In a series of multimedia shots taken by digital artist Nolan Zunk, the College of Natural Sciences highlighted faculty and staff members who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We want members of the LGBTQ+ community to experience a sense of belonging and feeling fully seen in ways that previous generations of scientists missed out on,” said Christine Sinatra, director of communications for the College of Natural Sciences.

The college has featured three faculty and staff members so far: assistant professor Robert Newberry, Stephen Russell, director of the School of Human Ecology and Melissa Taylor, assistant dean for strategy and equity initiatives.

“I study molecules, and the molecules don’t care who you are,” Newberry said. “Ultimately, the way in which my identity intersects with my science is in the capacity that I have to do my science.”

In a video posted on the College of Natural Sciences Twitter, Newberry said his main goal was to show people they can be both “successful and queer in science” and that those two things can intersect however they choose.

“I wanted people to come away with a sense that there is no right answer, and it’s really something that people decide for themselves,” Newberry said.

Mathematics sophomore Felix Moreno said the representation of the LGBTQIA+ community in STEM is important.

“I feel like in STEM, we don’t really talk about ourselves as much,” Moreno said. “I think it’s important to still talk about our identities apart from our job and how it affects how we see our job and our environment.”

Russell, another featured faculty member, said things have changed for the LGBTQIA+ community in his lifetime.

“The dramatic change of visibility has meant that people see themselves and create space for themselves,” Russell said.

According to Russell, the pride series helps demonstrate the University is not just an affirming place for LGBTQIA+ members but an “explicitly affirming” place for people to be themselves.

“Even if nobody looked at it, the people that were part of it know that the institution itself has them in mind and was wanting to represent our stories,” Russell said.

Sinatra said the college tries to meet students’ requests for more representation of scientists from different backgrounds.

“We get positive feedback when we highlight diverse community members and their experiences in STEM,” Sinatra said.

Sinatra said the college likes to use opportunities like Pride Month to highlight “amazing individuals” in the University community.

“We have been pleased to highlight outstanding women, Asian American, Latinx, Black and LGBTQ+ scientists and mathematicians over the last year on our social media channels,” Sinatra said. “We’ll continue to share stories of world-changing STEM leaders and Longhorns making their mark.”