text: Wilson received her Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from Eastern Washington University and her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL).  She worked on an MBA at the University of Oklahoma, and continued to build up her leadership training via the Harvard Institute for Management & Leadership in Education (MLE) program, Leadership Texas, and other programs.   Some of her early influences were via the Girl Scouts, where she earned a Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts.