We are a committed team of engineers, scientists, and applied and computational mathematicians working toward a common goal of developing an Earth system model capable of accurate and precise climate predictions.

Our Team
Science and Engineering Team
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Brandon Allen
Ocean Core
Brandon Allen
Research scientist, MIT
- Ph.D., MIT, 2019
- Elementary particle physics, high-performance computing
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Eric Ballouz
Data Assimilation
Eric Ballouz
Graduate Student, Caltech
- M.S., Stanford University, 2019
- Inverse Problems and Parameter Learning for Chaotic Systems
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Valeria Barra
Atmosphere Core/Software Engineering
Valeria Barra
Research Software Engineer, Caltech
- Ph.D., NJIT, 2018
- Computational mathematics and high-performance scientific computing
- Numerical methods for PDEs
- Computational fluid dynamics
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Jordan Benjamin
Atmosphere Processes
Jordan Benjamin
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.S., MIT, 2019
- Clouds, microphysics, turbulence, and convection
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Melanie Bieli
Atmosphere Processes
Melanie Bieli
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Columbia University, 2019
- Statistical models and machine learning techniques for cloud microphysics
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Tobias Bischoff
Atmosphere Processes
Tobias Bischoff
Senior Research Scientist, Caltech
- PhD., Caltech, 2016
- Senior Data & Applied Scientist at Microsoft, 2016-2019
- Subgrid-scale modeling for atmospheric processes
- Machine learning & AI approaches
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Jake Bolewski
Software Engineering
Jake Bolewski
Software Engineer, Caltech
- B.S., Cornell University, 2011
- Array databases
- Cloud computing
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Dave Bonan
Atmosphere Processes
Dave Bonan
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.S., University of Washington, 2019
- Climate dynamics, sea ice, ocean overturning, feedbacks
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Renato Braghiere
Land Model
Renato Braghiere
Research Scientist, JPL/UCLA
- Ph.D., University of Reading, 2018
- Land Surface Modeling, radiative transfer theory, and biosphere-atmosphere interactions
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Dmitry Burov
Data Assimilation/Machine Learning
Dmitry Burov
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.Sc., Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 2013
- Experimental design approaches for optimal placement of high-resolution simulations
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Simon Byrne
Software Engineering
Simon Byrne
Lead Software Engineer, Caltech
- Ph.D., University of Cambridge, 2011
- Management of large and distributed software projects
- High-performance computing
- Statistics and machine learning
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Jean-Michel Campin
Ocean Core
Jean-Michel Campin
Research Scientist, MIT
- Ph.D., Université catholique de Louvain, 1997
- Computational fluid dynamics and ocean modelling; extensive experience developing ocean, sea-ice and atmospheric models
- Co-developer of the MITgcm ocean model
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Valentin Churavy
Software Engineering
Valentin Churavy
Graduate Student, MIT
- B.Sc., University Osnabrück, Germany, 2015; M.Sc., MIT, 2019
- Compiler research for heterogenous high-performance computing
- Julia language development
- Distributed and accelerated computing for high-level programming languages
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Yair Cohen
Atmosphere Processes
Yair Cohen
Research Scientist, Caltech
- Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2016
- Process models for atmospheric turbulence, convection, and clouds
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Costa Christopoulos
Atmosphere Processes
Costa Christopoulos
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.S., MIT, 2017
- Clouds and convection
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Emily de Jong
Atmosphere Processes
Emily de Jong
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.S.E., Princeton University, 2019
- Aerosol indirect effects
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Katherine Deck
Land Model
Katherine Deck
Senior Research Scientist, Caltech
- Ph.D., MIT, 2014
- Evolution of dynamical systems
- Inverse problems and learning from data
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Oliver Dunbar
Data Assimilation/Machine Learning
Oliver Dunbar
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., University of Warwick, 2017
- Experimental design approaches for optimal placement of high-resolution simulations
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Alan Edelman
Software Engineering
Alan Edelman
Professor of Applied Mathematics Computer Science, MIT
- Ph.D., MIT, 1989
- Software for high-performance computing, numerical linear algebra, random matrix theory
- Recipient of the Gordon Bell Prize and Householder Prize (1990), Chauvenet Prize (1998), Edgerly Science Partnership Award (1999), SIAM Activity Group on Linear Algebra Prize (2000), and Lester R. Ford Award (2005, with Gilbert Strang).
