Michael Avanti Lopez, the senior associate director of administrative planning in the Office of the Executive Vice President (OEVP), has been named the inaugural assistant vice president for facilities. Lopez began his new role on January 23.

In this newly created position, Lopez will serve in direct leadership of the functional areas of Organizational Effectiveness and Communications, Construction Communications, the Office of Sustainability, the Real Estate Office, and the recently created Office of Campus Accessibility. He will also work closely with the facilities leadership team and campus partners, and represent Facilities on University committees, task forces and cross-functional teams.

“Michael is a thoughtful, collaborative, and analytical partner with strong critical thinking skills,” said Vice President for Facilities KyuJung Whang, to whom Lopez will report. “His broad base experience and strategic acumen — combined with his existing knowledge of the University — will serve us well as we continue to build connections with campus partners and implement our very aggressive Capital Plan.”  

“I am thrilled to be joining Facilities at this time of unprecedented activity and growth,” Lopez said. “I look forward to partnering with Kyu and his leadership team to advance Facilities’ strategic objectives and support an inclusive culture of excellence that will take an already high performing organization to the next level.”

In his role in the OEVP, Lopez led cross-functional teams to drive outcomes for initiatives across the University, including the initiative to redeploy staff time during COVID-19 work stoppages. He also oversaw and facilitated the University’s Enterprise Risk Management program.

Lopez came to Princeton in 2019 from Palantir Technologies, where he held numerous roles in business development and communications. He also worked as an associate at the law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and as the executive director of Stanford University’s Program on Human Rights, Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

Lopez graduated with a bachelor of arts in social studies from Harvard University and holds a juris doctorate from Stanford Law School. (Credit: Princeton University Communications)