Newark, NJ, January 13, 2020 – Edge, the region’s nonprofit research and education network and technology partner, is pleased to announce the expansion of its executive and leadership team to begin the 2020s. Christopher Markham is joining in the dual roles of Vice President for Information Technology & Chief Information Officer, and Dr. Forough Ghahramani has come on board as Associate Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Sponsored Programs.
“These welcome additions to the Edge organization will help Edge to thrive and grow in its mission to be the preferred technology partner to our members as they pursue their strategic goals and objectives,” said Dr. Edward Chapel, Edge’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
Mr. Markham joins Edge with more than 20 years of technology leadership experience helping organizations align their technology investments with enterprise strategy in higher education, military, and corporate environments. Prior to joining Edge, Markham spent the past four years as the Chief Information Officer and Associate Vice President at SUNY’s Empire State College. He brings the skills and experience needed to ensure the Edge technology ecosystem is operating at peak efficiency and architected to serve the multifaceted needs of a diverse and growing member base, while providing guidance and service directly to members as they undertake digital transformation initiatives.
“I’m excited to join Edge and get to work on the technology challenges facing the organization and its members,” Markham said. “The rate of change and increasing complexity of the technology landscape can be daunting for education and the public sector, which makes organizations like Edge more important than ever. I plan to hit the ground running and bring my experience and knowledge to bear to the benefit of the entire Edge community.”
Dr. Ghahramani joins Edge after previously serving at the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute where, as the Associate Director, she led the educational programming focused on big data and large scale computing. Additionally, she held responsibility for the vision and strategic planning for outreach and enhancing research productivity for the institute through partnerships, corporate engagement and wide-ranging academic collaborations. At Edge, Dr. Ghahramani will be responsible for the sustained growth, strategic development, and administration of the Edge consortium’s research capacity and capabilities while ensuring that these resources remain responsive and aligned with the requirements of the member community.
“The timing couldn’t be better for me to join Edge,” Dr. Ghahramani said. “With the organization’s renewed focus on the research component of the ‘research and education network,’ including the development of the EdgeDiscovery research platform, we’re well-positioned to have a positive impact on research in New Jersey and beyond. I plan to build on the resources and capabilities in place today and continue to enhance the productivity of our and our members’ research initiatives.”