Maxine Wren
She/They
I am queer and I am a professor of bioinformatics and genomics.//
I have been openly pansexual for most of my life, and out as a transwoman since midway through my biology PhD program at the University of Oregon. I have studied a wide swath of topics including entomology, mycology, tropical ecology, microbial ecology, and microbial fermentation. I finished my dissertation investigating the impact of disturbance intensity on microbial communities in human managed ecosystems in spring of 2023.
I was then hired by the Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program (KCGIP) at the University of Oregon to be a teaching professor for the Bioinformatics and Genomics Track. I now to get to teach my lovely students about genomics, sequencing technologies, wet lab work, ethics, and science communication. Outside of that, I fight for equity and inclusion of students, faculty, and staff through union activities, my approach to teaching and recruitment, as well as being a member of the Inclusion, Diversity, and Outreach Committee on the Knight Campus.
It can be difficult to be openly trans or queer in STEM fields and spaces, especially when accessibility for marginalized identities is rarely even considered by many scientists or institutions. However, there are spaces in STEM for us, and some of those spaces are filled with people who actually want us there. Find people that support your growth in all aspects, hold those folks tight, and work together to make STEM a more human endeavor.