From Furniture Design to Facilities Management: Meet Staffer Sabrina Simurdak

Sabrina Simurdak started off her career working for big-name furniture manufacturers to help people find and plan for their perfect interior spaces. Years later, she decided to leave the corporate world and joined CU Denver’s Facilities Management and Planning team as the space management coordinator.  

She quickly realized that furniture and higher education—both centered around supporting people—have more in common than most would think. “I love puzzles, and I love being part of a community that shows up for each other,” Simurdak said. 

Simurdak didn’t always know her career would take her to higher education. Born and raised in south Texas, Simurdak’s creative eye led her to study interior design in college. One class in particular—an art history class on mid-century modern design—piqued her interest in furniture.  

In 2018, she moved to Colorado and took a job at Workplace Resource, an office furniture manufacturer, and one of her clients was Colorado State University. “I liked the people, the personalities, and backgrounds,” Simurdak said of her experience working with a higher education institution. “Everybody has a similar mindset of wanting to help people and help students learn and grow.” 

That exposure—and her love for the city life—led her to apply for her current job at CU Denver. Her daily responsibilities include working with other departments and programs to address their workspace needs, tracking occupancy data, leading site walks, planning for signage, and more. “No day looks the same,” she said.  

One project she’s particularly proud of is redesigning the outdated and weathered furniture in the common spaces in North Classroom and Student Commons. She’s putting her technical skills to use to create gathering spaces that enhance the student experience. “Our goal is to foster more in-person engagement and improve the aesthetics for student-centered spaces,” Simurdak said.  

And she’s prioritizing involving students in the planning process. On Jan. 29, she hosted a pop-up event to gather feedback on the preliminary furniture designs, which she describes as timeless and playful, with neutral hues and hints of CU Denver’s brand colors. The new furniture is expected to be in place by the fall semester.

The project pairs her passion for furniture design with her deep appreciation for working in higher education, and, ultimately, helping her community. “Our students will be using this furniture, so we wanted to make sure it would be something they want and need,” she said, “and something that can support their learning and succeeding.”