Rachel Lamb (back row, third from left) with a group of students from 2018
Rachel Lamb, PhD Candidate, University of Maryland
Au Sable Courses: Environmental Law and Policy (May Term in Chicago), Land Resources (Summer Session I at Great Lakes campus)
Understanding how science and policy interact has never been more necessary and relevant than it is today. Rachel Lamb, from the University of Maryland, College Park, teaches Au Sable’s May Term course Environmental Law and Policy as well as the policy portion of our team-taught Land Resources course in Summer Session I. Students studying and planning to work in the environmental field will be well equipped by Rachel’s teaching with knowledge of the policy making process and an exploration of the linkages between policy and science, all through the lens of Christian faith.
“Rachel has a way of engaging students in challenging dialogue that pushes us towards a nuanced understanding of our own thoughts and positions, but also leads to respect, camaraderie and mutual growth.”
Professor Rachel Lamb is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland where she studies Geographical Sciences and is a Flagship Fellow. Before returning to school to pursue her PhD, Rachel served as the National Organizer and Spokesperson for Young Evangelicals for Climate Action and in 2015 was recognized as a “Champion of Change” by the Obama Administration for her work on climate action in faith communities.
A student who took one of Rachel’s courses in 2016 stated: “Rachel has a way of engaging students in challenging dialogue that pushes us towards a nuanced understanding of our own thoughts and positions, but also leads to respect, camaraderie and mutual growth. It is clear that her teaching methodology, as well as her desire to teach, is firmly situated in the fact that our actions flow out of our ideas and ways of thinking, and these actions tangibly shape our world and the lives of others. Studying with Professor Rachel Lamb was an absolute pleasure.”
Rachel’s background is marked by extensive study and professional experience. She holds undergraduate degrees from Wheaton College, IL, in Environmental Studies and International Relations, and a Master of Science in Sustainable Development & Conservation Biology and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland. Rachel recently co-authored a major textbook in conservation biology to be published by Springer in March 2020, alongside Au Sable’s Executive Director, Dr. Fred Van Dyke.
Professionally, Rachel has worked with a number of development and environmental organizations both within the United States, but also abroad. Professor Lamb has worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a GRO Fellow, A Rocha Peru, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System, to name a few.
Of her work on the faculty at Au Sable, Rachel says, “Walking alongside and equipping students to more fully engage the Christian call to serve, protect and restore the earth is always a privilege. Au Sable’s dedication to place-based education and the conscious fostering of theocentric vocations among its students makes this a particularly special place to teach.”
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys hiking, camping, spending time with family, is a fan of classic literature and has the goal to visit every U.S. national park site.
Study under Rachel Lamb in Environmental Law and Policy and learn how science can inform the policy making process while diving into topics of environmental ethics, environmental justice and environmental advocacy. Rachel presents a multi-disciplinary approach to caring for God’s world when Christians’ role in engaging with environmental policy could not be more timely.
Click here to enroll in Rachel’s course or any of our college summer courses.