April 14, 2014 – Officials at the University of Utah today announced that Keith Diaz Moore will join the U as the next dean of the College of Architecture + Planning. He will begin on August 1, 2014, contingent upon the approval of President David Pershing and the University Board of Trustees.

Diaz Moore joins the U from the University of Kansas, where he has been a faculty member of the department of architecture since 2006. He has also served as both the chair of the department of architecture and associate dean for graduate studies in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning.

“We are pleased to have Dr. Diaz Moore join the great team of architects, planners, scholars and educators that comprise our amazing college,” said Ruth Watkins, senior vice president of academic affairs. “He is energetic and inclusive in his leadership style, and the focus of his work on aging populations is an excellent fit for our community.”

Diaz Moore earned a Ph.D. in architecture from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee in 2000. He is a registered architect with experience in a wide range of professional roles in Illinois, New York and Wisconsin. He is also an accomplished scholar who examines the intersection of culture and design, with emphasis on environmental design for aging populations. During his tenure at Kansas, Diaz Moore instituted a new doctoral program in architecture, interdisciplinary internship and study abroad programs, and sustainable building efforts.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be joining such a vibrant community, where there are faculty addressing pressing global challenges such as urbanization and sustainability, an alumni base that embraces the need for our professions to be innovative in responding to these challenges, and students with a clear passion for improving the quality of life throughout all of Utah through better design and planning,” Diaz Moore said.  “Within the distinctive mission of the U, the college is well positioned to transcend disciplinary boundaries and provide our students innovative learning experiences that shape the agile minds necessary for future leadership within and beyond the professions.”

Keith Bartholomew, associate professor of city and metropolitan planning — who has been acting dean since August 2013 — will return to his full-time faculty position.