
Rachel Jackson-Gordon is a Research Associate at the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, where she started in May 2022. As part of her role, she plans and conducts community-engaged research and evaluation projects on topics such as violence prevention, homelessness, and affordable housing. Rachel uses mixed methods and participatory approaches to answer research questions and generate recommendations to contribute to solutions for problems in the Charlotte Region. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati’s Educational Studies’ Research Methods program, where she focused on Educational and Community-Based Action Research. Rachel has worked in the research and evaluation field for six years. Prior to this role, she worked at the University of Cincinnati Evaluation Services Center, where she helped evaluate local, regional, and national programs related to public health, education, and social justice.