Name:Marco Carfagnini
Current Job: PhD candidate
Scientific Discipline/Field: Mathematics
Country: United States
Pick some letters (L,G,B,T,Q,+, etc.): G
Website: https://marcocarfagnini.wordpress.com
What does your job involve?
I mostly do research (in math), aka I spend most of my time thinking about my (research) problems, and how to solve them. I also TA and teach a few hours per week.
How did you get to this job (education etc.)?
When I was a master student my thesis advisor highly recommended me to apply for a PhD program..and here I am.
Do you feel being LGBT has affected your career decisions?
Not really. I am openly gay but I have never wanted that to affect my future career. I decided to pursue an academic career regardless of my gender and sexuality.
Have you had any reactions from colleagues about being LGBT, either good or bad?
I think I have been extremely lucky. Both as an undergrad and grad student in Rome, and as a PhD candidate in the States I was surrounded by welcoming and open minded colleagues, and peers.
Did you have any role models growing up (LGBT, STEM, totally unrelated.)?
I have never really had someone to look up to growing up, especially because I decided to pursue this career very last minute, literally last minute. So I wasn’t really seeking a role model because I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. Moreover, as an undergrad, I had not met any other LGBT+ student in math, nor there were LGBT+ faculty members. This is one of the reasons why I would like to be more involved in mentoring, and be visibly out in STEM. I believe it is important for students choosing a STEM field to see that STEM is a very diverse environment.
What are your plans for the future?
Honestly, I will be on the job market soon enough and I hope I can get a Post-Doc position that allows me to keep pursuing my research.
LGBTQ+ STEM 