Travis Booms

He/Him

I am gay and I am a wildlife biologist.//

I am a gay Research Wildlife Biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. I study the demography and ecology of enigmatic, rare, or declining species of conservation concern in the Arctic, with expertise in Arctic avian ecology and birds of prey. I completed a B.S. in Biology and Wildlife at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, a M.S. in Raptor Biology at Boise State University, and a PhD in Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

I first came out to a close friend during field work in Greenland, where the space and freedom of remote wilderness gave me the needed opportunity to resolve years of internal fear, anxiety, and denial about my sexual orientation. Growing up in a small Midwest town, I had no LGBTQ role models or acquaintances. Wildlife was my escape from a world in which I felt abnormal and closeted. It was these formative experiences that cemented my passion for wildlife, wild places, and now my desire to be an out and visible example of a successful LGBTQ scientist. I am starting to meet many amazing LGBTQ colleagues and really enjoy helping to build and improve our community within STEM.