Sean Hannigan Appointed Associate Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning

Sean Hannigan has joined WPI as Associate Vice President for Facilities and Capital Planning, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience in facilities management, capital planning, and environmental health and safety. 

Reporting to Mike Horan, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Hannigan serves as WPI’s chief facilities executive, leading campus planning, facilities operations, design and construction, environmental health and safety, and energy and sustainability. He manages a team of approximately 110 professionals and an annual budget of more than $40 million. 

In this role, Hannigan provides strategic oversight of WPI’s built environment, including implementation of the university’s comprehensive campus master plan and leadership of capital planning and projects. He oversees operational management of campus services, including maintenance, custodial, utilities, and groundskeeping, focusing on performance metrics and continuous improvement. In addition, Hannigan will advance WPI’s sustainability initiatives, including energy management, green building practices, and environmental stewardship. 

Hannigan joins WPI following a distinguished career with the U.S. Coast Guard, where he directed facilities operations and capital programs for campuses and regions encompassing millions of square feet and billions of dollars in assets. His accomplishments include leading the development of an $8 billion, five-year Capital Investment Plan, implementing ISO-aligned asset management systems, and optimizing spatial planning to avoid $45 million in lifecycle costs. He has managed large, multi-disciplinary teams and complex budgets, consistently delivering improvements in reliability, safety, and cost control. 

Sean holds a master of science in civil engineering and an MBA from the University of Illinois; he earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He is a licensed professional engineer in Massachusetts and California and a certified project management professional.