August 27, 2025 – Internet2, a leading nonprofit, member-driven advanced technology corporation, has named Tripti Sinha as its new president and CEO. With more than 30 years of experience, Sinha is a leader in information technology, operations, governance, and policy, with a career dedicated to advancing cyberinfrastructure and internet technologies in research and education.
Sinha currently serves as the chief technology officer at the University of Maryland, where she heads the Advanced Cyberinfrastructure and Internet Global Services unit in the Division of Information Technology, and as executive director of a multi-state regional research and education network, the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX). She leads the university’s advanced regional networking operations, directs its high-performance, AI-optimized computing and research technology support, and oversees the National Quantum Laboratory.
“Sinha brings strategic vision, technical depth, and proven leadership to build on Internet2's nearly 30-year legacy during a transformational time for research and education," said Gregory Washington, George Mason University president and Internet2 Board chair. “Embracing the collaboration and trust that define our community, she will unite staff and community members to advance innovation, discovery, and lasting progress for a better world.”
Sinha succeeds Howard Pfeffer, effective October 15, 2025.
Key Roles in Technology and Policy
Sinha is internationally recognized for her leadership in internet governance and is known for her work in the technical stewardship of the global internet. She is currently the chair of the board of directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). In addition to her leadership roles at the University of Maryland, MAX, and ICANN, Sinha has served as the chair of the board of directors of The Quilt.
Leading Internet2’s Mission
In her role as Internet2 president and CEO, Sinha will lead the member-driven organization in its core mission: enabling U.S. higher education institutions to collaborate on mission-critical services that advance their academic, research, and service missions. Reporting to the board of trustees, she will have overall executive responsibility for Internet2.
Sinha will engage with Internet2's broad community of members, participants, and collaborators—including universities, government agencies, regional and state education networks, and corporations—to foster the innovation and scientific discovery that have helped to revolutionize the global research and learning environment. Her responsibilities will include working with the research and education community to develop a compelling vision for the future and partnering with staff to execute that vision.
“It is a privilege to step into the role of President and CEO at Internet2, an organization with a mission that is critical to the future of research and education,” said Sinha. “The collaborative spirit of this community is one of our greatest strengths. I look forward to working with our community and staff to continue pioneering innovative solutions and developing a shared vision for the future.”
Rigorous Search Process
The national search process, assisted by executive search firm WittKieffer, started in May. It was led by Cynthia Larive, Internet2 Board vice chair and chancellor of the University of California Santa Cruz, in her capacity as chair of the Internet2 CEO Search Committee. The other members of the committee were:
- Deborah F. Dent, chief information officer, Jackson State University
- Louis Fox, president and CEO, CENIC
- Klara Jelinkova, vice president and university CIO, Harvard University
- Melissa Loble, chief academic officer, Instructure
- Derek Masseth, executive director, Sun Corridor Network
- Valter Nordh, CEO, NORDUnet
- Daniel A. Reed, presidential professor of computational science, University of Utah
- Sean Reynolds, vice president and chief information officer, Northwestern University
“Following a rigorous national search, we welcome Tripti as the next leader of Internet2," said Larive. "With clarity, authenticity, and purpose, she is well-positioned to expand upon our collective successes and deliver new value to uplift the research and education community."
Internet2 is a nonprofit, member-driven advanced technology community founded by the nation’s leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 serves 347 U.S. universities, 59 government agencies, 46 regional and state education networks and through them supports more than 80,000 community anchor institutions, over 1,000 InCommon participants, 62 leading corporations working with our community, and 70 national research and education network operators that represent more than 100 countries.
Internet2 delivers a diverse portfolio of technology solutions that leverages, integrates, and amplifies the strengths of its members and helps support their educational, research and community service missions. Internet2’s core infrastructure components include the nation’s largest and fastest research and education network that was built to deliver advanced, customized services that are accessed and secured by the community-developed trust and identity framework.
For more information, visit https://internet2.edu.