Author: Clark, Emily

WGSS Alumni Spotlight: Matt Gray

Posted on by and

About Matt Gray (he/him)

Education

  • Graduation Year: 2017
  • Major: Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Human Rights

Community Involvement

  • UConn Transgender Stakeholder Committee
  • Graduate Undergraduate Mentorship (GUM) Program
  • Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Steering Committee
  • SAGEConnects LGBT Elder “Phone Pal"
  • UCLA Fielding Alumni-Student Mentor

    Post Graduation

    • University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Master of Public Health, Community Health Sciences; Health Promotion/Education Specialization
    • Labor Occupational Health and Safety (LOSH)/Program Coordinator at UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

    Matt Gray

    Testimonial

    "During my 7 semesters at UConn, I was undeclared for at least 2 years, and floundered through 4-5 different major and minor combinations to find the ones that fit. As a student who excelled in the sciences and writing, constant noise from peers, mentors, and family about choosing a STEM major vs a social science major felt divisive and counterproductive. In the midst of this pressure to choose the ‘right’ major and career path, the WGSS program helped foster my appreciation for a multidisciplinary degree, subsequently wedding my humanities skills with my fascination with data and addressing social justice issues. WGSS prepared me for a more advanced degree in public health, and helped qualify & prepare me for unique and exciting jobs. Many of these roles showed me to bridge science & public health with lived experiences to improve people's lives—among them: serving as an enumerator for the US Census Bureau, a Public Health Investigator for one of the largest public health departments in the nation, and a Project Coordinator for a UCLA-affiliated worker health and safety program designed alongside community worker organizations. My WGSS major laid the foundation for my career by shaping me into both a thinker and a problem-solver, one who asks questions beyond "why" and considers the perspectives of each person's world view. My advice to WGSS grads is to know your worth, and to remember Ralph Waldo Emerson's words: "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." Go forth and be brilliant!"

    WGSS Alumni Spotlight: Amber Sagan

    Posted on by and

    About Amber Sagan (she/her/hers)

    Education

    • Graduation Year: 2021
    • Major: Biological Sciences
    • Minor: Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

    Community Involvement

    • Hayley Petit Violence and Injury Prevention Fellowship through the Connecticut Children's Hospital
    • Internship at the CT Harm Reduction Alliance

      Post Graduation

      • Master's of Public Health at UConn
      • Prevention Specialist at Wheeler Clinic, working on the Change the Script statewide campaign

      Testimonial

      "Taking courses in WGSS expanded my awareness of various social injustices and inequities. I became inspired to try to make a change on these issues, similar to how my WGSS professors had. I discovered the Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship my junior year, a fellowship for college women in STEM. After this fellowship, I pivoted my career goals from healthcare to public health. During my Master's of Public Health education, I further strengthened my WGSS skills by analyzing how social determinants of health such as race, gender, and income lead to inequities in health. I attended the 2022 Annual Public Health Association conference, where I learned about innovative WGSS research from experts in the field such as Loretta Ross. I graduated with my MPH in 2023, and I am currently a Prevention Specialist at Wheeler Clinic. I work on the Change the Script campaign- a statewide campaign to rewrite the narrative around substance use and prevent overdoses. I engage in community outreach to educate individuals about safe substance use, storage, and disposal and the opioid reversal drug, naloxone.


      The knowledge and skills I gained through my WGSS coursework transfer into my current position in various ways. For example, I am able to view public health issues through an intersectional lens, such as how an individual's race, gender, and sexuality may create a unique experience when struggling with a substance use disorder. I have also developed skills in communicating with the community, by using gender-affirming care and creating a safe, respectful environment for meaningful discussions. My WGSS education has aided me in every step of my academic and professional career."