Hello! I'm Rachel, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Harvard University. My research focuses on the reciprocal relationship between technological development and society, with substantive interests ranging from digital software to trains. My work draws broadly on economic sociology, political sociology, sociology of development, urban 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 and archival data about the extension projects of two transit agencies (Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA)), I analyze why some rail extension plans advanced while others failed. Theoretically, this project is about how dispersed, multi-scalar relationships between state and non-state actors—from business coalitions to urban environmentalists—shape public service delivery in the United States. This project also offers foundational insights into an enduring puzzle: why the United States, despite having one of the most successful economies in the world, has trouble building public transportation. 

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.