She has been researching renewable energy for the past 5 years and has been working to assess the economic and environmental impact of renewable transportation fuels, specifically biofuels from algae. She is the director of director of economics and sustainability for the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts, a DOE funded consortium that is completing its final reports. Her PHD is in environmental and natural resource economics with an emphasis on non-market valuation from the University of New Mexico.