Transformations: A Conversation with Debbie Raphael, Director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment

July 22, 2021

Debbie Raphael never planned to work in government. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in biology and Master’s in Psychological Plant Ecology, she began working on her Ph.D. and was on track to don a white lab coat and study plant ecology for the rest of her professional career. However, something about this path didn’t sit right with her. Instead of continuing with her Ph.D. program, Debbie quit. After teaching high school for a few years...