About Mike

Who I Am

I’m Mike Lopez, an engineer by training and a builder by temperament. For more than twenty years, I have led technical teams, worked on complex systems, and taught people how to cope through ambiguity. My career bridges engineering and human performance, where the ability to act with clarity matters as much as technical skill.

I started as a nuclear engineer and now specialize in cybersecurity. I have led technical teams under pressure, managed complex projects across agencies, and mentored professionals at every level, from interns to distinguished engineers.

Work

Current Work

For the past seven years, much of my day job has focused on cybersecurity vulnerability analysis. It is engaging work that I occasionally touch upon on LinkedIn.

When not working on that, I like having something to build, learn, or figure out, whether it’s a research topic, a circuit board, or a course outline on the whiteboard. These are things that I’m currently working on.

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
A current side interest has been the emerging ecosystem around the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). I’ve been watching how small defense contractors adapt to changing security requirements, and what “good enough” cybersecurity readiness looks like in real life. I’ve started to write down some of my thoughts at cmmcnotes.com.

Roadrunner Cybersecurity
For a good long time, I have been perenially launching a consulting practice to help small businesses strengthen their cybersecurity posture. Turns out that when you have a full time job, it is hard to meet with side-gig clients who hold regular business hours…and I definitely do not. I’ve put my consulting on hold until I one day retire, but am always happy to talk to small business owners at nights and on weekends. 🙂

Course Development
Alongside those activities, I’ve been designing a course for students and professionals focused on practical decision-making. It’s still early in development, but I hope to say more about it soon.

Other Hobbies
Outside the lab and classroom, I spend time in my workshop doing woodworking, small electronics projects, and practicing amateur radio.

Past Projects

Avocado Electronics
Avocado Electronics was a small electronics retailer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We sold component kits targeted for beginners interested in building Arduino microcontroller projects. Our aim was to help you learn how fun electronics could be. We strove to make educational technology accessible to everyone. At Avocado Electronics, our products were priced to cover manufacturing expenses.

We were founded in 2013 with the introduction of the Young Person’s Guide to Arduino & Avocado Beginner Board on Kickstarter. Our successful Kickstarter sold over 100 units.

Adjunct Professor
Every once in a while, I get an itch to teach. Thankfully, the University of New Mexico has allowed me to occasionally teach some of their young scientists and engineers. I created and taught Lean Methods and Applications for five years in UNM’s Mechnical Engineering department and taught Introduction to Cybersecurity in Computer Science.