Lena is currently pursuing her master's degree in Geological Sciences, with a primary focus on advancing snowpack modeling in the western United States. Her research is centered on assimilating snow data from SNOTEL sites and remotely sensed airborne observations, including lidar and satellite data, to enhance the accuracy of snowpack models. Lena holds a bachelor's degree in Geology from Carleton College, where she conducted an honors thesis evaluating the rock mechanics around the San Andreas Fault to improve stress estimations on the fault. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked as a staff scientist at an environmental consulting firm in Minneapolis, where she applied her expertise in computer science and data analysis to interpret environmental data.