Kaitlyn Gaynor
She/Her
I am queer and I am a wildlife ecologist. //
In a recent conversation about diversity and inclusion in my field, a student asked me how being queer had any bearing on being an ecologist. After some reflection, I realized just how much of my perspective on the world is shaped by my queerness. Breaking down binaries, questioning the status quo, and embracing diversity pushes us to be better scientists, critical thinkers, and collaborators. I am currently completing my PhD at UC Berkeley, where I conduct research on the effects of human activity on wildlife behavior and community interactions and am proud to be in a very queer-friendly research group. I love to swim/bike/run, sing karaoke, and cook vegan food with my partner, whenever I’m not collaring deer in California or camera trapping antelope in Africa (a challenging place to be queer, but an inspiring place to work).