Pride Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the people, experiences, and perspectives that strengthen the chemical engineering community.
As part of AIChE's Pride Month series, we're highlighting LGBTQ+ chemical engineers and allies whose stories reflect the importance of community and belonging. In this installment, we spoke with Tata Serebryany, an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Washington, about his path to chemical engineering and his perspective on creating welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ engineers.
Can you tell us about your path to chemical engineering and what drew you to the field?
My path into chemical engineering is just starting! I earned a bachelor's two years ago, and I'm now working toward a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Washington.
I stumbled into chemical engineering by accident. I did poorly in high school chemistry but found it interesting, so I continued studying it. From there, I looked at a four-year ChemE curriculum and liked it, so I enrolled.
I'm not sure I knew what chemical engineering really was. While at the University of Utah, I led the Chemical Engineering K-12 Outreach team, and led“What is Chemical Engineering" workshops for kids. My work with the outreach team gave me a much wider perspective on the field and ultimately solidified my goal to pursue graduate school.
Now I continue outreach with STEM Pals and the Association of Chemical Engineering Graduate Students. Connecting with students brings me purpose and motivates my research.
How has being part of the LGBTQ+ community shaped your experience in chemical engineering?
I chose the University of Utah for its strong chemical engineering program, but I was initially nervous about the move from California to Utah, given the state's conservative reputation. A single email just before the semester started gave me hope.
My first class was CH EN 1703: Introduction to Chemical Engineering with Dr. Tony Butterfield. Before the semester began, Tony emailed me about the rainbow flag in my profile picture: "...it's always nice to have 'Family' in my course." That email gave me the support and motivation to seek community in my new home.
When I asked about LGBTQ+ organizations, Tony mentioned oSTEM (out in STEM), but it had withered during COVID and was inactive. I re-registered the club, updated its constitution, and recruited board members to rebuild it, gaining 200 members by the time I graduated.
Through oSTEM, I connected with the AIChE LGBTQ+ Allies Community and have since met wonderful people in various AIChE divisions and communities.
AIChE calls itself "The Global Home of Chemical Engineers," and it certainly is to me.
What does Pride Month mean to you, both personally and professionally?
To me, Pride means uplifting communities around me, not just my own. It means addressing racial and gender inequalities, protecting immigrant rights, and strengthening disability accommodations.
At a time when there's so much political hostility toward LGBTQ+ Americans—especially transgender people—I'm heartened to see AIChE stand firmly with its LGBTQ+ community and continue its IDEAL movement.
On a more personal note, I like seeing the rainbows everywhere.
What advice would you offer to LGBTQ+ students or early-career engineers as they consider being open about their identity at work?
I hesitate to offer advice. It's a deeply personal choice and sadly depends on where you live.
I grew up in California and was fortunate to never consider not being out. I have long hair, wear makeup, and my idea of professional attire often involves heels, which means I don't need to verbally come out. Everyone already knows I'm gay, which removes any awkwardness.
There have been work trips and conferences where I took off the nail polish and put on a "straight man cosplay" because I wasn't sure what the response would be. It's a sad reality that this is a compromise we sometimes have to make.
Thankfully, the AIChE Annual Meeting is not one of those conferences. I'm confident I'll be respected however I show up, and I'm grateful for the ongoing efforts to make and keep this community welcoming.
My one suggestion: attend LGBTQ+ and IDEAL events at AIChE conferences. Allies are welcome, and don't need to disclose anything about your own identity. You may find that you want to anyway!
Learn more about the LGBTQ+ & Allies community.
This initiative is supported by the AIChE Foundation's Doing a World of Good Campaign.
Learn more about AIChE's Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives.
