MEDS 2023
Pronouns: she/her
Bio
Elke is a master’s student studying Environmental Data Science in the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology in 2020 from Iowa State University with a curriculum focus on animal ecology. During her undergraduate studies, Elke sought out opportunities to connect animal ecology with her passion for marine conservation. She took hands-on marine coursework at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, California State University Monterey Bay, and the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. After graduating, Elke completed a 400-hour Animal Behavior Fellowship at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. During the fellowship, she implemented the use of Zoo Monitor - a behavior tracking tool - to monitor harbor seal and American crow behavior. Additionally, Elke’s undergraduate capstone project assessed using new technologies (autonomous recording units and Raven Pro sound analysis software) to replace traditional field techniques when monitoring quail coveys. Elke became enthusiastic about data science when processing data from Zoo Monitor and Raven Pro. Elke’s long-term goal is to use data science to inform effective marine wildlife conservation and fisheries management.