Darren Kessner, PhD

Math and Computer Science Teacher, Software Developer, Researcher and Consultant

I serve as Program Head of Computer Science and Software Innovation at Marlborough School in Los Angeles. I develop the computer science curriculum, and I work with faculty in various departments (e.g. Math, Science, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Social Sciences, Social Justice) to integrate computational thinking and coding into the curriculum. I supervise students in research and interdisciplinary projects involving computer science and engineering.

I also develop bioinformatics software for cancer research at the Ellison Medical Institute. I am currently working on software related to: DNA sequencing, mass spectrometry for proteomics and metabolomics, AI image analysis for drug discovery, clinical databases, and data analysis pipelines.

I have taught at the secondary and college levels, and have written software for over 25 years in various fields, including computer security, computer graphics, and computational biology.

I am a strong proponent of free and open source software, open public data, and open educational resources. I am also an advocate for increasing the diversity of voices in the STEM fields in general, and in software development in particular.