KDIS Faculty and Staff

Faculty and Program Directors

Najva Akbari.

Najva Akbari, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Physics of Living Systems

PhD, Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University

(Joining January 2026)

Rui Cheng.

Rui Cheng, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Physics of Climate, Energy, and the Environment

PhD, Environmental Science and Engineering, California Institute of Technology

Zeynep Enkavi.

Zeynep Enkavi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Neuroscience

PhD, Psychology (Neuroscience), Stanford University

Modular E-9

zenkavi@cmc.edu

Emily Kolenbrander Ho.

Emily Kolenbrander Ho, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Developmental Biology

PhD, Developmental Biology, Stanford University

Modular A-3

eho@cmc.edu 

Jason Keller.

Jason Keller, Ph.D.

Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences: Ecology

PhD, Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame

Modular E-17

jkeller@cmc.edu

Pranav Khandelwal.

Pranav Khandelwal, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Physics of Living Systems

PhD, Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

pkhandelwal@cmc.edu

Shaun Lee.

Shaun Lee, Ph.D.

Kravis Associate Professor of Integrated Sciences: Molecular Biology and Microbiology

PhD, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health Sciences University

Modular E-2

swlee@cmc.edu

Dr. Ran Libeskind-Hadas

Ran Libeskind-Hadas, Ph.D.

Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences: Computational Biology and Founding Chair

PhD, Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Modular E-6

rhadas@cmc.edu

Erica Moscarello.

Erica Moscarello, Ph.D.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Chemistry

PhD, Chemistry, The Ohio State University

Modular A-2

emoscarello@cmc.edu

Avaneesh Narla.

Avaneesh Narla, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Physics of Living Systems

PhD, Physics, University of California San Diego

(Joining January 2026)

David Nembhard.

David Nembhard, Ph.D.

Director of Applied Science Programs

PhD, Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan

(On leave AY 25-26)

dnembhard@cmc.edu

Paul Nerenberg

Paul Nerenberg, Ph.D.

Kravis Associate Professor of Integrated Sciences: Computational Science 

PhD, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Modular E-1

pnerenberg@cmc.edu

Jon Raberg.

Jon Raberg, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Chemistry of Climate, Energy, and the Environment

PhD, Geological Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder

(Joining January 2026)

Colin Rathbun.

Colin Rathbun, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Chemistry

PhD, Chemistry, University of California, Irvine

Modular E-10

crathbun@cmc.edu

Lars Schmitz.

Lars Schmitz, Ph.D.

Kravis Associate Professor of Integrated Sciences: Biology

PhD, Geology, University of California, Davis

Modular E-15

lschmitz@cmc.edu

Eric Schuppe.

Eric Schuppe, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Neuroscience

PhD, Biology, Wake Forest University

(Joining January 2026)

Nia Walker.

Nia Walker, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences: Biology

PhD, Biology (Ecology and Evolution) Stanford University

Modular E-16

nwalker@cmc.edu

Branwen Williams.

Branwen Williams, Ph.D.

George R. Roberts Professor of Integrated Sciences: Environmental Science

PhD, Geological Sciences, The Ohio State University

Modular E-4

bwilliams@cmc.edu

Diana Williams.

Diana Williams, Ph.D.

Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences: Neuroscience

PhD, Psychology (Behavioral Neuroscience), University of Pennsylvania

Modular E-3

dlwilliams@cmc.edu

Shibu Yooseph.

Shibu Yooseph, Ph.D.

Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

PhD, Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania

Modular E-13

syooseph@cmc.edu

Staff

Tiffany Anderson.

Tiffany Anderson

Department Administrator

MA, US History, University of California, Irvine

Modular E-8

tanderson@cmc.edu

909-607-2701

Ariana Gray Bé.

Ariana Gray Bé, Ph.D.

Laboratory Director

PhD, Chemistry, Northwestern University

Modular F-1

agraybe@cmc.edu

Joseph Galeno.

Joseph Galeno

Environmental/Chemical Health Officer

MPH, California State University, San Marcos

Modular E-7

jgaleno@cmc.edu

Niels Hauksson.

Niels Hauksson, Ph.D.

Laboratory Director

PhD, Earth System Science, University of California Irvine

Modular F-1

nhauksson@cmc.edu

Risa Purow-Ruderman.

Risa Purow-Ruderman

Laboratory Manager

BS, Biology, Harvey Mudd College

Modular E-11

rruderman@cmc.edu

Andy Thompson.

Andy Thompson, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow

Ph.D. Biology, Brigham Young University

Modular E-12

athompson@cmc.edu 

Science Advisory Council