about

Hi! My name is Rachael and I am a disaster engineering PhD with a specialization in geophysical disaster modeling, risk, and resiliency – combining classic physics-driven models with remote sensing. I am joining the USAID SDF Program as an Infrastructure Advisor within the Bureau for Resiliency, Environment and Food Security. With a passion for disaster mitigation, water resources engineering, and promoting equitable infrastructure tools for vulnerable populations, I work at the crossroads of engineering and policy, contributing to informed decision-making at both technical and governance levels.

My graduate academic journey includes being a 2022 Fulbright Research Awardee in Nepal and a Rhodes Graduate Fellow in Interdisciplinary Research and my commitment to addressing global challenges is evident in previous roles as a co-founder of the National Academy of Engineering's Call to Action on the COVID-19 Crisis, which I launched in 2020. I have co-founded and managed the Kathmandu Geo Lab, an international research cohort on geohazard risk and resiliency between Duke University and Tribhuvan University in Nepal, in addition to coordinating initiatives for Engineers Without Borders USA at the state, regional, and national levels. 

I am a 2024 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Grantee, building multi-lingual disaster literacy programs directed at earthquake response for vulnerable populations in southern Kazakhstan. In addition to my interest in disaster research, I am trained in Rapid Seismic Damage Assessment and Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue. My professional interests extend beyond engineering, encompassing education access, women's and children's rights, and grassroots technology.