How do you identify?
I identify as queer, nonbinary, and asexual. I am transmasculine, and I use they/them pronouns.
What is your background?
I have an undergraduate degree in food science, and I just defended my PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I specialize in the structure and rheology of ice cream and other complex products, and outside of the lab I can often be found watching soccer while working on a jigsaw puzzle or a quilt. I’ve been involved with IFT for over ten years and am very excited to bring IFT Proud to life!
How has being a member or ally of the LGBTQIA+ community impacted you personally and/or professionally?
My personal journey has been one of evolution. I consider myself fortunate in that I never felt different than my peers, but I did feel incomplete. It wasn’t until I learned that gender and sexuality were fluid spectrums that I grew into the truest version of myself. Living in-between labels has allowed me to find what felt right for me, but it is often challenging to communicate, especially because I am always evolving. Even now I am finding it hard to put my identity into words, and struggling with knowing how I might be perceived by others, which is part of why amplifying queer and trans voices is so valuable.
Being visible on campus is very important to me. I hope that it helps undergraduate students broaden their views of what a food scientist might look like, and I hope it helps more seasoned academics understand and embrace the students in their classrooms. Now that I am starting my career, I find myself reading about company values and culture, and seeking out locations that I know will be welcoming to trans individuals. I’m most excited to be moving on to the next stage of adulthood as myself.
Being involved with IFT has also been paramount to my evolution. It became the best place for me to explore my professional voice, my leadership style, and discover how I carried myself in the world beyond the spaces of work, school, and home I already knew. I could wear clothes that reflected my gender identity to FIRST, I could debut my pronouns in Zoom webinars, and I built a community that supported me professionally and personally. I’m thrilled to be a part of IFT Proud and to see other resource groups striving to do the same for all members.
What advice do you have for somebody to be a part of the community within the food industry?
Your identity is not the only part of you, and it is not something that others can define for you. How much of that identity you choose to share with those around you will change on a seemingly daily basis, but it will never, ever lessen it.
What do you hope to see in the food industry or IFT?
Bravery. I hope that the food industry strives to understand the communities it serves – both employees and companies – to meet their needs in ways that are meaningful. I also hope that IFT can continue to be a place where students and young (or seasoned!) professionals can see the broadest possible view of what is possible in the realm of food and science, including the many faces and stories of those who are a part of it.
How do you think IFT Proud can best provide support to the LGBTQIA+ community in the food industry and beyond?
I want to see IFT Proud become a space where people can discover themselves and find their community. IFT is unique in that it is a professional society that embraces personal experiences, and I know that IFT Proud will strive to advocate for members of the LGBTQIA+ community through education, representation, and visibility.