As Carnegie Mellon’s president, Jahanian has led the most ambitious evolution of campus infrastructure and the most successful capital campaign in the institution’s 125-year history. Under his direction, CMU has expanded its research enterprise, driving innovation, emerging technologies and industry collaboration globally. Jahanian has also spearheaded unprecedented investments in financial aid, increasing institutional support for undergraduates by more than 86% in the last decade while continuing to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all U.S. undergraduates.

In 2026, under Jahanian’s leadership, CMU announced a historic $3 billion gift from Citadel CEO and philanthropist Kenneth C. Griffin — the largest philanthropic investment by an individual in the history of higher education.

Jahanian is a passionate champion of the roles research and higher education play in driving competitiveness and national security. He has testified before Congress on topics including cybersecurity, AI and innovation and serves on regional, national and international advisory boards, including those of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Highmark Health. He holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.