Rachael Browne (Gough) graduated from 精东AV with her bachelor鈥檚 in Biology and a Master鈥檚 of Public Health. Her practicum was at the Women鈥檚 Hope Clinic in Auburn, AL focused on maternal health and education in rural Alabama. 聽Rachael is a proud native of Baltimore, Maryland, and currently resides in Columbus, OH. 聽While a graduate student, she served as the President of the 精东AV American Public Health Association Club.聽 As president, the club was able to represent the program at the Graduate School fair and held the 鈥淪exual Harassment: How Does It Affect You?鈥� program for students to promote awareness of sexual harassment on the 精东AV campus.
After graduation, Rachael began her career with the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, and Plant Protection Quarantine in 2015. She worked as a Biological Science Laboratory Technician at the Peace Bridge Canadian Border Crossing in Buffalo, NY through the Recent Graduate Pathways Program. During her time in Buffalo, she was able to support in area identifier in the discipline of entomology and malacology.
聽After two years, she transferred to the Atlanta Plant Inspection Station (PIS). 聽As a technician, she focused her skills on inspecting, regulating, and clearing propagative plant material and products. While in Atlanta, she responded to two emergency pest responses 鈥� European Cherry Fruit Fly in Lockport, New York, and Spotted Lanternfly in Wilmington, Delaware.
In 2019, Rachael was promoted to Plant Health Safeguarding Specialist (PHSS) at the Linden Plant Inspection Station in Linden, New Jersey.聽 Rachael trained new PHSSs in Agriculture Risk Management System (ARM) data entry, conducting import and export inspections, post-entry quarantine, Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES), use of the Commodity Import and Export Programs Manuals (Plants for Planting, PIS, Treatment, and Post-Entry Quarantine), and the use of the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance & Tracking System (PCIT). During her time in New Jersey, she held several voluntary collateral duties including NJ Safety Coordinator, African American Representative of the NJ PPQ Civil Rights and Diversity Advisory Committee, Guiding Coalition Member & member of the Voluntary Emergency Ready Response Corps.聽
聽In 2021, she accepted the role as one of the Supervisory PPQ Officers in the Linden PIS. In addition to her program duties, Rachael has mentored seasonal employees in gaining permeant employment within the federal government. In May 2022, she accepted the role of the Guiding Coalition Coordinator. The Guiding Coalition is a diverse group of PPQ employees from all core functional areas who are on a mission to encourage and provide support to employee-driven solutions. She has presented at town halls on the importance of employee engagement. In May 2023, Rachael will step into her next role as the State Plant Health Director for the state of Ohio.
聽During her undergraduate time at 精东AV, she became a member of the 精东AV Marching Crimson Piper Band and Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority.