Education

B.S. University of Florida
M.S. Missouri University of Science and Technology
M.A. Command and General Staff College
Ph.D. in Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia

Biography (Statement)

Colonel Rafael López is an executive problem solver and lifelong learner with 20+ years of domestic and international experience supporting and leading diverse teams and startups in ambiguous environments including key leadership and program management opportunities in STEM, engagement and outreach, operations, and solution development. He holds a Ph. D. in Foreign Affairs and is an associate professor at the National Defense University. He holds an active U.S. Government Top Secret Security Clearance and is fluent in Spanish.

As a serial innovator, Colonel López held key roles in organizational initiatives as a strategist, planner, and implementor of several significant startups.  As part of the largest reorganization of the U.S. Army in the last 50 years, he led the development of critical implementation milestones and management metrics at Army Futures Command, designed to accelerate the initial integration of 20,000(+) employees across 13 states. Additionally, as the lead Army planner responsible for the initial stages of the ongoing Department of Defense technological reinvention, JADC2, he was critical to designing the governance model and incorporating key strategic stakeholders. The most satisfying assignment, however, was his selection to be a plank holder and key leader within the U.S. Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group. Designed to address evolving global national security challenges, this Army internal consulting capability enabled him to build and lead global diverse teams to solve complex problem sets.

Colonel López is a United States Army officer with multiple leadership roles in war and peace.  He is currently on loan to Carnegie Mellon University from his role as a Senior Military Fellow at the National Defense University Institute for National Strategic Studies in Washington, D.C.  As a fellow, he researches and lectures on innovation studies. His research interests include military innovation, organizational adaptation, strategic planning, and implementation management.

In addition to his doctoral degree from the University of Virginia, Colonel López holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, a master’s degree in engineering management, and is a graduate of the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. 

Colonel López resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife, Mrs. Lauren Carbo, from Silver Springs, Maryland.  They have five children and two grandchildren.