rsa94@ssw.rutgers.edu

Roxanna Ast (pronouns: she/her/hers) is a PhD student at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Social Work. She is currently the research and evaluation coordinator at the Center on Violence Against Women and Children at Rutgers University. Her research broadly focuses on intimate partner violence and sexual violence victimization among LGBTQ survivors as well as community resiliency and response to violence victimizations and experiences of LGBTQ survivors. In addition to this, in the past year, Roxanna has worked with Dr. Edward Alessi on projects focused on ways to enhance clinical practices with LGBTQ refugees as well as with Dr. Ashley Austin and Dr. Michael Dentato on INQYR's snapshoT project.

scheung@ssw.rutgers.edu

Shannon Cheung (pronouns: she/they) is a PhD student at Rutgers University School of Social Work. She currently works as a research assistant for Dr. Edward Alessi, studying the experiences of LGBTQ+ migrants in South Africa, as well as in the U.S. She has also worked as a research assistant at Huamin Research Center, where she examined poverty alleviation initiatives and child and adolescent well-being in China. Shannon's research interests include issues of power, control, and oppression; the intersectional experience of queer Asian diaspora; critical social work; relationship violence; and collective and intergenerational trauma.

gabrielsotocristobal@gmail.com

Gabriel (pronouns: he/him/his) has a degree in psychology from the Faculty of Psychology, UNAM; where he specialized in clinical intervention. He has worked on projects related to resilience in adolescence, emotion regulation and psychological counseling with parents. He has clinical experience working with adolescents and their families. He is currently studying a master's degree in psychology at the Iztacala School of Higher Studies, UNAM. He focuses on family psychotherapy and clinical work with communities. His research interests include families with LGBTQ members, sexual dissent and school environments for LGBTQ youth.

c.cronshaw1@lancaster.ac.uk

Cronan (pronouns he/him/his) is a PhD student at Lancaster University, working at the intersection of Science and Technology Studies, Creative Writing, and Sociology. His research interests include web-based healthcare services for gender minority youth, and internet-based trans and gender-critical activism.

mfreitez@comunidad.unam.mx

Marina Freitez Diez (pronouns: she/her) is a third-year PhD student in sociology at National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She has a master's in gender studies from El Colegio de Mexico. Her current thesis focuses on the childhood of Queer and Trans population in Mexico City. She is particularly interested in the promotion of youth’s sexual rights. Her research focuses on sexual rights, gender, women's rights, andchildhood and youth. She has monitored LGBTQ+ equality and non-discrimination policies for Mexico city’s government and conducted research for promoting youth’s sexual rights and children’s rights.

Kaitrin.Doll@dal.ca​

Kaitrin Doll (pronouns: they/them) is a PhD student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. Kaitrin’s doctoral research will focus on the experiences of queer, trans and gender diverse people who play roller derby and their experiences of mental health. Before starting the doctoral program, Kaitrin worked with prideHealth, an initiative aimed at improving access to inclusive and affirmative healthcare for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Halifax, NS. Kaitrin also has experience with research that explores the role of social work in mental health care in Nova Scotia. Through queer, anti-oppressive and intersectional frameworks for practice, Kaitrin is committed to working for more affirmative, representative and inclusive systems, structures and organizations that support queer, trans and gender diverse people.

tfreitag@hms.harvard.edu

Thomas Freitag (pronouns: they/them) is a first-year medical student at Harvard Medical School. Their research interests center around the legislative and institutional barriers to gender-affirming medical care in the United States and internationally. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and an MPhil in Public Policy from the University of Cambridge. As an Amgen Scholar at the National Institutes of Health, Thomas conducted research on racial disparities in LGBTQ+ substance use and abuse in the laboratory of Dr. Kelvin Choi.

sfhall@buffalo.edu

Seventy F. Hall (pronouns: he/him/his or they/them/theirs) is a doctoral student in the social welfare PhD program at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work. His research focuses on how the intersectional influences of adultism (i.e., youth oppression), heterosexism, and cisgenderism combine to push LGBTQ+ youth out of their familial homes and often into one of two interrelated trajectories: homelessness or foster care. His philosophical orientation borrows from the critical youth studies literature and centers age-based oppression as the primary issue of concern given that all young people are excluded from participation in society and inhabit positions of powerlessness, regardless of the other characteristics that might define their experiences of oppression.

jennya.hui@mail.utoronto.ca

Jenny Hui (pronouns: she/her) is a Master’s of Counselling and Clinical Psychology student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Entering her first year of graduate school, she intends to pursue research on resilience in mental health of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals; how intersecting identities inform clinical interventions and health disparities; and the integration of traditional (i.e., Indigenous and diasporic) therapies into clinical practice. Jenny has worked as a research assistant with INQYR and the Affirmative Research Collaborative under Dr. Shelley Craig for the last two years.

zach.huit@gmail.com

Zach (pronouns he/him/his) is a PhD student in the Clinical Psychology Training Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His overarching research interest pertains to the resiliency of children and families within two specific domains: LGBTQ+-identified youth and child maltreatment contexts. He is a member of Trans Collaborations (a community-based academic partnership developed by Dr. Debra Hope, Dr. Richard Mocarski, and Mr. Nathan Woodruff) with an overall mission to combat health disparities for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) communities. Zach’s Master’s project focused on a TGD-specific clinical progress monitoring measure, and he hopes to examine the impacts of family environments for TGD youth in his upcoming doctoral dissertation project.

