Elise was born in the state named for mountains, Bozeman, Montana; raised in the state famous for its mountains, Morgantown, West Virginia; and now finds herself living amongst the mountains and clouds in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Elise is currently on sabbatical as an Associate Professor of Biology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. She has a BS in Veterinian Science from West Virginia University and a PhD in Biology from Indiana University, and is finishing up a PhD in Wildlife Conservation & Ecology at University of Florida. Her research interests bend towards Avian ecology, Community ecology, Population dynamics, Wildlife Conservation, Animal Behavior and Tropical biology. An intrepid explorer, she has traveled the world with nothing but love and curiosity for all things in nature. Even though she is gifted with elite muscle tissue, immune to spices, and able to reach the top of every cupboard, Elise would rather be in puddle on the ground rolling around in the mud, soil and dirt while interacting with all and every animal and insect she can find. Her sabbatical here in Costa Rica has her studying hummingbirds as a main focus, but she is being continuously distracted by the unlimited biodiversity that surrounds us here in Monteverde.

(John wrote this and Elise will likely edit it like crazy)