Chris Craney

Founder & Program Director

Chris Craney

Chris founded the TOPS program in 1992, and he now oversees the general operation of the various TOPS programs. He is also the Chair of the Biochemistry Department, and Professor of Chemistry at Occidental College.

Luis de la Cruz

Operations Manager

Luis de la Cruz

Luis conducts the TOPS van visits, prepares and delivers TOPS kits, and oversees the TOPS weekend and summer seminars.

Ian Jan

Lead Editor

Ian Jan

Ian has been working for TOPS as a content creator and now the lead editor since his first-year at Occidental College. He is planning on majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Physics and also works at the Critical Making Studio as a video peer learning adviser.

Snigdha Suvarna

Marketing & Promotions Director

Snigdha Suvarna

Snigdha joined TOPS in Fall 2016. She is the Marketing and Promotions Director for TOPS and is extremely passionate about the program. She is currently a sophomore Economics Major and Sociology Minor, and is a member of the Occidental Dance Team, Kappa Alpha Theta, Oxypreneurship, and TEDxOccidental College. Snigdha hopes to pursue a career in social entrepreneurship as she wants to help others in the world.

Kellee Murayama

Kellee recently joined the TOPS Team in Spring 2018 and is working as the TOPS Coordinator.  She graduated from Occidental College in 2012 with a BA in Biochemistry and will be finishing her Master’s Degree from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Biomedical Sciences and Translational Medicine in June 2018.

Snigdha Suvarna

Snigdha joined TOPS in Fall 2016 and has since been part of the team for the past 2 years. She is the Marketing and Promotions Director for TOPS and is extremely passionate about the program. She is currently a sophomore Economics Major and Sociology Minor and is extremely involved on campus as she is a member of the Occidental Dance Team, Kappa Alpha Theta, Oxypreneurship, and TEDxOccidental College.   Snigdha hopes to pursue a career in social entrepreneurship as she wants to help others in the world.

Ian Jan

Ian Jan has been working for TOPS as a content creator and now the lead editor since his first-year at Occidental College. He is planning on majoring in Biochemistry with a minor in Physics and also works at the Critical Making Studio as a video peer learning adviser.

Ilya Hora

Ilya Hora recently joined TOPS in the Spring of 2018, as a social media worker and filmer. She lives in San Francisco and has grown up in both San Francisco and Hong Kong. She attended Northfield Mount Hermon, a boarding school in Western Massachussets, all four years of high school. Ilya will graduate Occidental College in 2021 and would like to study Psychology, Sociology or Cognitive Science but is still undecided. In the future, she hopes to work in the entertainment industry.