About Ellie…
In May 2024 I graduated with a Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Systems technology from the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Working with Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block crew to transform concrete stairs into a handicap ramp for an elderly homeowner.
The geography of Arizona played a major role in my desire to ensure environmental welfare. Early on I connected to the spirit of the land and was moved by the diversity of ecosystems inside the state. The vast Grand Canyon, rocky Navajo and Hopi reservations, red-toned Sedona, resilient Sonoran Desert, and proud Ponderosa Pine forest all feel like family members to me- I never grow tired of learning their wisdom. As a young girl I was taught about climate change and how it threatened my beloved landscapes. I knew I’d found my purpose and vowed to do everything I could to preserve and protect all natural environments.
In 2022, I graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with an emphasis on land, water, and society interactions and a double minor in Environmental Science and Urban and Regional Development.
In summertime of 2021 I found myself in Iowa, my family’s ancestral land working as an environmental steward in the Energy and Community Branch of Green Iowa AmeriCorps. My daily tasks included conducting home energy audits, working with Habitat for Humanity in the metro, conducting seed harvests and invasive species removal with Polk County Conservation, and water quality monitoring with the Izaak Walton League.
In May 2024 I graduated with a Master of Science degree in Geographic Information Systems technology from the University of Arizona. I am now employed in the department of equity, happily putting my degrees to work for the city of Tucson.
