The LGBT Advocate Award recognizes a faculty member, staff member, or student who demonstrates a commitment to advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues on campus.
Patrick Grzanka
Patrick Grzanka, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, has expanded traditional understanding of the range of sexual orientation beliefs by exposing how individuals possess multiple and sometimes contradictory beliefs about sexuality simultaneously. His research into the relationship among sexuality, science, and society has received international interest from major media outlets including the BBC, Fusion, and the Huffington Post and has been awarded funding from the National Science Foundation and the American Psychological Association. His work has major implications for how society promotes LGBTQIA+ equality in science and society. Grzanka is part of the steering committee for UT’s first program in women, gender, and sexuality, and he will teach its new introductory course. As the founding director of the Intersectionality Community of Scholars, he organized a campus-wide symposium and brought prominent LGBTQIA+ scholars to campus. He has acted as a thoughtful and empathetic mentor for students interested in LGBTQIA+ issues and has consistently spoken in opposition to legislation that discriminates against the LGBTQIA+ community.