Rachael is the Impacts Manager for Global Forest Watch (GFW), an interactive online forest monitoring and alert system designed to empower people everywhere with the information they need to better manage and conserve forest landscapes. Rachael bridges the technical and engagement strategies of GFW, working with research partners to create next-generation forest monitoring systems and coordinating with data end-users to ensure uptake of these systems for decision-making. She believes that planetary-scale earth observation systems are a practical necessity for solving the global collective action problems of the Anthropocene.

Previously, as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Rachael travelled the world – from the high eastern Arctic to the heart of Borneo – researching how remote indigenous communities harness digital technology to preserve their cultures and resources. She has also worked on conservation issues at the Environmental Defense Fund and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. Rachael holds a B.A. from Rice University.