Farnam Jahanian was appointed the 10th president of Carnegie Mellon University by its Board of Trustees in March 2018 and was unanimously reappointed for a second term in February 2023.
A nationally recognized computer scientist, entrepreneur, public servant and higher education leader, Jahanian brings to CMU extensive leadership and administrative expertise, not only in advancing research and education within and across disciplines, but also in translating research into technologies and practices that benefit society.
He was previously the university’s provost and chief academic officer with broad responsibility for leading CMU’s schools, colleges, institutes and campuses. He first joined CMU in 2014 as vice president for research.
Before coming to CMU, Jahanian led the National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering from 2011 to 2014. Previously, Jahanian was the Edward S. Davidson Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan, where he served as chair for Computer Science and Engineering from 2007 to 2011 and as director of the Software Systems Laboratory from 1997 to 2000.
Jahanian has been an active advocate for how basic research can be uniquely central to an innovation ecosystem that drives global competitiveness. His scholarly work in cybersecurity and networks ultimately transformed how cyber threats are addressed today and formed the basis for the internet security company Arbor Networks, which he co-founded in 2001 and served as chairman until its acquisition in 2010.
President Joe Biden appointed Jahanian to the President’s Export Council in 2023. He 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.
Jahanian holds a Ph.D. 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.
