Rhiannon Rognstad is the Data Science Lead for the Global Restoration Initiative and Data Lab. She collaborates with the GRI and Data Lab teams to ensure they have the processes, tools, and infrastructure to deliver exceptional data products.

Prior to joining WRI, Rhiannon was a senior data scientist in the biotechnology industry. She previously held roles as the Deputy Chief Data Scientist of a US government agency and as an academic researcher focusing on kelp forest biodiversity and protection. She holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina, where she studied population connectivity and environmental change in marine environments.

Rhiannon lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and daughter. She enjoys spending time outdoors, volunteering as a Virginia Master Naturalist, gardening and cooking with hard-won garden produce, and fiber crafts like knitting and sewing.