For the past 10 years, Jen has worked as a marine conservation scientist and educator who aims to reach new constituencies with a positive conservation message in order to grow collaborative networks from diverse regions, backgrounds, and cultures around the world.
She received her Master’s degree in Applied Ecology and Conservation from the University of East Anglia (England) with a focus on community-based conservation and education as a tool to reduce poaching of endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica. Through a myriad of ocean projects, she has worked with non-profit, government, and private sectors such as the Marine Conservation Biology Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Sea Mammal Research Unit, Environmental Media Fund, Ocean Institute, and National Marine Fisheries Service.
She also has extensive field experience and has researched endangered Hawaiian monk seals, albatross, and green sea turtles while living on one of the worlds most remote coral atoll chains, now known as the Papah?naumoku?kea Marine National Monument. During this time she assisted National Geographic’s CRITTERCAM series and Jean-Michel Cousteau’s PBS series Voyage to Kure. Prior to Hawaii, she joined Ocean Alliance's R/V Odyssey expedition, a five-year scientific voyage to study the health of the world’s oceans. Through this experience, she sailed across the Pacific Ocean collaborating with cultures across Baja, Galapagos Islands, Marquises, Republic of Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.
In her spare time, Jen trains in dance, is an avid hiker and photographer, and remains actively involved as a mentor with international youth programs such as Ocean Revolution.
