Tricia joined the ISNS team in 2025. She grew up in Colorado, USA where she spent time skiing and learned to love the natural world around her. She attended the University of Oregon where she earned a BA in Environmental Studies and International Studies. Tricia moved to Hawaii where she owned a landscaping business for 20 years and created numerous school gardens on elementary and middle school campuses. Hawaii provided a laboratory where natural systems were visible on a daily basis and discussed through a Hawaiian cultural lens.   

After working in the school system for 6 years, Tricia returned to Oregon to obtain a Master of Arts in Teaching in STEM from Pacific University. Tricia taught middle school science and high school agriculture at schools on the islands of Maui and Lana’i. Before coming to ISNS, Tricia taught MS science and HS Earth Science in Japan for two years. When not teaching, Tricia loves to spend time in nature, eating delicious food, and exploring.