Rachel is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Geographical Sciences and Flagship Fellow at the University of Maryland, College Park. Through her research, Rachel is exploring how climate change governance can better reflect the complex, non-linear, and dynamic nature of social-ecological systems. Her current work focuses on the socioeconomic applications of NASA Carbon Monitoring System products to advance climate-smart land use with benefits for biodiversity.

As part of her professional development, Rachel has worked for numerous agencies and organizations, including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, A Rocha Peru, National Socio-Ecological Synthesis Research Center (SESYNC), Society for Conservation Biology, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. During the summers, she teaches Environmental Law and Policy and Land Resources Policy at the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies in Michigan as an Assistant Professor. Prior to beginning this program, Rachel served as Y.E.C.A.’s National Organizer and Spokesperson and was a founding member of the Steering Committee, serving two years as Chair. She currently holds the position of Senior Advisor to the organization. 

In 2015, Rachel was named a White House Champion of Change for her efforts in protecting our environment and communities from the effects of climate change. In 2018, Rachel was named a Harvey Fellow by the Mustard Seed Foundation. 

Areas of Interest

  • coupled human-natural systems
  • climate change policy
  • conservation and development
  • carbon monitoring
  • strategic reforestation
Personal Website
LinkedIn Profile

Degrees

  • Degree Details
    M.S. Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Degree Details
    M.P.P. Public Policy, University of Maryland, College Park
  • Degree Details
    B.A. International Relations, Wheaton College (IL)
  • Degree Details
    B.S. Environmental Studies, Wheaton College (IL)

Awards

  • 2020-12-14
    Sustainability Fund Grant (Year 2 Renewal), University of Maryland, College Park
  • 2020-05-13
    Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, Department of Geographical Sciences
  • 2020-02-12
    Science for Public Good Fund Grant, Union of Concerned Scientists
  • 2020-01-27
    Sustainability Fund Grant, University of Maryland, College Park
  • 2019-05-10
    O.E. Baker Award for Outstanding Academic and Service Performance, Department of Geographical Sciences
  • 2019-05-10
    Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, Department of Geographical Sciences
  • 2018-05-08
    Outstanding Graduate Student Government Assembly Member Award, University of Maryland, College Park
  • 2018-05-03
    Enlightening Talk Competition, 1st place, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS), University of Maryland, College Park
  • 2018-04-13
    Best Student Presentation Award, 1st Place, Landscape Specialty Group, American Association of Geographers
  • 2018-02-13
    Harvey Fellowship, Mustard Seed Foundation
  • 2017-09-05
    SESYNC Graduate Student Research Fellowship (supported Graduate Pursuit 2017-2019)
  • 2016-08-28
    Behavioral and Social Sciences Dean's Fellowship, University of Maryland, College Park
  • 2016-08-28
    University of Maryland Flagship Fellowship

Conferences

  • American Geophysical Union (AGU), Annual Meeting - Poster Presentations
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU), Annual Meeting - Oral Presentation
  • NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting - Poster Presentation
  • American Association of Geographers (AAG), Annual Meeting - Oral Presentation, SESYNC Graduate Pursuit Research
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Annual Meeting - Poster Presentation
  • American Geophysical Union (AGU), Annual Meeting - Paper Presentation
  • Association for Forest Spatial Analysis Technologies (ForestSAT), Annual Meeting - Paper Presentation
  • Sunbelt Conference of the International Network for Social Network Analysis - Paper Presentation, SESYNC Graduate Pursuit Research Team
  • International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR), Annual Conference - Paper Presentation, SESYNC Graduate Pursuit Research Team
  • American Association of Geographers (AAG), Annual Meeting - Paper Presentation
  • American Association of Geographers (AAG), Middle Atlantic Division Meeting - Paper Presentation
  • National Socio-Enviornmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), Graduate Student Workshop on Socio-Environmental Synthesis - Participant
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Annual Meeting - Poster Presentation
Course Name Course Title Semester Syllabus
GEOG130 Developing Countries Fall 2019
GEOG330 As the World Turns: Society and Sustainability in a Time of Great Change Summer 2019
GEOG330 As the World Turns: Society and Sustainability in a Time of Great Change Winter 2020

Research Topics

  • Carbon, Vegetation Dynamics and Landscape-Scale Processes
  • Campus
    Founding Member and Officer, Graduate Science Policy at UMD (2019-Present)
  • Campus
    Graduate Student Representative, Student Honor Council, Student Judiciary (2017-Present)
  • Campus
    Member, Society of Flagship Fellows and McNair Fellows (2016-Present)
  • Campus
    Vice President of Government Affairs, Graduate Student Government (2018-2020)
  • Campus
    Chair, Academic Affairs Committee, Graduate Student Government (2017-2018)
  • Campus
    Departmental Representative, Graduate Student Government (2016-2018)
  • State
    Ex Officio Member, University System of Maryland Student Council (2018-2020)
  • National
    Board Member, A Rocha USA (2020-Present)
  • National
    Working Group Co-Chair, Research Funding and Funding Policy Committee, SAGE Coalition (2019-2020)
  • National
    Senior Editor, FERNS: The Graduate Journal on Environmental Stewardship (2017-2019)
Rachel Lamb
1150 Samuel J. LeFrak Hall
Department of Geographical Sciences
Email
rachlamb [at] umd.edu
Office Hours
By Appointment