GASP Welcomes Environmental Health Manager (Say Hi to Rachel, Everyone!)

Friends, we have some awesome news to share: GASP has hired its first-ever environmental health manager. Her name is Rachel Macias, and we think yinz are really gonna like her.

We certainly do.

Originally from the West Coast, Rachel earned her undergraduate degree in public health science from the University of California, Irvine, and her master’s of public health degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

Rachel now calls the South Side of Pittsburgh her home, one she shares with her husband and three cats.

She comes to GASP from The Center for Sleep and Circadian Science at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, where she served as a senior research associate. Prior to her tenure there, she served as a network project manager at PaTH Clinical Research Network at the University of Pittsburgh.

Rachel has a wealth of experience in research and public health, having served as a graduate student researcher at the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health as well as its Department of Epidemiology.

“GASP's mission is fundamentally linked to public health - we work to improve air quality, and the effects of poor air quality—like asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory illnesses, which are major public health issues. And we think Rachel’s a perfect fit for GASP and the work we are trying to accomplish,” GASP Executive DIrector Patrick Campbell said. 

GASP President Jonathan Nadle agreed.

“We’re thrilled to have Rachel join our team. Her expertise will help us connect our advocacy work directly to the health outcomes that matter to our community,” he said. “She understands the data, the policies, and the real-world impacts of environmental factors on people's well-being. This knowledge is crucial for strengthening our arguments and making our case to policymakers.”

Rachel said she looks forward to getting to work.

"I'm delighted to join the exceptional team here at GASP. Working for an organization with such a remarkable legacy is truly a dream come true!" Rachel said. "I am excited to apply my experience in epidemiological research to this position. I hope that by weaving robust health data into our work, we can only strengthen our advocacy efforts and reinforce the need for policy change." 

Please join us in welcoming Rachel to the GASP Gang.

Editor’s Note: Rachel can be reached at rachelm@gasp-pgh.org.