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Dear CU Engineering and Applied Science community,

This month we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride, which occurs in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall uprising that became a major catalyst for the gay liberation movement in the United States when Marsha P. Johnson, a Black activist who defined herself as a gay drag queen and transvestite, and other advocates were among the first to take against police brutality. You can . 

We take this opportunity to specially recognize the students, faculty and staff who are a part of LGBTQ+ communities and to celebrate your contributions to our college. 

We recently  at ��ƷSM����ӰƬ and the engineering students who will be leading the organization in the fall. oSTEM is a  dedicated to LGBTQ+ individuals within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics community and open to all. oSTEM event coordinator and former president Arpi Grigorian represented the organization in the . 

Director of Faculty Advancement Robyn Sandekian is the oSTEM staff advisor and a leader of LGBTQ+ support in our college. She has worked to ensure that our college’s faculty search processes are inclusive, in part, by sharing our faculty job postings on LGTBQ+ venues and ensuring that the  clearly welcomes all partners of  new faculty members. In addition, she facilitates  developed by the American Society of Engineering Education and has previously presented on greater inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community during staff professional development weeks.

Alongside Robyn, we applaud the efforts of faculty members such as Kyri Baker, who incorporated LGBTQ+ student support into her , and Wil Srubar, who included support for LGBTQ+ undergraduate researchers in his . Wil, the former oSTEM faculty advisor, has been a . 

We also celebrate student advocates like applied math and engineering physics student Sindhu Sadineni and computer science undergraduate LeeLee James. 

Sindhu is the winner of the  given by the CU Pride Office. She has worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to promote the queer and trans community at CU and, in 2019, helped to establish the Evelyn Hooker Advocacy Award and ceremony while working as a board member for oSTEM.  The  annually recognizes a ��ƷSM����ӰƬ STEM faculty member’s efforts for mentoring a student or researching a subject that inspired an LGBTQ student to break into or persist in the science and engineering community 

LeeLee is an undergraduate student assistant in the Blow Things Up lab in the ATLAS Institute. Her YouTube series, “Twirling Tech Goddess,” is an entertaining and inspiring call for greater access and inclusion in STEM and was . 

 notes that ��ƷSM����ӰƬ is among 40 campuses chosen in 2020 for their “Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities.” The Pride Office offers resources, programs and a space where LGBTQ+ students, faculty and staff can create a community where they feel safe, supported and connected. You will also find information on Pride events happening this month in Boulder and Denver, including . 
 
The many diverse communities that make up our college help us to be stronger, more creative, more resilient and able to meet the world’s challenges with positive solutions that benefit all. Take a moment this month to learn about and celebrate the history and people of Pride with our .

Keith Molenaar

Interim Dean

Terri Wright
Assistant Dean for Access, Inclusion and Student Programs

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