Staff Member Appointed Vice-Chair of BU LGBTQIA+ Network.

Thomas Lee, Jr. (SPH’19), academic program administrator in the Department of Global Health, has been appointed as the inaugural vice-chair of Boston University’s LGBTQIA+ Identified Faculty & Staff Network.

This initiative is one of four new university-wide Faculty & Staff Networks (FSN) under BU’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion that was formed to foster a supportive climate and culture for individuals engaged with issues related to diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice. The LGBTQIA+ Identified FSN will promote a sense of community among faculty and staff members who identify across the spectrum of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as their allies.

In his role, Lee will support the chair of the network, Chantel James, assistant director of financial assistance, as the group develops its short- and long-term goals and activities. Other executive board members include secretary Dietrich Warner, director of HR Systems, and treasurer Katie Ferrari, director of student affairs at the School of Medicine (MED).

On February 27, the LGBTQIA+ executive board held a promotional meeting on the Medical Campus, which was attended by faculty and staff members from SPH, MED, and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

“I’m really excited to help the Medical Campus be a part of this network, and to be a voice for all of you,” said Lee, who identifies as gay, at the meeting. Lee is also an SPH alum, who studied program management and sex, sexuality, & gender in the Master of Public Health program, and graduated in 2019.

“In this rich academic environment, this network will not only foster community and support, but also innovation and dialogue around diversity, equity, and inclusion,” he said.

The group plans to hold monthly meetings, alternating between the Charles River and Medical campuses, as well as educational events and opportunities for professional and social networking. There will also be collaborative events with the other FSN’s, which include networks for allies and advocates, people of color, and people living with disabilities.

The LGBTQIA+ executive board will hold two more promotional meetings to introduce the FSN to the BU community and gain input from attendees on their expectations of the group. Those meetings will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 at Questrom (Room 105), and 12 to 1:30 p.m. (including lunch) on Tuesday, March 31, in Hiebert Lounge at MED. The group’s first official meeting and launch will take place in April.

“As a queer person, my identity is an inescapable element of my life that has profound prominence in my professional work,” says Lee. “I look forward to playing a pivotal part of forming this exciting, new network that will celebrate our identities and create a healthy, significant work environment.”

To learn more about BU’s LGBTQIA+ Identified FSN, complete this form or email Thomas Lee, Jr. at thlj@bu.edu. To RSVP for the March 31 lunch meeting, click here.

—Jillian McKoy