Michael Graziano
He/Him
I’m gay and I’m an ecologist. //
I’ve always been closer to nature than to people. Instead of parties and bars, my free time has always been spent walking in the woods and exploring new areas. I grew up across the U.S., but I’ve always returned to my roots in Ohio. I earned a Bachelor of Science in evolution and ecology from The Ohio State University, where I participated in vernal pool monitoring, after which my travels took me to Arkansas and West Virginia until I began my Master of Science in biology at the University of Nebraska where I studied small-mouthed salamanders. My PhD took me back to my home state of Ohio where I was able to work in the very forests I had been hiking in since I was a child, where I constructed vernal pools and studied amphibian communities. Prior to beginning my PhD I met my partner of now over 7 years, who embraced my passion for science and nature and has come to view it as an equal “partner” in our relationship. I am currently living in Providence, Rhode Island, while my partner completes his master’s degree at RISD. I have always been guarded about my orientation, because I do not view it as an important feature in defining who I am, and do not think it should play a role in how I am viewed or treated.