Sam
He/Him
I am queer and I am a plant ecologist.//
I am headed into my fourth year at UW-Madison. I will graduate in May of 2021 with a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, with a minor in LGBTQ+ Studies. I thought I knew exactly who I was when I started undergrad as an out gay man, but will be leaving undergrad with a much different idea. The lab community I am fortunate enough to be a part of on campus has given me the space to grow, not only as a scientist, but as a person. From my queer friends and colleagues, to the allies who support us, I have grown to realize how wonderfully queer the field of ecology truly is, something I could not tell when I was outside looking in. It is amazing to be part of a lab and part of a field that values so highly personal diversity and expression. I am truly coming into my own as a person who can call bullshit on gender and the expectations it puts on us. There was a day where I never would have had painted nails in a room full of intimidating researchers, but now I strut into meetings disappointed if my nails are not the brightest thing in the room.