Rachael Petersen

Rachael Petersen studies the interplay of philosophy, science, and literature in the long nineteenth century, with a particular focus on how German thinkers engaged questions of mind, matter, and animacy across human and nonhuman life. Her work traces how developments in biology and psychology shaped metaphysical and political thought, examining figures such as Gustav Fechner, Ernst Haeckel, and others. Rachael holds a Bachelors from Rice University and a Master of Divinity from Harvard, where she was awarded the Esther Sellholm Walz Prize for her thesis on Fechner’s Nanna: Oder Über das Seelenleben der Pflanzen. At Harvard, she launched and led the Thinking with Plants and Fungi Initiative, convening interdisciplinary public programs that explored vegetal and fungal life in relation to questions of sentience, cognition, and care.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Rachael spent a decade working at the intersection of conservation, science policy, and environmental advocacy, consulting for nonprofits and philanthropies worldwide. She has conducted fieldwork in the Amazon, Borneo, and Arctic Canada, and previously served as Senior Advisor to the National Geographic Society and Deputy Director of Global Forest Watch. Rachael is also a creative writer and poet, with work appearing in The Sun, Aeon, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Tricycle and elsewhere. In addition to German, she speaks Spanish and Portuguese.  You can learn more about Rachael at rachaelnpetersen.com.