Eliza sees water as a vital element of our interconnected global challenges – and an essential lens through which to envision change. In her work, she seeks to understand where we are most out of sync with water – intersecting with climate, agriculture, cities, nature, and well-being – and how shifts in economics, trade, and finance might bring us back into balance with water and with each other.

Eliza’s work previously focused on water and climate in Ethiopia, leading and supporting initiatives aimed at enhancing institutional capacity to manage growing water demands and climate risks; accelerating watershed conservation and restoration; and promoting urban water resilience through city and regional planning and governance.

Prior to joining WRI, Eliza served in the Peace Corps in Mali as an Agriculture and Community Development volunteer. She holds an MBA from the Wisconsin School of Business and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College. In 2014 she participated in the Singularity University Graduate Studies Program.

Eliza is a decent cook, a poor banjo player, an aspiring gardener, and an amateur futurist. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, two boys, and growing piles of rocks and laundry.