Alex Hettena is the GIS Specialist at Borderlands Research Institute. Her responsibilities include database administration and management and spatial data analysis as well as support for BRI’s Center for Land Stewardship and Stakeholder Engagement.

Alex is originally from San Francisco, California. She earned a BA in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from Vanderbilt University and an MS in Environmental Science from Pace University. Her thesis focused on mountain lion diet composition and movement in a semi-rural area. During and after her master’s studies, Alex spent three years as the mountain lion research associate for the Living with Lions program at Audubon Canyon Ranch in California. Her long-term goal is to contribute to the field of conservation research through meaningful research.