Rachel Brand
Rachel Brand is a lecturer in the Child Studies Department, with expertise in environmental education, food and environmental justice, community engaged learning and participatory research methods. Rachel received her B.A. in Urban Studies from New York University, her M.A. in Urban Studies from the University of California Santa Cruz in Sociology, and her Ed.D. in Education from the University of San Francisco, with a focus on International and Multicultural Education. Rachel received her Ed.D. while working full time and raising two children. Rachel recently completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Santa Clara University, in the Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and teaches the course Sustainable Food Systems.
Rachel's current research looks at food insecurity on college campuses, and how participatory action research can be used to enlist students in the analysis and strategies to address issues on their campus. Rachel approaches her research with an eye towards action and joy, and embeds relationship building into all aspects of her research from concept design through implementation. Some of Rachel's most recent scholarship includes, Students as co-researchers: Using participatory action research to address college food insecurity, published in a special issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development and two forthcoming articles including, PAR as Liberatory Educational Praxis, a book chapter in: Community Engaged Praxis in Peace, Social Justice, and Human Rights Education: Partnering for Transformative Change and Youth Participatory Action Research and Student Resistance: Envisioning College Food Security for All. A Book chapter in: Repertories of Resistance: Pedagogical Dreaming from the Classrooms to the Streets.
Before joining Child Studies, Rachel taught at both the University of San Francisco, and Merritt College in Oakland. Rachel loves to work with college students and looks forward to teaching Child Studies 106; Urban Education and Multiculturalism. Besides teaching, Rachel enjoys crafting, exploring California, spending time outdoors and most of all, time with her family.