Faculty

Our community of world-class faculty is composed of scholar-practitioners, with expertise in subjects ranging from ecological economics and clean technology to social entrepreneurship and urban sustainability.

Program Directors and Professors

Dariush Rafinejad, PhDProvost

Dariush has 30+ years of experience as a senior executive in high-tech industries in Silicon Valley. He was Corporate Vice President at both Applied Materials and LAM Research, both billion dollar semiconductor process equipment manufacturers.

Steven Crane, PhDProgram Director and Professor

Steven M. Crane, MBA, PhD is a consultant, educator, and expert in sustainable finance. He has over two decades of experience in designing and implementing sustainable change strategies for social enterprises.

R. Paul HermanProgram Director and Professor

R. Paul Herman is a globally recognized leader in ESG ratings and impact-themed portfolios and Founder of the Center for Sustainable Finance at Presidio Graduate School.

Khalid Kadir, PhDProgram Director and Professor

Khalid is passionate about addressing global poverty and social justice.  He has served as a Core Faculty member of the Blum Center’s Global Poverty and Practice program and a Faculty Advisor to the Engineering Scholars=Engaged Scholars (ES2) program.

Donna LaSala, MPAProgram Director and Professor

Donna is passionate about efficient and sustainable government automation, implementing analytical frameworks for business process analysis, ethical information management, performance measurement and business intelligence, broadening civic participation and access to education.

Marsha Willard, PhDProgram Director and Professor

Marsha maintains her 25-year-old consulting firm doing business under the name of AXIS Performance Advisors. AXIS specializes in helping organizations implement sustainability.

Mary Kay Chess, PhDLeadership Program Integrator and Adjunct Professor

Mary Kay teaches new and emerging leaders how to facilitate change in complex organizations and start-ups. She is passionate about and committed to supporting healthcare system improvements.

Dwight Collins, PhDStrategy Adviser to the Provost and Adjunct Professor

Dwight is one of the founding faculty members of Presidio Graduate School and co-founded PGS’s Experiential Learning Program. He has a lifetime experience sustaining innovation and stakeholder value through operational excellence.

Meet the Adjunct Faculty Academy

Adjunct Faculty Academy