I am based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, a region I love for its cultural diversity, numerous resources, and proximity to beautiful natural areas. My favorite activity is hiking with my husband and dogs in the impressive redwood forests, watching fog condense in the treetops and drip down to the soft soil with a soundtrack of bird chirps and trickling streams.
After truly enjoying my studies at UCLA, I was fortunate to receive a fellowship from the UCSB Department of Geography, one of the nation’s top geography graduate programs. My most challenging and proudest work during that time was conducting an exploratory case study in Chiapas, Mexico that allowed me to interview coffee farmers in beautiful but vulnerable mountain communities. I learned about the impacts of climate change on their coffee production as well as factors influencing their decisions about adapting farming practices to changing climatic and environmental conditions. As far as I know, I was the first to propose the addition of specific social and cognitive factors to models of human adaptation to climate change, critical insights that continue to influence the direction of research as the impacts of climate change are increasingly felt around the world.
One of the professors I worked with at UCSB said he had never seen an article go through peer review with as few revision requests or get published as quickly as mine. My brain is certainly wired for language skills but I have also spent decades honing and evolving my craft. I was unlucky to finish my education and attempt to enter the workforce during the height of the Great Recession, but I think it made me more resilient and adaptable with my skill sets.
With so much competition for readers’ attention, there is no room for writing and editing that is just okay. Whether you don’t have the time or it’s just not your thing, my professional writing and editing prowess will engage your audience and help you achieve your goals. My experiences in education, research, non-profits, business and consulting allow me to use my writing and editing expertise to meet diverse needs and overcome a variety of challenges. For a more detailed peek into my experience and skills, visit my LinkedIn profile.
Hablo español! Para ayuda en español, por favor mande un correo electrónico a elisa@livingsustainably.com.