This study explores queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students' voices on establishing a sense of belonging in the classroom. This study contributes to a growing body of research on the experience of queer-spectrum and trans-spectrum students in higher education institutions. Using long-form interviews with 25 students and alumni of a public…

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) students often face discrimination, harassment, and inadequate support in educational settings, leading to increased stress and negative health outcomes. This study investigated differences in perceived social support from various sources and types between TGD students and their cisgender peers, and how this…

By 2031, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic (STEM) fields are projected to grow by almost 11% (Krutsch & Roderick, 2022). To meet this demand the enrollment and retention in STEM degree programs must be increased, particularly among student populations that are underrepresented in these fields. Despite growing identification with…

Through semi-structured interviews, this study investigates the lives of five transgender young adults who graduated from public high schools throughout the country. Graduates were interviewed using probing and follow up questions gathering information about their school lives while being educated in their public high school while identifying as…

The purpose of this qualitative research was to examine transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming (trans*) students' perceptions of prospective colleges and universities that impacted their choice to attend and their sense of belonging at the institution before attending. The study aimed to make sense of their college transition experience…

Dominant systems of White masculinity--or attitudes, behaviors, and ideologies rooted in White masculine dominance alongside homophobia, misogyny, and racism--within higher education impact how students frame and understand their identities and experiences during their undergraduate careers. For sexual-minority men and transmasculine individuals,…