At universities today, financial officers face conflicting demands that involve financial realities, the educational mission, and public expectations. “They are to go forth and be fiscally prudent, but not in a way which places economics before academics,” wrote Amir Rahnamay-Azar in his dissertation while pursuing his EdD in higher education management from Penn. He put his words into action as a financial officer at USC (1999-2010) and Georgia Tech (2010-2013). Last August, he brought his expertise to CMU, where he is Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer.