Forough Ghahramani

About Forough Ghahramani

Accomplished, innovative, and results-driven executive with over 20 years of multidisciplinary experience in higher education, industry, and entrepreneurship. As the Assistant Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Sponsored Programs at New Jersey Edge (Edge), I advise senior leaders in higher education on developing strategies for supporting research through advanced and emerging technologies. My expertise spans business, information technology, life sciences, software engineering, and high-performance computing. I have a proven track record of launching strategic programs, fostering collaboration, and driving organizational excellence.I am known for building organizational partnerships, and strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including faculty, students, executives and industry professionals, fostering transparent communication and collaboration to achieve optimal results. My experience includes senior positions in higher education (Rutgers University, Keller School of Management), Industry (Digital Equipment Corporation, and Hewlett Packard), and consulting for Fortune 500 companies. My research focuses on innovation ecosystems, federated data sharing, and democratizing access to computing resources, resulting in numerous publications. I have led and collaborated on federally funded initiatives focused on regional cyberinfrastructure, AI, and emerging technologies, with a consistent emphasis on expanding access and strengthening talent pipelines. A Senior Member of I serve on the NSF Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) Standing Council, and in leadership roles in the New Jersey Big Data Alliance, the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub and the Ecosystem for Research Networking (ERN), and am Co-Chair of the ERN Quantum Education Alliance. I am a member of several Boards. Through these roles, I convene cross-sector stakeholders to align strategy, investment, and policy in support of emerging technology growth. I have previously held regional and national leadership positions in Society of Women engineers (SWE), Association of Women in Science (AWIS), and Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP). I hold a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from DePaul University, an MS in Computer Science from Villanova University, and a BS in Mathematics from Pennsylvania State University. I am a life-long advocate for STEM education.Please connect with me if you would like to learn more about my expertise.

Experience

1. Vice President for Research & Innovation

   Edge

   Jan 2020 — Present · Princeton, NJ, US

   The chief advocate for research and the primary point of contact and engagement with the research community in New Jersey and beyond at EDGE. Serve as an advisor and counsel to senior higher education leaders to help translate vision for supporting research collaborations and innovation into actionable strategy leveraging regional and national advanced technology resources. Develop strategic plans for institutions\' advanced technology solutions in support of research. As a collaborative partner, design next generation solutions for the research community through technology leadership, creativity, and innovation, working in concert with an innovative and dedicated assembly of domain scientists, network and cyberinfrastructure researchers and engineers, and dedicated administrators throughout the state, the region, and the nation, to drive success for enabling research and discovery. Facilitate collaboration among the research community for participation in joint funding opportunities. I serve as Principal Investigator (PI) on several National Science Foundation ( NSF) projects, including : “EAGER: Empowering the AI Research Community through Facilitation, Access, and Collaboration”, and “CC* Regional Networking: Connectivity through Regional Infrastructure for Scientific Partnerships, Innovation, and Education (CRISPIE).”

Education

• Villanova University

  Master of Science - MS, Computer Science

• Depaul University kellstadt Graduate School of Business

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Marketing

• University of Pennsylvania

  Doctor of Education - EdD, Higher Education/Higher Education Administration

• Penn State University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Mathematics