Karissa was born and raised on Queens, NY, and graduated summa cum laude from Adelphi University's Honors College with a BFA in 2008. She discovered the field of art conservation during a behind-the-scenes tour at New York City’s American Museum of Natural History. Consequently, in 2014, she decided to pursue additional BA degrees in Art Conservation and Art History at the University of Delaware, which allowed her to immerse herself in the field’s ethics, science, and techniques. In 2020 she attained a Master of Science in Art Conservation with a Library and Archives major and Paper minor from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC). Karissa has worked in many institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Library of Congress, University of Michigan, Indiana Historical Society, and The American Philosophical Society. In her free time, Karissa enjoys reading, collecting greeting cards and wrapping paper, building furniture for family and friends, and planning her future tree house.