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Haakon Ervik
Atmosphere Processes/Data Assimilation
Haakon Ervik
Graduate Student, Caltech
- M.Sc., University of Bergen, 2020
- Subgrid-scale modeling for atmospheric turbulence, convection and clouds
- Inverse problems, stochastic modeling, and learning from data
- Recipient of Aker Scholarship and Fulbright Fellowship
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Kristen Fahy
Land Model
Kristen Fahy
Science Systems Engineer, JPL
- M.Ed./B.S – Rutgers University, 2015
- Using systems engineering practices and tools to optimize efficiency for climate modelling projects, including project management tasks with the CliMA land model component at JPL.
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Raffaele Ferrari
Ocean Core and Processes
Raffaele Ferrari
Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Oceanography; Director of the Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate, MIT
- Ph.D., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2000
- Theories of ocean turbulence and its impact on biogeochemistry and present/past climates
- Recipient of the Nicholas P. Fofonoff Award (American Meteorological Society), Robert L. and Bettie P. Cody Award (Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
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Christian Frankenberg
Land/Biosphere
Christian Frankenberg
Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Caltech; Research Scientist, JPL
- Ph.D., Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, 2005
- Carbon cycle; atmospheric CO2 and methane; space-based measurements of the biosphere
- Recipient of Macelwane Medal (AGU). AGU Fellow. NASA Early Career Achievement Medal
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Basile Gallet
Ocean Processes
Basile Gallet
Researcher, CEA Saclay, France
- Ph.D., Physics, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, 2011
- Radiatively driven convection, wave-mean flow interactions, asymptotic methods in geophysical fluid dynamics
- Recipient of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Distinguished Scholar Award (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
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Frank Giraldo
Atmosphere Core
Frank Giraldo
Professor of Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School
- Ph.D., University of Virginia, 1995
- Numerical methods for partial differential equations; scientific computing
- Core architect of U.S. Navy’s atmosphere model
- Recipient of Carl E. and Jesse W. Menneken Award (NPS Foundation), Alan Berman Research Prize (U.S. Navy)
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Jia He
Atmosphere Processes
Jia He
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Georgia Tech, 2017
- Atmosphere dynamics; machine learning for weather prediction
- Parameterization of atmospheric turbulence, convection, and clouds
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Chris Hill
Ocean Core
Chris Hill
Principal Research Engineer, MIT
- Climate modeling, high-performance parallel computing
- Architect of the widely used MITgcm ocean model and Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF)
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Adeline Hillier
Ocean Processes
Adeline Hillier
Student Researcher, MIT
- Machine learning
- Parameterization of ocean convection
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Mike Howland
Atmosphere Processes/Data Assimilation
Mike Howland
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Stanford University, 2020
- Data assimilation
- Atmospheric flow physics
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Daniel Z. Huang
Atmosphere Processes/Data Assimilation
Daniel Z. Huang
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Stanford, 2020
- Computational mathematics
- Multiphysics
- Machine Learning
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Anna Jaruga
Atmosphere Processes
Anna Jaruga
Research Scientist, Caltech
- Ph.D., University of Warsaw, 2017
- Cloud microphysics and cloud-aerosol interactions
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Charles Kawczynski
Software Engineering
Charles Kawczynski
Software Engineer, Caltech
- Ph.D., UCLA, 2018
- Computational fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics
- High-performance computing, machine learning
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Sriharsha Kandala
Software Engineering
Sriharsha Kandala
Research Software Engineer, Caltech
- PhD., Illinois Institute of Technology, 2015
- Computational fluid dynamics and High-performance computing
- Software development
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Jeremy Kozdon
Atmosphere Core
Jeremy Kozdon
Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School
- Ph.D., Stanford University, 2009
- Robust and accurate numerical methods for partial differential equations
- High-performance computing; experienced developer of parallel codes for CPUs and GPUs
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Paul Levine
Land Model
Paul Levine
Postdoc, JPL
- Ph.D., UC Irvine, 2019
- Biosphere-atmosphere transfer processes
- Water and carbon cycle interactions
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Ignacio Lopez-Gomez
Atmosphere Processes
Ignacio Lopez-Gomez
Graduate Student, Caltech
- M.Sc., ISAE-SUPAERO, 2018
- Computational fluid dynamics; process models for atmospheric turbulence, convection, and clouds
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Shuang Ma
Land Model
Shuang Ma
Postdoc, JPL
- Ph.D., Northern Arizona University, 2019
- Terrestrial carbon cycle
- Representation of natural wetland methane emission in land system models
- Representation of below ground carbon cycle in land system models
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Ben Mackay
Software Engineering
Ben Mackay
Schmidt Scholar, Caltech
- B.S., Caltech, 2020
- High performance computing
- Cloud microphysics
- Stochastic processes
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Simone Marras
Atmosphere Core
Simone Marras
Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Ph.D., Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, 2012
- Numerical methods for PDEs
- High-performance computing
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John Marshall
Ocean Core and Processes
John Marshall
Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Oceanography; Director Climate Modeling Initiative, MIT
- Ph.D., Imperial College, 1980
- Ocean circulation theory; coupled dynamics of atmosphere and oceans; parameterization of ocean processes
- Architect of the widely used MITgcm ocean model
- Recipient of L.F. Richardson Prize (Royal Meteorological Society), Sverdrup Gold Medal and Bernhard Haurwitz Prize (both American Meteorological Society). Fellow of the Royal Society.
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Elias Massoud
Land Model
Elias Massoud
Postdoc, JPL
- Ph.D., UC Irvine, 2017
- Model development and documentation
- Uncertainty quantification of Earth system processes
- Water and carbon cycle
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Nicholas Nelsen
Data Assimilation/Machine Learning
Nicholas Nelsen
Graduate Student, Caltech
- M.Sc., Caltech, 2020
- Emulation of high-dimensional input-output maps
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Alexander Norton
Land Model
Alexander Norton
Postdoc, JPL
- Ph.D., University of Melbourne, 2019
- Terrestrial Carbon Cycling
- Carbon-Climate Feedbacks
- Data Assimilation
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Lenka Novak
Atmosphere Processes
Lenka Novak
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., University of Reading, 2016
- Large-scale atmosphere dynamics; storm track dynamics
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Grace O’Neil
Atmosphere Processes
Grace O’Neil
Graduate Student, MIT
- M.A., Columbia University, 2020
- Atmospheric Dynamics
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Kiran Pamnany
Software Engineering
Kiran Pamnany
Research Software Engineer, Caltech
- Ph.D. Brown University, 2011
- Parallel systems: algorithms, programming models, compilers and runtimes, architecture
- Julia language developer
- High performance computing
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Nicholas Parazoo
Land Model
Nicholas Parazoo
Research Scientist, JPL
- Ph.D., Colorado State University, 2011
- Terrestrial carbon cycling
- Carbon-climate feedbacks
- Atmospheric Transport
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Henry Peterson
Atmosphere Processes
Henry Peterson
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.A., UC Berkeley, 2019
- Large-scale climate dynamics
- Extreme precipitation trends
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Ulyana Piterbarg
Ocean Processes
Ulyana Piterbarg
Student Researcher, MIT
- Bayesian learning and stochastic modeling
- Subgrid-scale modeling of oceanic turbulence
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Ali Ramadhan
Ocean Processes
Ali Ramadhan
Graduate Student, MIT
- M.S., University of Waterloo, 2017
- Atmosphere-ocean-cryosphere dynamics; biophysical ocean interactions
- High-performance computing and ocean model development
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Sassan Saatchi
Land Model
Sassan Saatchi
Senior Research Scientist, JPL
- PhD., George Washington University, 1988
- Carbon Cycle
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John Seinfeld
Atmosphere Processes
John Seinfeld
Louis E. Nohl Professor & Professor of Chemical Engineering, Caltech
- Ph.D., Princeton University, 1967
- Atmospheric chemistry and physics; aerosols
- Developer of first numerical model of atmospheric chemistry and air pollution
- Recipient of Tyler Prizefor Environmental Achievement. Member of the National Academy of Sciences
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Tapio Schneider
Atmosphere Processes
Tapio Schneider
Theodore Y. Wu Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Caltech; Senior Research Scientist, JPL
- Ph.D., Princeton University, 2001
- Dynamics of atmospheres and climate changes, including changes in clouds, storminess, and extreme precipitation
- Named one of “20 Best Brains Under 40” (Discover Magazine), David and Lucile Packard Fellow, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow.
