The following content is archived from the 2024 symposium
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About the 2024 Symposium
The LGBTQ Research Symposium is now in it’s 12th year! From being started by two graduate students at the University of Illinois (Meg Paceley & Elizabeth Holman) to being hosted by the University of Kansas and now co-hosted with the University of Connecticut, the symposium continues to grow and remains a critical component of our queer research communities. This year we have expanded our formal leadership to include faculty in multiple disciplines and institutions. We’d love to see you join us!
Questions? Email us at info@lgbtqresearchsymposium.com
20204 Symposium Speakers:
Dr. Alex Lange
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Lange is an assistant professor in the School of Education at Colorado State University. They study college students minoritized by race, gender, sexuality, and ability, as well as the social forces that marginalize them. Their largest, ongoing project is a national, longitudinal study of transgender college students’ journeys through undergraduate education. Their first book, Identity-Based Student Activism: Power and Oppression on College Campuses, uses research to critically discuss historical and contemporary activism. With a power-conscious lens, the book examines the relationships between activists and policymakers, and activism as labor.
Ace Ricker
Ace Ricker has been an educator and advocate for the past twenty years. Through his company A.C.E (Awareness through Communication & Education) LLC, he has worked with a wide variety of organizations, religious forums, K-12 schools, colleges, medical facilities and nonprofits and now has also just obtained his real estate license. He has delivered a vast array of workshops, speeches, and consultations on diversity, inclusion, empowerment and a number of other conversation topics. Ace uses his experience as an openly queer multiracial trans man to personalize his workshops, and uses his curiosity, empathy, and humor to create content tailored to each unique audience. He is dedicated to continue working to eliminate ignorance and empower people throughout Connecticut by creating ‘Confident Conversations’ around topics like suicide prevention, LGBTQ+ awareness, safer sex and consent, sexism and gender, and religion and spirituality.
Dr. Antonia R.G. Alvarez
Dr. Antonia R.G. Alvarez is a queer Pinay-American scholar and mother, and an Assistant Professor at the Portland State University School of Social Work. Through the lenses of historical trauma, critical feminisms, and queerness, Antonia is committed to liberatory research and community-engaged practice with LGBTQI/Two-Spirit/Mahu communities of color. Using arts and culture-based interventions, her work explores health disparities and inequities and seeks solutions rooted in community well-being. Antonia received her PhD from the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver, her MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and is a licensed social worker in Hawai`i.
Link to LGBTQ+ Research and Advocacy Resources
2024 Symposium Sponsors
We would like to thank and recognize our sponsoring organizations for this year’s LGBTQ+ Research Symposium.
Without these organization’s contributions, our work would not be possible.
Co-Hosts:
University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
University of Connecticut School of Social Work
Co-Sponsors:
University of Kansas Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Willow Wisdom
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work
LGBTQ Research Symposium 