Authored by Mia Milner via The College Fix,
The University of Connecticut's College of Engineering sought LGBTQ+ scientists and engineers to volunteer at its recent "Queer Science" conference, a free event for high school students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The event is "designed to support the success" of high school students "who are or are allies of LGBTQIA+ students," according to the event webpage. Students spend the day touring labs and doing STEM activities with "proud LGBTQIA+ students and researchers at UConn," the webpage states.
This year, 18 high school students participated in the Oct. 17 event by extracting DNA from a pumpkin and making ice cream "using the wonders of chemistry (liquid nitrogen) to flash-freeze fresh cream," according to a university article about the event.
"What exactly is 'queer science'? Well, it can be any science conducted by a queer researcher," the article states. The event "provides an opportunity to counter the stereotypical image of a 'scientist' as a straight, white, cisgender man - which the academy tends to consider the 'default' identity - and invite students of other identities to imagine themselves joining these fields."
The "Queer Science" event has been offered at the university since 2022 "with the goal of supporting Connecticut youth while offering state-of-the-art laboratory experiences and op