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Zhaoyi Shen
Atmosphere Processes
Zhaoyi Shen
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Princeton University, 2018
- Climate dynamics and aerosol-climate interactions
- Cloud dynamics and feedbacks
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Clare Singer
Atmosphere Processes
Clare Singer
Graduate Student, Caltech
- B.S./B.A., University of Chicago, 2018
- Cloud feedbacks
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Andre Souza
Ocean Processes
Andre Souza
Research Scientist, MIT
- Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2016
- Optimal control and scientific computing; turbulent heat transport theory and rare events in dynamical systems
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Akshay Sridhar
Atmosphere Processes
Akshay Sridhar
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Caltech, 2018
- Subgrid-scale modelling of atmospheric turbulence and clouds
- Numerical techniques in earth-system modeling/high-performance computing
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Andrew Stuart
Data Assimilation/Machine Learning
Andrew Stuart
Bren Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Caltech
- Ph.D., University of Oxford, 1986
- Bayesian learning and optimal combination of mechanistic models with data; data assimilation, inverse problems, and stochastic modeling
- Recipient of James Wilkinson Prize in Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing (SIAM), J. D. Crawford Prize (SIAM), Wolfson Research Merit Award (Royal Society)
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Andrew Thompson
Ocean Processes
Andrew Thompson
Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, Caltech
- Ph.D., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 2006
- Physical oceanography, Southern Ocean dynamics, role of ocean in climate
- Recipient of AGU Ocean Sciences Early Career Award. David and Lucile Packard Fellow
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Yassine Tissaoui
Atmosphere Core
Yassine Tissaoui
Graduate Student, NJIT
- Degree of Engineer, National Engineering School of Tunis, Tunisia
- Atmosphere modeling
- Scientific computing
- Climate simulation
- Multi-phase flow and drop dynamics
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Gregory Wagner
Ocean Processes
Gregory Wagner
Research Scientist, MIT
- Ph.D., UC San Diego, 2016
- Dynamics of waves and small-scale mixing in oceans
- Recipient of NOAA Climate and Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Yujie Wang
Land Model
Yujie Wang
Postdoc, Caltech
- PhD, University of Utah, 2020
- Model development
- Leaf gas exchange
- Plant acclimation to the climate
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Ryan Ward
Atmosphere Processes
Ryan Ward
Graduate Student, Caltech
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Maciej Waruszewski
Atmosphere Core
Maciej Waruszewski
Research Associate, NPS
- Ph.D., University of Warsaw, 2019
- Numerical methods for PDEs
- Simulations of atmospheric flows
- Heterogeneous high-performance computing
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Lucas Wilcox
Atmosphere Core
Lucas Wilcox
Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School
- Ph.D., Brown University, 2006
- Computational mathematics and scientific computing
- Recipient of Carl E. and Jesse W. Menneken Award (NPS Foundation)
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John Worden
Land Model
John Worden
Principal Scientist, JPL
- Ph.D., University of Colorado, 1996
- Remote sensing of atmospheric composition and assimilation of these data into global models for investigating the carbon and water cycle
- JPL Earth Sciences Section Manager 2014 – 2017
- NASA Aura TES PI 2010 – 2014
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Jinlong Wu
Atmosphere Processes, Data Assimilation/Machine Learning
Jinlong Wu
Postdoc, Caltech
- Ph.D., Virginia Tech, 2018
- Turbulence modeling
- Statistical models and machine learning techniques
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Yan Yang
Land Model
Yan Yang
Postdoc, JPL
- Ph.D., Boston University, 2017
- Model development and data assimilation
- Vegetation remote sensing
- Statistical analysis and machine learning
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Dennis Yatunin
Software Engineering
Dennis Yatunin
Schmidt Scholar, Caltech
- B.S., Caltech, 2020
- High-performance computing and numerical methods
Project Management and Coordination
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Dan McCleese
Project Management
Dan McCleese
Senior Project Manager, Caltech
- Ph.D., University of Oxford, 1976
- Managed projects and missions in Earth and planetary science as JPL Chief Scientist (2006-2016) and Chief Scientist for Mars Exploration (1994-2006)
- Science architect for JPL/NASA Mars Exploration Program
- Recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership and Distinguished Service Medals
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Sabrina Pirzada
Program Coordination
Sabrina Pirzada
CliMA Program Coordinator, Caltech
- B.A., Mount Saint Mary’s University, 2017
- Program development
- Research administration
- Finance and communication
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Ashlee Zhang
Finance
Ashlee Zhang
CliMA Finance Assistant; Grants Manager, Caltech
- B.A., UC San Diego, 2014
- Financial management
- Financial forecasting and budgeting