Raul Navarro
He/Him
I am gay and I am a chemistry professor.//
My name is Raul, and I’m currently a chemistry professor at Occidental College. As a professor at a small liberal arts college, I have the opportunity to teach organic chemistry courses, lead a research team of undergraduates who endeavor to develop more efficient chemical tools to build medicinally relevant molecules, and inspire the next generation of scientists. I’ve navigated this career path not only as a scientist, but also as a Mexican American and an LGBTQ-identified individual, the confluence of which has presented me with unique challenges along the way. Along with my teaching and research, I also strive to address the systemic barriers that people like myself are confronted with by serving as the representation that I wish I had along my career path—I hope to ultimately serve as a role model to younger underrepresented students interested in STEM, to inspire them to embrace their scientific queries, and to propel their careers forward.