LGBTQ+ Team
The goal of GRIT’s LGBTQ+ Team is to create an open community and provide support and resources for people who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies. Through fostering community and building a support network, we hope to combat some of the issues that LGBTQ+ students face in STEM graduate careers including higher rates of mental health issues, higher attrition rates, and a lack of out LGBTQ+-identifying role models in their field. The latter issue is further exacerbated by the lower than average rates of coming out in a professional setting in STEM fields. We hope to combat this issue by creating an accepting and welcoming environment in which no one feels the need to hide themselves. We will accomplish this by travelling to conferences and recruiting talented LGTBQ+ individuals who will add to our community. Locally, we will foster a strong sense of community through events such as socials, BBQs, and seminars. Beyond this, we seek to make sure that the resources available to those who struggle with the complex issues facing the LGBTQ+ graduate community are available and known to any who need them.
Team Leads
Please feel free to contact the current team leads for more information:
- Grace DiRisio (she/her)- gdirisio@uchicago.edu
- Chris Spear (they/them) -cspear@uchicago.edu