Marissa received a B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Human Biology, and Ecology and Evolution from the University of Oregon in 2020. She assisted with research projects that focused on plant and soil microbial communities, as well as Bacteria and Archaea mathematical models and bioinformatics. After graduating in September 2020, Marissa joined the Ellison Lab as a research assistant with long-term goals or pursuing a Ph.D.