Lesley Smith was born in Los Angeles, California. She earned a bachelor's degree in aquatic biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1980 and a Ph.D. in marine environmental and estuarine sciences from the University of Maryland in 1987. Her career experience includes working as an environmental scientist. She was the first female aquanaut to work in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s underwater research habitat, Aquarius. She previously served on the Boulder Valley school board.
