Garrett Shipway
They/Them
I am non-binary and pansexual and I am a master’s student.//
I knew I wanted to be a marine mammal biologist since middle school and so in undergrad when I had the opportunity to work with a large marine mammal species, I jumped at the chance. I fell in love with doing research, particularly physiology, and so I have continued that work into a graduate degree at Sonoma State University investigating the role of adipose derived hormones in northern elephant seals. Being LGBTQAI+ in STEM has never been an issue for me. I have always worked in very welcoming environments and when in graduate school I decided to switch my pronouns, I was comforted to see many of my peers adding their own pronouns into their zoom names and email signatures and seeing them jump in when they noticed I was referred to with the incorrect pronouns. For me, STEM has been a safe environment for me to be myself and I look forward to continuing to work in this field through doctoral school and eventually setting up my own lab and continuing the welcoming environment and sense of community I have found.