Vini Bhargava

Biography

Vini Bhargava serves as the associate vice president of planning, real estate, and facilities (PREF) for Northeastern University’s Oakland campus. In this role, she oversees campus planning, design and construction, sustainability, and operations, ensuring the physical environment supports the university’s growth and mission. 

With nearly 25 years of experience managing complex commercial real estate portfolios, Bhargava is known for guiding organizations through politically and technically challenging projects. She excels at building consensus across diverse stakeholders, leading high-performing teams, and aligning capital investments with long-term institutional goals.

Before joining Northeastern, she directed the $500 million redevelopment of a 42-acre, 3,500-employee campus at Google, aligning project delivery with corporate growth objectives and municipal requirements. As planning director at UC Berkeley, she created a new planning department from the ground up, served as CEQA authority for the 180-acre campus, and led the development of its Master Plan and Long-Range Development Plan.

Earlier in her career, at the University of California Office of the President, Bhargava oversaw systemwide legislative portfolios, policies, and training for a $6 billion capital program. There, she also launched the University of California system’s first seismic mitigation program, balancing financial feasibility, political realities, and legal compliance across 6,000 buildings.

Bhargava holds a master’s degree in Construction Engineering and Management, a bachelor’s degree in Architecture, and a certificate in Commercial Real Estate. She is both a LEED Accredited Professional and a Certified Project Management Professional.