Farnam Jahanian is the tenth president of Carnegie Mellon University. An internationally recognized computer scientist, entrepreneur, public servant and higher education leader, Jahanian has extensive expertise in advancing research and education within and across disciplines and translating research into technologies 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, including oversight of the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar partnership.

Before coming to CMU, Jahanian led the National Science Foundation Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) from 2011 to 2014. Previously, he was the Edward S. Davidson Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan, where he served as chair for Computer Science and Engineering and as director of the Software Systems Laboratory. 

Jahanian’s scholarly work in cybersecurity and networks ultimately transformed how cyber threats are addressed today. He remains an active advocate for how basic research can be uniquely central to an innovation ecosystem that drives global competitiveness. 

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.