Danny Haelewaters
He/Him
I am bi and I am a postdoctoral researcher in mycology.//
I am a postdoctoral researcher, currently at the University of South Bohemia (Czech Republic) and starting November 2018 at Purdue University. I am a mycologist, with interest in phylogenetic relationships and associations with other organisms. My PhD research at Harvard University focused on Laboulbeniomycetes biotrophic fungi. I worked on resolving phylogenetic relationships and patterns of speciation. As a postdoc in the Czech Republic I continue my work with “labouls” but I also work on a project on parasitoid wasps that are natural enemies of ladybirds. At Purdue, I will characterize fungal microbes associated with romaine lettuce through a combination of experimental and next-generation sequencing techniques. A lot of diverse projects, and I haven’t even mentioned my interest in Leotiomycetes fungi. I have a wife and daughter (Luna, almost 2) but I identify as bisexual. I have had relationships with guys and have no problem talking about this with LGBT+ or straight/gender-conforming people. I care about diversity a lot. We founded the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Mycological Society of America, which I chaired this past year. This Committee organized a symposium “Boosting Diversity in Mycology” at the International Mycological Congress in Puerto Rico, focusing on contemporary issues such as (lack of) diversity, LGBT+ in STEM fields, and unconscious bias.
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