Rachel Cochran

Rachel conducts program evaluation and policy analysis for the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama with the lofty goal of improving statewide decision-making through non-partisan research.  She has done extensive work with educational and nonprofit organizations, facilitating the development and implementation of rigorous assessment systems to help them meet the needs of the communities they serve.  Just below her critical, data-driven outer shell lies a naïve idealist with deep respect for the interconnectedness of life, a passion for learning, and an intrinsic need to be of use to others.  Her approach can best be summed up by the words of Mother Teresa, “Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway.”