Diego Patrimonio
He/Him
I am gay and deaf and I am a geologist and museum scientist.//
As an out and proud gay and deaf person, being in a science field was more complicated than I thought. Growing up, I loved all kinds of sciences from paleontology to chemistry, astronomy to marine sciences. However, in my early education, I didn’t feel it was accessible enough. As a deaf and queer person, it was hard to be taken seriously during my higher education and early career, but I pushed through and happily made it to where I am today.
I graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in Geological Sciences and Anthropology, and a minor in Biology. My academic focus was natural history and evolutionary biology to incorporate into museum studies.
I work as a director of education at a science museum. My focus is on the STEM exhibits and programs, elevating them to higher levels and inspiring people to love science. I also work on making STEM and museums more accessible by learning and implementing policies that foster inclusion, diversity, and equity in museums and other informal learning institutions. I want to inspire a new generation of scientists by showcasing incredible scientists doing incredible work today.
During my free time, I do a lot of hiking and rock hounding, looking for rocks, minerals, and fossils where I can. I would like to go back to school for my master’s in paleontology and museum studies. I want to broaden the world’s view about life on Earth and how so much has changed before humans arrived. And then show much has changed since humans have arrived.