Floraine was born in Germany in 1984. She went to school in Switzerland and in the US. After getting her Ph.D in Berkeley, she was a research scientist in computer graphics and human computer interaction. She passed away unexpectedly in the night of 15 August 2015 in Berkeley, well before her time. "Besides work, I am a feverish traveler, never getting tired of visiting new places, learning new languages, understanding different cultures. I travel with my eyes, with my thoughts, with my curiosity, with my hopes and dreams. Every trip has been a life time experience and has shaped my personality in an incredible way." (floraine.org)