Staff
Name: Ryan Black
Resource Center Coordinator
Something About Me:
I recently completed the graduate program in the School of Social Work at the University of Missouri. After filling in as the interim coordinator for the 2008-2009 school year, I'm incredibly excited to start the Fall 2009 semester as the full-time coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center. My research interests include the "ex-gay" movement and faith journeys in relation to sexual identity. In my free time, I'm usually at home watching ESPN and playing with my two Italian Greyhounds; Scipio & Masichuvio.
Name: Emily
Major: Fine Arts
Emphasis: Photography
Something About Me:
My name is Emily and I am currently in junior standing. I am a fine art major with an emphasis on photography, so you may see me around campus taking random pictures! Other hobbies of mine include listening to music (mostly rock metal and stuff most people in America have never heard of), tearing apart and rebuilding computers when needed, and playing video games in general. I am a World of Warcraft fan, so if you play, we should talk! Outside geekery I do enjoy being outdoors in warm weather taking pictures. I absolutely love nature trails and occasionally the Zoo. My dream is to be a traveling photographer taking pictures of our beautiful world.
Name: Sean Jarvis
Majors: English & Women’s and Gender Studies
Something About Me:
I’ve been volunteering at the LGBTQ Resource center since the fall semester of 2008. I enjoy reading and knit like a beast. I’m particularly interested in the relationship between queer people and the health professions. This semester, I plan to work primarily on helping students and community members find the health resources they need and aggregating those resources to help more people find them
Name: Greer-Jeane Relphorde
Major: Sociology/Political Science
Something About Me:
I’m a freshman here at Mizzou, quite a change of scenery from the Chicago land area I’m used to. In my free time I love to read and shop. I plan to become a prestigious lawyer at a well-known firm and then branch out and have my own bicoastal sports agency. I’m a strong ally and enjoy all the people I get to meet in the LGBTQ center and the community as a whole. My brother is my best friend and family is the most important thing in the world to me.
Name: Kevin
Major: Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
Something About Me:
Hi I’m Kevin and I coordinate the safe space program here at the Resource Center. I enjoy doing all sorts of things in my spare time like listening to alternative rock music or fighting mythical creatures in video games. I also enjoy gardening even if I just grow the vegetables just to give them to people, and chatting with people. I am obsessed with Boston terriers because they are my favorite type of dog in the world. I am the youngest of three siblings, and I come from a protestant Scott-Irish background. I love meeting new people and gaining new insights into life.
Name: Zach
Major: Sociology
Minor: French
Something About Me:
He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of ShOUT magazine, MU's LGBTQA newsletter. Zach has been a member of the resource center staff since he came to Mizzou, and is happy to be able to help create change at Mizzou. After graduation he hopes to work with Fortune 500 companies to develop and enforce strong diversity and inclusion policies.
Name: Keri
Major: Women's & Gender Studies
Something About Me:
My name is Keri and I am the coordinator of the OutReach program. This is my first semester volunteering at the LGBTQ Resource Center, though I have been involved in numerous events since my freshman year. I enjoy writing, knitting, spelunking, and watching Doctor Who. I am from a very small one-stoplight town (and I remember them putting in the stoplight), so it's very important to me to have a community like the one here at Mizzou. My ultimate dream is to be a writer or photographer, but I also would really like to work as a counselor focusing on LGBTQ teenagers. A few fun facts about me: I wear flip flops nearly year round, was a cheerleader in high school, and every summer I am a tour guide at a show cave.
Name: Breianna Cowins aka Buda
Major: Psychology
Something About Me:
My name is Breianna Cowins, but I go by the nick name Buda. I work as the Student Assistant here in the resource center. I also am the coordinator for the monthly Queer Movie Nites held here in the resource center. I am a first year student here at Mizzou University, and this is my first year working with the resource center. I feel it very important for this resource center be here for the LGBTQ community so they may have somewhere to go where there are others that share their same interests and sometimes issues. I am here to be a part of what I feel is the most important part of this campus to educate those who don’t really know anything about what it is people of LGBTQ community go through and what they can do to help or stop the hate crimes that occur in our society. My dream is to help people in the LGBTQ community and also the minority community especially youth and young adults. Some interesting things about are I was a cheerleader when I was a kid, I am a member of the National Honor Society of my high school chapter, and during the summer I am either in school or traveling visiting other states or cities and getting to know and experience with their LGBTQ communities.
Name: Carrie McKinley
Major: Undecided
Something About Me:
I’m a first year student here at Mizzou originating from the suburbs of Kansas City. I have an older brother, five handsome nephews and a beautiful baby niece. I do a hodgepodge of things for the resource center including helping with events and designing lots of buttons! I’m planning to major in business but haven’t settled on a specific major yet and I am working towards a minor in Spanish. In the future I see myself graduating early and pursuing a demanding business career.