Pankaj Shah is executive director of OARnet, leading statewide initiatives that expand broadband connectivity and advance research, education, and economic opportunity across Ohio. He brings more than 40 years of experience in IT infrastructure and advanced networking, with expertise in high-speed data transfer, videoconferencing, and hybrid networking. Shah combines deep technical expertise with a commitment to collaboration, strengthening the advanced networking infrastructure that connects and supports Ohio’s communities.
Under his leadership, OARnet has reinforced Ohio’s position as a national broadband leader through its expansive network backbone, robust services, and strategic public-private partnerships. Shah has expanded OARnet’s impact through collaborations with major State of Ohio initiatives, including BroadbandOhio, InnovateOhio, and CyberOhio. Working across government, education, nonprofit, and private-sector partners, he has helped advance broadband access projects in rural and urban communities, while also supporting cybersecurity initiatives designed to protect state and local government agencies. Most recently, OARnet has contributed its statewide-network expertise to BroadbandOhio’s U.S. Route 30 Middle-Mile Infrastructure Project, a $20 million state initiative to develop middle-mile infrastructure from Lima to Mansfield to Canton, strengthening connectivity and economic opportunity across north-central Ohio.
Throughout his career, Shah has held multiple leadership roles at OARnet during distinct periods of the organization’s development. During an earlier tenure at OARnet, Shah created and managed the Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center–Ohio (ITEC-Ohio) and contributed to the Transportable Satellite Internet System. From 2013 to 2015, he also served as executive director of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, which has worked alongside OARnet for almost 40 years to serve research and educational communities in Ohio.
Shah currently is helping position OARnet for the evolution of future technologies by working closely with researchers at The Ohio State University on quantum networking test bed projects. These initiatives use OARnet’s fiber assets, facilities, test equipment, and network capacity to advance quantum key distribution and explore how classical and quantum networks can work together to strengthen information security across Ohio.
His broader experience includes serving as president and CEO of the Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN); director of infrastructure for IT services at Marquette University; engagement manager at Resource One Computer System; senior manager at the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT); division track manager at the New York City Transit Authority (MTA); and systems administrator in the computer science department at the City University of New York.
Shah’s professional service includes board appointments with The Quilt, Internet2, the Ohio Digital Government Summit, and the Ohio Higher Education IT Leadership Summit. He served as chair and vice chair of The Quilt’s board, and has also served on the OhioLINK Advisory Board, the governance and nominations committees of The Quilt and Internet2, and the StateNets steering committee. In 2025, he received The Quilt’s national Dave Reese Distinguished Service Award, recognizing his extraordinary leadership, support, and service to the research and education networking community. He also contributed to the Encyclopedia of Distance Learning, Second Edition.
Shah earned a diploma in mechanical engineering and a certification in advanced tool technology from S.B.M. Polytechnic in Mumbai, India. He holds a master’s degree in computer and information science from Brooklyn College, City University of New York (CUNY), and an executive MBA from Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business.
