Rachel Handa (she/her) is a student research assistant working on the Urban Food Equity team for the 2024-2025 UC San Diego Student Food Security Research Study. Rachel’s role involves developing and implementing outreach and collaboration strategies to improve student knowledge and use of food security resources on campus.

Rachel is a second year undergraduate student at UC San Diego majoring in Sociology with a minor in Ethnic Studies. She has four years of experience developing, implementing, and engaging students in equity initiatives across several student settings, including peer support services, student government, and campus cooperatives. Her work centers on uniting students and organizations across different interests to increase student equity and power on campus. As a student, Rachel is an active member of the UCSD Food Co-Op, as well as a founding member of the Eighth College Council, where she strives to expand community access and empower student agency. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, Rachel hopes to pursue a career in macro social work to strengthen the capacity of communities and organizations.

Rachel joined the Center for Community Health in 2025.