Farnam Jahanian

Dr. Farnam Jahanian is the 10th president of Carnegie Mellon University. He previously served as the university’s provost and as well as its vice president for research.

A nationally recognized computer scientist, entrepreneur, and higher education leader, Jahanian brings to CMU extensive leadership and administrative expertise. Prior to coming to CMU, Jahanian led the National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering.

Previously, he was the Edward S. Davidson Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan, where he served as chair for Computer Science and Engineering.

A widely published expert in cybersecurity and networks, his research formed the basis for the internet security company Arbor Networks, which he co-founded in 2001 and where he served as chair until its acquisition in 2010.

Jahanian is a member of the board of directors for Highmark Health, the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, among others. He served as chair of the National Research Council’s Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) from 2015 to 2021 and has been a board member of the Computing Research Association (CRA). He sits on the executive committee of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness and is a trustee of the Dietrich Foundation. Dr. Jahanian is active with the World Economic Forum, serving as vice chair of the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) and as a member of the Global Network Advisory Board for WEF’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR). He also serves on C4IR’s Internet of Things Council.

Jahanian holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.