Bahar Javadi Khasraghi joins BIS faculty with a passion for research, teaching, and student connection

When Bahar Javadi Khasraghi talks about her journey to becoming a professor, she sees it as something meant to be. “I really believe in my heart that everything in life happens as it means to happen,” she said. “My journey shows that.” 

She earned her bachelor’s degree in software engineering, where a course on how the brain works — and how neural networks are inspired by it — sparked her interest in artificial intelligence. That led to a master’s degree where she dug into AI, and another course deepened her curiosity about human behavior and cognition. 

“I started a PhD in cognitive science because I wanted to learn more about how the brain works and how different environments impact human performance,” she said. Over time, she also became deeply interested in how humans react when interacting with technology. With encouragement from her sisters — both professors — and a chance meeting with the professor who would become her advisor, she transferred into a management information systems PhD program. 

Her research began to focus on how system delays affect human performance and whether those delays influence whether people continue to use an app. This study sparked her larger interest in how humans react when interacting with technology. Building on that foundation, she decided to study the intersection of artificial intelligence and human behavior — in particular, how people respond when AI exhibits discriminatory behavior. “The faculty’s research here at Central Michigan University matches perfectly with my passion and interests,” she said. “That’s why the College of Business is a perfect fit for me.” 

Javadi Khasraghi comes from a family of educators and has seen firsthand the impact they’ve had on students. She’s eager to do the same, integrating her research into her teaching to help students understand why the concepts matter. “I want to encourage students to think about why we are even learning this and why it matters,” she said. 

Her teaching philosophy centers on meeting students where they are and making sure everyone learns something, regardless of their starting point. She uses hands-on activities, group work, and class discussions to keep students engaged. Flexibility is key, too — she makes herself available outside of scheduled office hours if students need help. “Even if my syllabus lists one set office hour each week, if a student needs another time and I’m able, I’m happy to meet with them,” she said. 

She also shares with students one of her core beliefs: perseverance. “No matter what anyone says, believe in yourself,” she said. “Be consistent. Never give up. If anyone says you cannot, always believe you can.” 

It’s advice shaped by her own path — earning her PhD on a timeline others doubted, navigating an international move, and making a major academic transition to align her research with her passions. She wants her students to see that setbacks and challenges are part of the process, not the end of it. “As long as you keep going, you’ll get where you want to be,” she said.