Conference Session

LGBTQ+ Track - Technical Session IV

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Kristin Boudreau, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; David DiBiasio, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Paula Quinn, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Zoe Reidinger

Tagged Topics

Diversity, LGBTQ+

queer students. We spent summer2017 interviewing these people, including three administrators from the Dean of StudentsOffice, one Associate Dean of First-Year Programs, two from the Office of MulticulturalAffairs, one from Career Services, two from Student Counseling Services, one fromResidence Life, and two faculty. We also interviewed two transgender students who haddone a junior-year research project on support for transgender students, and one non-identifying student who was responsible for bringing a queer poet to campus for BlackHistory Month. During the months of August-December 2017 we continued ourinterviews, reaching 2 LGBTQ alumni. We will continue interviewing LGBTQengineering majors and alumni during spring 2018.Focus group: We

Conference Session

LGBTQ+ Track - Technical Session III

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Robyn Sandekian, University of Colorado, Boulder

Tagged Topics

Diversity, LGBTQ+

personal life so they never ask questions.” He went on to say that, “in the past [that] hasalways been fine with [him] because [he] wasn’t that comfortable talking with them. But...witheach other, [there is] lots of socialization [and] knowing about each other’s families and that kindof stuff.” This has left David feeling as an outcast among his peers. Although he and his spousehave been together for nine years, his spouse has never accompanied him to a work-relatedevent, even when others’ spouses have been invited and present. David noted that he has finallyreached a point in his career and his personal life that he is no longer willing to cover hisrelationship. Therefore, he and his spouse plan to attend the next departmental event together,but

Conference Session

LGBTQ+ Track - Technical Session IV

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

David J. McLaughlin, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Genny Beemyn, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Tagged Topics

Diversity, LGBTQ+

topics leads to good job prospects and careers; moreover, science shows us that a greater diversityof perspectives in engineering teams leads to better results [6]; it is thus both a moral and practical imperativeto find ways to achieve greater diversity within engineering and technology fields.This paper describes experiences developing a new course at UMass Amherst, called Queer Lights, that aimsto share the excitement and potential of electronics and computing with students who might not otherwiseexperience these topics by pursuing an engineering major. The course has the following description: “QueerLights will cast light on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual (LGBTQA) topics while the studentsin the class literally cast light