Leslie is pursuing her Master of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington, interested in the intersection of science and policy for climate change adaptation.

She is also currently a Next Generation Public Policy Fellow with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). Her thesis research is exploring the use of voluntary property buyouts as a policy tool for managed retreat.

Before starting at UW, Leslie was an air quality consultant specializing in emission inventories, permitting, regulatory compliance, and air dispersion modeling. She received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Rice University in 2014.

Outside of the academy, Leslie likes to explore tidepools, hike, do crossword puzzles, and bake.