Rebecca studied sociology, criminology, and education at the University of Toronto and Queen’s University in Canada. Since obtaining her PhD in Development Studies from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, she has worked for different international research institutes as a Research Fellow, most recently as Foreign Expert at the Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) in Bangkok.

Rebecca is experienced in research and evaluation, training and facilitation, policy analysis and development, strategic planning, project design and management, and stakeholder management. Her work has focused primarily on human trafficking, migrant smuggling, gender and human rights, social protection, and crime prevention. Rebecca’s interests then broadened to include development coordination, governance and institutions, and aid relationships. She has worked in Cambodia, Canada, China, Fiji, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Rebecca is regularly sought by United Nations (UN) agencies, governments, and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) as a technical expert. Prior to her current role with the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Rebecca was the Manager for People Smuggling, Human Trafficking, and Regional Cooperation with Immigration New Zealand. She also served as Immigration New Zealand’s Bali Process Project Coordinator based in the Regional Support Office (RSO) in Bangkok.