Our Leadership
In managing the organization's financial health, public reputation, and operations, Mulchaey is supported by an executive team. As the Director and Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair of the Carnegie Science Observatories, Mulchaey also works with the Directors of Carnegie Science's other two research divisions to shape our scientific direction. Together, Carnegie Science's leadership suite ensures that we is able to maintain our independence, pursue advantageous partnerships, and advance scientific breakthroughs.
Executive Leadership Team
Anat Shahar is Carnegie's first Deputy for Research Advancement. She is also a Staff Scientist at Carnegie's Earth and Planets Laboratory. Her administrative work is focused on the early career scientific experience at Carnegie, including onboarding, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for postdocs and staff associates, as well as on enhancing Carnegie-wide support to advance our federal funding efforts at all stages.
Michael Stambaugh is Carnegie's first Chief Investment Officer. He is responsible for managing the institution's endowment.
Bill Fahey is Carnegie's first Chief Human Resources Officer. He officially joined the institution in the spring of 2022 after a year as in an interim position and a year consulting. He is working to modernize Carnegie’s Human Resources efforts, implementing improved systems, policies, and procedures that support our research mission.
Jeanine Forsythe joined Carnegie as Chief Development Officer in February 2023. She is responsible for managing the institution's fundraising efforts.
Maisha Williams is Carnegie's Chief Operating Officer. She works with the President to balance the needs of today’s scientists with those of future Carnegie researchers.
Benjamin Aderson is Carnegie's General Counsel and Secretary. He is responsible for legal matters and governance.
Karen Sodomick is Carnegie's first Chief Communications Officer. She is responsible for overseeing Carnegie's communications and branding strategy.
Ben Barbin is the Chief of Staff to Carnegie President Eric D. Isaacs and the Liaison to the Carnegie Board of Trustees.
Scientific Division Leadership
Aquatic ecologist Stephanie Hampton joined Carnegie as Deputy Director of Carnegie’s newly launched Division of Biosphere Sciences & Engineering at the end of July 2022. She is also the President of the Ecological Society of America. Stephanie Hampton arrived from the National Science Foundation, where she was the director of the Division of Environmental Biology. She was also a professor and the former director of an interdisciplinary environmental research center at Washington State University.
Experimental petrologist Michael Walter became Director of the recently formed Carnegie Earth & Planets Laboratory in 2022, where he was previously Deputy Director. His recent research focuses on the period early in Earth’s history, shortly after the planet accreted from the cloud of gas and dust surrounding our young Sun, when the mantle and the core first separated into distinct layers.
John Mulchaey, Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair and Director of the Carnegie Observatories Director, joined Carnegie Science as a Staff Scientist in 1999. He was named Director in 2015. Mulchaey is a renowned astronomer, well-regarded for his work on groups and clusters of galaxies—most of which, including our own Milky Way, exist collectively. He is also the institution's Science Deputy.
