Empress is an environmental geographer who has worked at TRNERR since 2021. She started as an education specialist with California State Parks and now works as a research assistant and a coastal training program associate for SWIA. She attended San Diego State University where she earned a B.A. and M.A. in Geography. Her work is a rich blend of focuses on providing training and technical assistance for coastal decision makers and community members in the U.S. and Mexico, environmental justice, estuarine ecology, habitat monitoring, ecosystem services, environmental education, community science, and fostering cross-sectoral relationships within the Reserve. As a San Diego native, Empress enjoys spending her time outdoors hiking and exploring the local food scene.
