ABOUT

Rachel is a circular economy and sustainability professional with a background in environmental science, sustainable waste management, policy, and systems thinking and analysis. She is a Consultant at Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), where she works with public and private sector clients on issues such as recycling, waste reduction, packaging, and extended producer responsibility.

Rachel has a variety of practical and academic experiences in the environmental field. She holds a PhD in Engineering Systems from MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. For her PhD research, Rachel conducted a material flow analysis of a university campus and analyzed the environmental impact of its material consumption. Rachel promoted the circular management of consumer products and advanced Extended Producer Responsibility laws in the US during her time working for the Product Stewardship Institute. She worked for the City of Somerville, where she oversaw recycling/compost expansion efforts in the city’s public schools.  She also has worked for MIT’s Office of Sustainability, researching and helping implement methods for the university to reduce its materials footprint via improved purchasing and waste management practices. Other past work and research include: assessing the life cycle emissions of computers, analyzing the complexity of biofuels, and studying stormwater pollutants from parking lots.

Rachel holds an M.S. in Technology and Policy from MIT, where she focused her research on the environmental, economic, and social implications of waste management systems in India. She received her B.S. Summa Cum Laude in Science of Natural and Environmental Systems from Cornell University. 

In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, baking new recipes, and throwing pottery.