Elise (she/they) has a M.Sc. in marine biology from the University of Maine where she studied cold-water coral ecosystems. She received a National Geographic Society Early Career Grant in 2019 to support a science education and communications project in Southeast Alaska, where her graduate research was based. She is motivated by the need to develop community-driven resilience to climate change by supporting robust public education, local food systems, involving communities in citizen science, and developing adaptive strategies that meet each unique community's needs.