Rachel Tomas Morgan serves as Council Member At-Large with the City of South Bend.
Born in the Philippines and raised in central Illinois, Rachel came to South Bend to earn a B.A. in Religious Studies and Psychology from St. Mary’s College. After gaining a Masters in Systematic Theology from the University of Notre Dame, she and her husband committed to making South Bend home and raising their children on the city’s near west side.
Her life and work are rooted in service to others. She has previously worked in international development, natural disaster assistance, secondary education, and faith-based social outreach. She has served on boards of non-profits and university committees around the world. She built a twenty-five-year career in higher education as an administrator and faculty member connecting university resources in students’ service and faculty research with development initiatives in communities across the world to address today’s most pressing problems.
Having specialized in the field of global engagement, she has collaborated with campuses and non-governmental organizations, taught courses, managed programs, and consulted on global initiatives across the United States and around the world. Her teaching and research interests have included global citizenship, civic and political engagement, cultural humility/competency, and the intersection of ethics, global education, and international development. Her passion has been to educate students about their responsibility as global citizens locally rooted and working in service to the common good.
As an at-large member of the Common Council, Rachel is committed to serving and representing all people and businesses, in all districts across the city, working together to build a South Bend where all can flourish. Additionally, being an immigrant and an American Asian Pacific Islander uniquely shapes her perspective as a public servant and grounds her desire to serve.