Rachel McGill

Rachel McGill joined the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) in December 2021 as a scientific program associate. In this role, McGill supports both the Health-Agriculture Nexus and Urban Food Systems Challenge Areas. Some of her responsibilities include project management, coordination of proposal review, program development support, meeting planning and synthesis of research outcomes or needs. McGill is passionate about the intersections of public health and environmental protection and sees food systems research and innovation as a tremendous opportunity to make progress in those areas.

Prior to joining FFAR, McGill worked in environmental health consulting at ICF, supporting research by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health through report development, systematic literature review, data visualization and support to scientific workshops. She also worked at the University of Virginia in various research roles related to nitrogen pollution, water quality and emissions accounting for institutional food procurement.

McGill earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences and health and well-being from the University of Virginia. In her free time, she enjoys running and yoga, as well as outdoor activities like wildlife photography. She has been involved with various animal rescues and sanctuaries and currently volunteers for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in the D.C. area.