My friend Nathan Alexander, who is a doctoral student in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, wrote this essay for the Voices of ACES blog in recognition of Pride month. Here’s an excerpt:
I came to the University of Illinois in January 2017 as a Ph.D. student in natural resources and environmental sciences (NRES) and have witnessed the campus grow and change during my time here. The experience of belonging to a minoritized group while working at a university often means there is additional advocacy work you are called to do outside of your stated job.
However, it also means that you can find support and community outside of the typical academic framework. I think one of the most hopeful things for the University of Illinois and our town is that there is a supportive LGBTQ+ community. There are people working tirelessly (and sometimes tiredly) to enact change and improve conditions at the university and within the broader Champaign-Urbana area.
During my time here, I have seen and been a part of these efforts to improve the LGBTQ+ climate both within the community and within the university. I have seen people work together through coalitions to create monumental change.
Environmental News Bits 