us ca , ▁and ▁the ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁In verte br ate ▁Zo ology ▁at ▁the ▁Smith son ian ▁Institution ' s ▁National ▁Museum ▁of ▁Natural ▁History . ▁She ▁studies ▁the ▁divers ity ▁and ▁the ▁evolution ary ▁relationships ▁of ▁fresh water ▁and ▁marine ▁sn ails . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁sn ails ▁have ▁been ▁affected ▁by ▁humans ▁and ▁she ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁conservation ▁efforts ▁by ▁inform ing ▁best ▁how ▁to ▁help ▁these ▁species . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁Ellen ▁Str ong ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁northern ▁California ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁town . ▁She ▁would ▁collect ▁shell s ▁and ▁min er als ▁on ▁the ▁be aches ▁near ▁her ▁home , ▁but ▁she ▁found ▁her ▁interest ▁in ▁being ▁a ▁mal ac ologist ▁in ▁her ▁first ▁year ▁of ▁college ▁during ▁a ▁ge ology ▁course . ▁This ▁course ▁allowed ▁her ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁job ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁Museum ▁of ▁Pale ont ology . ▁She ▁graduated ▁with ▁hon ors ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁Ber keley ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁with ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁Pale ont ology . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁she ▁received ▁her ▁Ph D ▁in ▁Bi ology ▁with ▁hon ors ▁from ▁George ▁Washington ▁University . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁post do ctor al ▁fellow ▁at ▁the ▁Museum ▁für ▁Natur k unde ▁in ▁Berlin , ▁Germany ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁Smith son ian ▁Institution ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁She ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ▁in