Rachel Berndtson is a human geographer whose research focuses on the contexts and outcomes of human-environment interactions as they relate to cultural and environmental sustainability. Earning her doctorate in Geographical Sciences from the University of Maryland, Rachel studied the mechanisms through which contemporary religious groups interpret and incorporate the environment and sustainable agriculture into sacred and institutional life. Her previous positions at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) and Department of Geographical Sciences have incorporated research, teaching, and academic management. Currently, Rachel is Assistant Academic Director and a Lecturer in the Department of Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland, where she engages in teaching, academic coordination, and faculty affairs. In her most current set of research, Rachel investigates the role of cultural ecosystem services on sustainable viticultural landscapes, as well as applications of student-centered teaching and learning on Geographic education.