Nelissa supports overall monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects of the Crop Trust. Her professional interests include: international agricultural development, commodity price analysis, econometric impact assessment, and agricultural policy. She has a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Göttingen in Germany and a Master’s degree from Michigan State University in the USA.

Nelissa received a U.S. Fulbright scholarship in 2004 and a grant for early-researchers in 2014 from the German Research Foundation. She was recognized as a Young Rice Scientist at the International Rice Congress in 2014 for her work on rice price analysis. She joined the Crop Trust in 2015.