Gay engineers
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Beyond his personal courage, he revolutionised tuberculosis detection by pioneering the use of X-ray imaging in diagnostics, saving countless lives.
Frank Kameny (1925-2011)
An astronomer and civil rights activist, Frank Kameny was dismissed from his government role in 1957 due to his sexuality. Instead of stepping back, he became a leading figure in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, fighting against discriminatory employment policies and helping shift public perception of LGBTQ+ people in STEM.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech, another top American university in engineering, has made great strides in increasing the supportive culture for the LGBTQ+ community in the department. We’re ready to apply our commitment to advance your next infrastructure project. Stanford has several campus groups supporting its LGBTQ+ students, such as the Queer Student Resource Center, the Queer Straight Alliance, and the Stanford Students for Queer Liberation, as well as several groups from intersecting minority identities (e.g., Black and Queer, Queer and Asian, La Familia de Stanford).
This college has a wealth of campus groups such as Queers & Allies, Femmepire, and Transcending Gender.
Finally, Duke University is also the alma mater of outstanding UC San Diego professor and LGBTQ+ advocate Dr. Michael Todd.
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EXECUTIVE leadership AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
There’s no better way to lead than by example. As proof of this point, Georgia Tech created organizations such as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance, the Pride Alliance, and Safe Space to disabuse campus members of prejudice.
Also of note is Georgia Tech’s Open Chemistry Collaborative in Diversity Equity (OCCIDE), a five-year National Science Foundation-funded initiative to increase the inclusivity of the chemistry and chemical engineering departments.
In Georgia Tech’s outstanding BS program in chemical and biomolecular engineering, students take courses such as chemical engineering thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and separation processes.
Students also have the option of completing a five-year dual BS and master of science (MS) in this subfield of engineering.
The LGBTQ+ Community’s Guide to Engineering
Engineering Programs With Outstanding LGBTQ+ Outreach
According to the 2011 study Navigating the Heteronormativity of Engineering, LGBTQ+ engineering students have employed various strategies to navigate unsupportive academic climates.
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Other departments available at Georgia Tech include aerospace, biomedical, civil & environmental, electrical & computer, industrial & systems, materials science, mechanical, and nuclear & radiological engineering.
Smith College
Smith College of Northampton, Massachusetts, has a long history of being queer-friendly.
She lived with her partner, Lisa Woodbridge, while championing equality in education and STEM.
Alan Turing (1912-1954)
Few figures in STEM have had as profound an impact as Alan Turing.
In its exceptional civil and environmental engineering (CEE) department, there are five master’s programs: atmosphere & energy; sustainable design & construction; environmental engineering; structural engineering & mechanics and computation; and sustainable engineered systems.
In its world-renowned electrical engineering and computer science (EECS) department, the administration has dedicated part of its budget to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion, stating, “In order for our department to meet our mission, we emphasize an inclusive environment that respects all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, identity, socioeconomic status, and country of origin.
Creative technologies and an enhanced academic experience for our current and future students arise from exposure to a diverse array of perspectives.” Notably, Dr.
Jay Keasling—the school’s Distinguished Professor of Biochemical Engineering, an openly gay man—is a past recipient of the GLBT Engineer of the Year award. She was fired from IBM in 1968 after transitioning but went on to work at Xerox PARC, where her work shaped modern computing. Their contributions have reshaped industries, saved lives, and paved the way for future generations in STEM.
Despite his achievements, he was prosecuted for his homosexuality and subjected to chemical castration. Her groundbreaking policies in child hygiene and disease prevention reshaped public health standards, particularly for marginalised communities. He was among the first trans men to undergo gender-affirming surgery in the United States (1917). This school boasts an abundance of top-ranked engineering programs across fields such as aeronautics & astronautics, bioengineering, chemical, and mechanical engineering, to name a few.
A trailblazer in STEM, she inspired generations of women and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in science and engineering.
UMich also boasts one of the most prominent engineers and transgender advocates in the world: Dr. Lynn Conway, professor emerita of electrical engineering and computer science.
The vast array of master’s programs at UMich includes aerospace (AERO), biomedical (BME), chemical (ChE), civil, environmental, computer science & engineering, electrical & computer (ECE), industrial & operations (IOE), systems engineering design, macromolecular science, materials science (MSE), mechanical (ME), naval architecture & marine (NAME), and nuclear & radiological sciences (NERS).
Duke University
Duke University of Durham, North Carolina, founded its first gay student organization in the fall of 1972.
Her legal challenge led to the landmark 2013 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Defence of Marriage Act, paving the way for marriage equality in the U.S.
Lynn Conway (1938-2024)
A computer scientist and electrical engineer, Lynn Conway made major contributions to microchip design and computer architecture.
Smith’s BS in engineering science program has comprehensive coursework in fundamental engineering principles, mechanics, circuit theory, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics.