Jean was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. She has a B.S. in Computer Science with minors in Mathematics and Biology from the University of Denver, and an M.S. in Wildlife Conservation with a focus on ecosystem modeling from the University of Minnesota. She worked as a Biological Technician for USFWS Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, where she participated in bird banding, surveys for ducks, geese, and moose, vole radio tracking, and hunter check stations. And of course, organizing their GIS. She had so much fun the first summer that she applied the following two summers! In her free time Jean enjoys tai chi, travel, hiking, and yoga.