built in several different eras dating back over a century. Muzzi said he has worked to create a more unified architectural vision on campus.
“You’re not going to re-create a Carpenter Hall or a Lee Hall,” Muzzi said of the historic buildings. “You can’t afford to because of the detail on it. But you can pick up on some of the elements of them, which we’ve done in recent years. We’ve picked up on a certain brick color that we like. It all unifies the campus. The biggest compliment somebody could give us is that a building looks like it belongs at Mississippi State.”
One of Muzzi’s most notable designs is not a building, but rather the popular green space just south of Davis Wade Stadium, The Junction. The idea started with a brainstorming session between Muzzi and Ray Hayes, former MSU vice president for budget and planning. Over lunch, the two explored ways to get rid of Malfunction Junction, the infamous crossroads of five streets in the middle of campus.
They realized that if traffic was routed around the intersection, it would create a large green space south of the football stadium, perfect for tailgating on a fall Saturday. The space has served that purpose for nearly 15 years, and has received national exposure as the backdrop for ESPN’s “College GameDay” and the SEC Network’s “SEC Nation.” In the days leading up to every commencement ceremony, graduates can be seen taking pictures at the Bully statue in The Junction, with grass, trees and the large Mississippi State logo on the back of the stadium’s videoboard serving as the background.
“I think it’s the best tailgating venue in the SEC,” Muzzi said. “It’s maybe not quite as important as the Drill Field but it’s become a significant green space on this campus.”