Never Stop Learning: Celebrating 50 Years of Service with Facilities Energy Engineer Nariman Nusserwanji
Date - Nov 3rd 2026
Nariman Nusserwanji, often called Norman by his colleagues, joined Florida State University in 1976. In January 2026, Nariman marked his 50th year of service to the university, where he serves as an Energy Engineer in Facilities' Utilities and Engineering Department. To put Nariman's tenure at FSU in context with university history: 1976 was the same year Bobby Bowden became head football coach.
While his time at FSU predates the establishment of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in 1982 and the arrival of the Magnet Lab (MagLab) in 1990, Nariman has dedicated five decades to innovation at FSU as the campus has grown and evolved. As an energy engineer, he leads building and retrofit projects to reduce overall energy consumption. He also develops and recommends policies and procedures to manage the university's energy use effectively.
Nariman came to Tallahassee from Detroit, Michigan, at the invitation of a friend who recently joined FSU's Central Utilities Plant team. An electrical engineer by training, originally hired as a Senior Engineer, Nariman spent his first three years at FSU going into every building and room on campus. He believes that engineers benefit from hands-on field experience. As a result, he has gained significant knowledge of the campus's historic buildings. He shares, "For three years, I was on campus working. I was not in my office."
As Senior Engineer, Nariman began his time at FSU working with electrical controls. During this time, he also developed his expertise in mechanical and control systems at Facilities. Nariman currently holds three Professional Engineer (PE) licenses in Electrical, Mechanical, and Control Systems, earning his most recent PE license in Control Systems in 2016.
As the campus has changed and developed over the past 50 years, Nariman has had the unique opportunity not only to see the physical landscape change and grow, but to develop the systems that allow it to thrive. When he began his career, many campus buildings made their own localized cooling. FSU advanced to a Central Utilities Plant model, which produces chilled water and sends it across campus. Nariman recalls that the Central Utilities Plant originally had four chillers serving the east side of campus. As the campus expanded to the west, Facilities added Satellite Plant 1 near Mike Long Track and Satellite Plant 2 near the Leach Recreation Center.
Energy efficiency has always been integral to Nariman's work as Energy Engineer. He and his team consistently work to optimize and automate chiller plants through innovations such as groundwater-cooled chillers and low-pressure machines. In-house, interactive interfaces now show the whole campus on one screen, helping crews pinpoint issues quickly and coordinate a Facilities response in real-time. On how he approaches efficiency, Nariman takes a forward-thinking approach: "Don't just say you save money today. That means you're saving it tomorrow, and you watch everything."
As he reflects on his career at FSU, Nariman takes a people-first approach: "It's a group effort, not one person does it all," he says, and shows gratitude for all the Facilities crews who work in all kinds of weather and conditions. Outside Facilities, Nariman values listening closely to building occupants; he states, "a building is a breathing person," with people inside who deserve to be heard.
What motivates Nariman to continue his journey? He attributes his remarkable over fifty years at FSU to his enjoyment of the challenges he faces and the success that follows. His "never stop learning" mindset and ability to adapt as his role has evolved with the campus have also contributed significantly to Nariman's longevity. In recognition of his landmark achievement of fifty years of service, Nwill be honored at the 2026 Finance & Administration Employee Appreciation Celebration on Friday, November 6. The Facilities team is proud to celebrate this milestone with Narriman and is grateful for his ongoing dedication and leadership. Reflecting on his time at FSU, Narriman encourages his colleagues to keep striving, stating, "I still have much to learn."
Watch a video interview of Nariman's reflection on his 50 years of service by clicking here!