Core Staff

Elissa (she/her) is a Lead Scientist with the Changing Landscapes Lab. She is an ecologist by training and works at the intersection of conservation biology, agroecology, and landscape ecology. She enjoys working with interdisciplinary teams to identify novel strategies to mitigate biodiversity loss and help both humans and wildlife coexist, by combining methods from social science, field measurements, bioinformatics, and big data. Elissa works closely with private landowners, government agencies, and other conservation practitioners to ensure that her work is both shared widely and accessible to the communities where she works. She is deeply committed to equitable and inclusive conservation science, where all perspectives are valued, and stakeholder engagement is prioritized. Many of Elissa’s past research endeavors have focused on how farms can be managed to maintain biodiversity and ensure the sustainable delivery of ecosystem services, with a special focus on pest control and pollination. Most recently, her work with USDA partners has helped to guide pollinator conservation investments by identifying regions most vulnerable to the loss of pollination services.

Elissa holds a PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Santa Cruz, as well as a BS in Wildlife Biology from Penn State University. Following her undergraduate degree, Elissa’s work as a seasonal wildlife biologist took her to coffee plantations in southern Mexico, Yellowstone National Park, the Peruvian Amazon, and the Sonoran Desert. She spent many years working with farmers (and bats and birds) in the California Central Coast, where she calls home today. She is happiest playing outdoors with her family, finding magic in California’s diverse landscapes from redwood forests to granite peaks.