Rachel Kerestes

Current position and employer: Executive Director, Science is US, AAAS

Hometown: Scotch Plains, NJ

Current City: Jacksonville, FL

Why did you choose McCourt? Coming out of the lab and into the policy world, I was looking for a degree that would provide a solid background in government and public policy that could flex as my career grew.

What was the best part of your experience? Learning from some of the most brilliant minds and thought leaders in public policy and the practitioners who were doing the work.

What internships did you have during your time at McCourt?

Student organization involvement while at McCourt: I was the Social Co-Chair on our class board.

How else do you use your McCourt degree to make an impact? I am the Chair-Elect of the board of Keep Nassau Beautiful—a leading conservation nonprofit in Florida—and was recently appointed as a member of the Citizens Oversight Committee for the Nassau County, Florida, School District. In both I use my policy analysis skills, public management and public finance training that I received through my MPP to make a positive difference in my community.

Undergraduate university, degree, and major: Mount Holyoke College, BA in Biology

Hobbies/ Interests: My specific policy interest is science policy. My hobbies include tennis, travel, hiking and cooking.