phillip.joy@msvu.ca

Phillip Joy (pronouns: he/him) is a registered dietitian with the Nova Scotia Dietetic Association in Canada. His research interests are driven from his own experiences and are qualitative in nature. His PhD work explored how culture shapes the eating practices and body image for gay men. His research aims to critically examine the historical context of our lives and, at the same time, to become socially disruptive when we confront differing power relations. Through the lens of poststructuralism and queer theory, his research provides both a personal and political perspective on the topic of nutrition, gender, sexuality, and health. His research often uses arts-based methodologies, such as photography and comics, that can disrupt the foundations of nutrition and health research. Art can challenge and subvert nutrition, sexuality, gender, and body norms while contributing to social transformation through the expression of new perspectives.

ryan.papciak@mymail.barry.ed

Ryan Papciak (pronouns: he/him/his) is a trans man and PhD student at Barry University's Ellen Whiteside-McDonnell School of Social Work. He is a graduate research assistant to Dr. Ashley Austin, with whom he is conducting research on the experiences of gender dysphoria for transgender and gender non-conforming adults in the U.S. In addition to this, his research focuses on the relationship between trauma and gender dysphoria for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals

hnp607@usask.ca

Hayley Pelletier (pronouns: she/her) is a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan’s Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. Her previous education has included studies at the University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia and most recently, the University of Toronto where she completed a Master in Public Health with a specialization in addiction studies. She has experience delivering harm reduction outreach services to individuals experiencing homelessness in Vancouver’s downtown Eastside. Hayley has over 8 years of research experience working with vulnerable populations. Her research interests include health policy, substance use and mental health. Hayley sits on a variety of boards and committees, including being the Vice-President of the Saskatchewan Public Health Association, where she advocates for the adoption of an intersectional lens to all policy and public health efforts. In addition, she is the recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship and the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship from the University of Saskatchewan.

danielle.phillips@ssw.umaryland.edu

Danielle R. Phillips (pronouns: she/her) is a third-year PhD student at the University of Maryland's School of Social Work. Danielle received her Bachelor in Psychology from the University of Georgia and her MSW from the University of Hawai'i Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work. Danielle’s research focuses on promoting, protecting, and enhancing health outcomes (i.e. mental health and sexual reproductive health) and the overall wellbeing among LGBTQIA+ youth populations, specifically transgender youth. Prior to attending the University of Maryland, Danielle worked as a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Hawai'i and served as the Director of Social Services at Hale Makua Health Services. She formerly served on the National Association of Social Workers Hawai'i Chapter Board of Directors as the Chair of the Continuing Education Committee and Chair of the Political Action Candidate Election Committee. Danielle currently serves on the NASW Maryland’s PACE committee and has been a research assistant with the Community THRIVES Lab at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health since 2016, where her research has focused on adolescent sexual health, teen pregnancy, and parenting.

dxr986@student.bham.ac.uk

Danielle Roe (pronouns: she/her) is a second year PhD student within the Department of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham under the supervision of Dr Shelley Budgeon and Dr Jason Schaub. Her current research explores the intersection of online non-binary gender identity and LGBTQ+ intercommunity cisnormativity. Danielle also holds a Master of Research in Social Research and Bachelor of Arts in Event Management from the University of Derby. The skills gained from her previous degrees have been utilised as a Research Assistant with the U.K. Regional Network project QueerViBE! since September 2019 and The Autonomy project launched in October 2020.

r.rosen@mail.utoronto.ca

Ruben Rosen (pronouns: they/them) is a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. Before their MSW, Ruben worked as a care coordinator, crisis interventionist, and advocate for gender and sexual minority youth. Their research focus involves understanding how GSMY are accessing and developing digital spaces during the "Lock-down Era" prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how Internet Communication Technologies (ICTs) augment the experience of isolation, disconnection, and marginalization. Ruben co-facilitates AFFIRMative group therapy sessions online as a part of the Canadian regional network. They also enjoy exploring media that employs a Queer of Colour critique on social and political norms.

barosen2@asu.edu

Beth Ann Rosenberg (pronouns: she/her) is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University (ASU). Born and raised in Southern California, she holds two bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Sociology, a certificate in LGBT studies, and graduated from Barrett the Honors college at ASU. Her research interests focus on transgender youth and the significance of early social transition and parental acceptance. Beth’s research interests also revolve around gender identity formation in young transgender youth. She is also interested in prevention and intervention work with LGBTQ youth and their families. Beth is driven to reduce the suicide rate of sexual and gender minority youth through research and clinical work. She has a passion for aiding vulnerable populations who have little voice in policy creation and is currently being mentored by Dr. Frank Dillon at ASU.

