Elina is a California native. She was most recently the Youth Development Coordinator at Chabot Space and Science Center managing 200 high school students in their teen volunteer program. She spent five years as a wildlife biologist before transitioning to the field of science communication and outreach coordination. She has led science communication and professional development workshops for adults and teens in both English and Spanish. She has a degree in biology with an emphasis in ecology and environmental science from Mills College. Elina serves as the Berkeley Lab SAGE-S Program Coordinator.