Luke Figora, Northwestern’s chief risk and compliance officer and senior associate vice president, will serve as the inaugural vice president for operations beginning April 1, according to a Friday news release. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Figora has overseen the University’s COVID-19 response, including COVID-19 testing, return-to-campus planning and more. He started at the University in 2015 as the assistant vice president for risk management and environmental health and safety.

Figora will continue to oversee NU’s COVID-19 response as he transitions into the newly-created position, according to the release. 

“I am honored to serve the University in a greater capacity,” Figora said in the release. “I look forward to driving excellence across the senior vice president’s division, working closely with our schools and units and strengthening partnerships with our Evanston and Chicago neighbors.”

In the new role, Figora will serve as “an essential advisor and operational subject matter expert,” reporting to Craig Johnson, NU’s senior vice president for business and finance.

In addition, Figora will also work with a wide range of University departments, including NU’s Neighborhood and Community Relations and Organizational Strategy and Change departments.

“The past year has been a challenging and transformative experience working with nearly every department on campus to help maintain a healthy environment for our students, faculty and staff,” he said in the release. “I look forward to continuing to support our University and our leadership as we adapt to the new normal.”

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