MEDS 2023
Pronouns: she/her
Bio
Elise Gonzales earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology, Behavior, & Evolution with a Minor in Marine Science from University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Her interest in this area began when she worked for the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research lab at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) studying changes in diet and behavior of local fish species in response to climate change in the kelp forest ecosystem. She also studied abroad in the Indo-Pacific, and became passionate about biocultural conservation as a result of the mentorship of Dr. Michelle Paddack. Elise decided to pursue additional research experience in the area of tropical marine ecology when she worked for the Smith Lab at UCSD. Here, she used spatial analysis to study factors affecting the bleaching of coral species surrounding the island of Maui, Hawai’i. This project gave her a deeper understanding of the power of data science in exploring and solving environmental problems. She is now pursuing a Master of Environmental Data Science Degree at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UCSB, with the goal of utilizing data science in the fields of marine conservation and environmental justice.