vsarna@luc.edu

Vincent Sarna (pronouns: he/him/his) is an MSW student at Loyola University Chicago, specializing in mental health. His research broadly focuses on advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community. His goals are to create interventions and institutions that help LGBTQIA+ people with their mental health. Vincent recently earned a BSc in Psychology, rounding out his senior year with a thesis on LGBTQIA+ students at Loyola. This study sought to see if LGBTQIA+ students were prospectively interested in a mentoring program to support them through the course of their undergraduate career. This resulted in implementation of the Q.U.E.S.T (Queer Undergraduates of Empowerment, Support, and Triumph) mentoring program which he is a current intern for. In the future he hopes to pursue a PhD in Social Work.

rachelsaunders321@gmail.com

Rachel Saunders (pronouns: she/her/hers) is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at City University of New York’s School of Public Health, where she intends to focus her research on the effectiveness of early educational intervention as a tool for preventing intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ youth relationships. Rachel further plans on exploring the impact of social media and the internet on the formation of concepts of healthy relationships among LGBTQ+ youth. Prior to starting her graduate studies, Rachel served as the Co-Chair of the Take Back the Night Planning Committee at Syracuse University. She currently volunteers with a Los Angeles-based non-profit that conducts research and provides educational programming on issues relating to alternative sexual identities.

kaleighschaal2021@u.northwestern.edu

Kaleigh Schaal (pronouns she/her) is a Master of Science student in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northwestern University. Her master’s thesis focuses on the impact of gender on the servicemember to civilian transition experiences of female-identifying veterans. Kaleigh also performs research on kink health and involuntary celibates (“incels”)/mass murderers. She currently serves as the Service & Activism Co-Chair for the Queer Pride Graduate Student Association at NWU. Kaleigh provides therapy and counseling services to families, couples, and individuals in a clinical setting using a systemic perspective. Her clinical interests include identity development, LGBTQ+, relationship minorities, and religious/spiritual minorities and crises.

scheadler.2@buckeyemail.osu.edu

Travis Scheadler (pronouns: he/him/his) is a PhD/MSW student at The College of Social Work, Ohio State University. He is broadly interested in sport for social justice and the relationship between advocacy and wellbeing. More specifically, his research interests focus on utilizing sport as a platform for social change through athlete activism and life skills development. He is also interested in eliminating barriers to sport accessibility for marginalized populations. Additionally, Travis is interested in exploring the benefits of advocacy, especially for gender and sexual minorities. Recently, he served as an Ambassador for Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky and hopes to continue his advocacy engagement in Ohio.

julio.vega@outlook.com

Julio Vega (pronouns: he/him/his), is a PhD student at the University of the Basque Country in collaboration with the Faculty of Education of the Autonomous University of Yucatan, Mexico. He specializes in the study of interpersonal violence, especially school violence and bullying in young adults. He also has interest and experience researching topics such as recidivism, child sexual violence, victimization surveys and substance abuse. He has a specialization in statistics from the Faculty of Mathematics of the Autonomous University of Yucatan, so he is interested in the application of quantitative research methods, such as multivariate analysis, psychometrics and meta-analysis.

apverdino@uchicago.edu

Anthony Verdino (pronuons: he/him/his) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and PhD student at The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. His research explores the ways that gender expression and performativity for trans- and non-binary young people intersect with affective experiences (e.g., authenticity and vulnerability), agency, relationships, and cisnormative structures. Currently, he is working on a project which seeks to center LGBTQ+ young people’s enactments of agency and thus, reconceptualizes ‘risk’ as it is commonly framed in youth literature to explore its relevance with this population. Prior to entering the PhD program, Anthony was engaged in clinical social work practice for over a decade providing services to mostly LGBTQ+ people around mental health, substance use, trauma, HIV/AIDS, relationships, identity, and oppression.

voxx0160@mylaurier.ca

Tin D. Vo (pronouns: he/him) is a PhD candidate at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Faculty of Social Work. His dissertation research examines intersectional discrimination of LGBTQ2S+ people and their social and mental health well-being within LGBTQ2S+ leisure spaces. He seeks to embed health equity within his work to enhance the well-being of marginalized populations. Some of his past research projects included: inclusion practices on postsecondary institution campuses; policy analysis related to gay/bi/queer men’s well-being; development of measures associated with heterosexism, cisgenderism, and microaggression; and addressing stigma associated with substance use through photovoice. He is interested in learning how to engage sexual and gender minority youth in research processes, while also developing an understanding of the different processes of resilience and acts of resistance employed to overcome stressors in the youth’s lives. He holds a Master of Public Health and has been working as a program planning and evaluation specialist in the public health sector.

a.williams.10@pgr.bham.ac.uk

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A. Jess Williams (pronouns: she/her/hers) is a PhD student in the Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham and the Self-Harm Research Group, University of Nottingham, funded by the ESRC. Her PhD explores self-harm and suicide in GSMY, using mixed methods. As part of her PhD, she leads the LGBTQ+ Advisory Group who help to develop and guide the studies. Jess also provides guest lectures on LGBTQIA+ Mental Health and Wellbeing to undergraduate students. Prior to pursuing the PhD, Jess spent several years working in clinical, health and cyber psychological research. She holds a MSc in Health Psychology and a BSc (Hons) in Psychology.