Former OARnet leader returns to Ohio after four years leading Texas network

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Dec 3, 2019) — Pankaj Shah, president and chief executive officer of the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN) in Texas, has been named the seventh executive director of the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet).

Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) Chancellor Randy Gardner announced Shah’s appointment today. Shah had served as executive director of the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) and OARnet before taking the Texas post in 2015; he will return to Ohio in February 2020. Denis Walsh, OARnet’s chief relationship officer, has been serving as interim executive director of OARnet since Paul Schopis retired earlier this year. Schopis replaced Shah as executive director of OARnet upon the latter’s 2015 departure. [Read the full press release on OARnet | Press]