Rachel joined the Circle of Blue team in 2022 as a Communications Associate. She also works as a contributor for Great Lakes Now, one of Circle of Blue's partners in the Great Lakes News Collaborative. She studied broadcast journalism at the Michigan State University School of Journalism, where she interned for WKAR Public Media and worked as a copy-editor for the Spartan Medical Research Journal. In her free time, she enjoys watching scary movies, listening to podcasts, hiking, cooking and hanging out with her cat.
Audrey Whitaker is an editorial intern for Circle of Blue covering Michigan and the Great Lakes. She is a rising senior at Grand Valley State University studying Multimedia Journalism and Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Audrey’s interest in water stems from growing up sailing in Detroit, and she can still often be found sailing on a great lake in her free time.
Delaney Nelson is an intern for Circle of Blue covering drought in the American West. She writes Circle of Blue's weekly roundup of drought in the American West. She's a rising senior at Northwestern University studying journalism, political science, Spanish and environmental policy. In her free time, she likes to hang out with her dogs, play soccer and swim in Lake Michigan.
Hannah Richter is an editorial intern for Circle of Blue covering saltwater intrusion on the East Coast and designing graphics. She is a rising senior at the University of Chicago studying Environmental Science and Creative Writing in Nonfiction. In her free time, she directs her university's ballet company, cooks vegan food, and thrift shops.
Laura Gersony covers water policy, infrastructure, and energy for Circle of Blue. She also writes FRESH, Circle of Blue's biweekly digest of Great Lakes policy news, and HotSpots H2O, a monthly column about the regions and populations most at-risk for water-related hazards and conflict. She is an Environmental Studies and Political Science major at the University of Chicago and an avid Lake Michigan swimmer.