Hello! I'm Rachel, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Harvard University. My research focuses on how political and organizational processes shape the development, distribution, and governance of consequential technologies and infrastructures. My work lies at the intersection of political sociology, urban sociology, economic sociology, and science & technology studies. I specialize in qualitative methods.

My dissertation examines the conditions under which new public transit extensions are built in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drawing on interviews, documentary, and archival data about Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA)'s system expansion histories, I analyze why some rail extension plans advanced while others failed. 

I've also worked on projects related to corporate "tech ethics" and regulating workplace scheduling software. 

I was born and raised in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs, and received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2019.