Rachel DeGaugh is a senior studying Global Affairs, Spanish, and data science with research interests in international law, human rights, disability rights, and data science applications for law. DeGaugh is currently working with Prof. Diane A. Desierto in the Notre Dame Law School Global Human Rights Clinic, where she has contributed to cases before the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Her roles include fact-finding, literature review, drafting policy briefs, developing research proposals, and supporting international litigation and advocacy efforts. DeGaugh is also completing a Spanish honors thesis on how historical legacies of authoritarianism and post-dictatorship transitions in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay have shaped contemporary care policies for women with disabilities.
DeGaugh has received several fellowships and awards, including QuestBridge Finalist and the Transformational Leaders Program Summer Experience Award Fellowship in 2023 and 2024. Through these opportunities, she has conducted field research in Chile, worked with Catholic Relief Services and La Casa de Amistad to support migrants from Latin America, and contributed to human rights advocacy with civil society partners in Nicaragua, Ukraine, and Venezuela. DeGaugh has also studied abroad at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and serves as President of Notre Dame’s QuestBridge Chapter, leading a community of over 500 first-generation, low-income students. She is happy to advise other students on pursuing international fellowships, building human rights research experience, and navigating first-generation college student leadership opportunities.