DIRECTORY LISTING

Biography

Azadeh Keivani

Dr. Azadeh Keivani is the Dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at Lehman College, City University of New York. An astrophysicist, artificial intelligence specialist, educator, and social impact entrepreneur, she brings a rare convergence of academic research and teaching, corporate AI strategy, healthcare technology, and community workforce development to the role. Dr. Keivani earned her Ph.D. in physics from Louisiana State University and completed postdoctoral research at Pennsylvania State University, where she built partnerships with international observatories. She then spent several years within the New York City academic community. At Columbia University, she advanced scientific literacy by designing core curriculum, managing federal research grants, and mentoring the next generation of scientists, work she extended through teaching at Barnard College and mentorship at the American Museum of Natural History.

Her expertise reaches well beyond the classroom into industry and civic life. As founder of Digital Age Academy Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, she established partnerships to equip Bronx youth with skills in AI and entrepreneurship, and her documentary series, "Citizen Science: A Symphony of Human Power," teaches communities to use public data for advocacy. This civic work is paired with enterprise experience leading AI and machine learning initiatives at Deloitte, along with earlier data science roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where she developed advanced methods for the early detection of cancer and cardiac diseases. A recipient of the American Physical Society's 2023 Career Lectureship Award for translating complex research into societal and educational impact, Dr. Keivani has been a steadfast advocate for immigrants, women, and first-generation college students throughout her career.