LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Alliance

Meetings and Events

Join the LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Alliance to receive email updates on upcoming meetings and events 

Mission Statement

The LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Alliance is an employee resource group set to unite faculty and staff of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as allies, and provide a structured framework and network for members to improve awareness and engagement, influence a non-bias culture, and encourage inclusive collaboration.

Leadership

John C. Marano, Jr., Co-Lead

John — known to his family, friends and CMU colleagues by his nickname “Jay” — is the director of trademark licensing. Jay created the Trademark Licensing Office when he began his career with CMU in September 1995 and is responsible for all other areas of CMU’s trademark licensing program, including serving as the university’s voting liaison to the Fair Labor Association and Worker Rights Consortium. 

Jay has been openly gay on campus since 2000 when he “outed himself’ while serving his first of two terms as chair of Staff Council, so he could advocate for domestic partner health benefits (which were approved by the CMU Board of Trustees in the early summer of 2000). 

Jay is humbled to serve with Lara as co-lead of the first LGBTQIA+ ERG while in the twilight of his professional career. He believes that his wealth of diverse experiences spanning nearly five decades “in and out of the closet” offers a unique lens when working with members of the ERG. He hopes to provide the group with the perspective and encouragement needed to create an enjoyable and sustainable ERG for this eclectic community where current and future staff and faculty will feel welcomed and nurtured.

Ryan McKelvey, Co-Lead

Ryan M. McKelvey joined the Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe) network as its academic coordinator in April 2022 but has maintained artistic and professional relationships with Carnegie Mellon University since 2015. He holds an MA in performance & visual practices from the University of Brighton and a BA in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh.

Ryan is a fierce accomplice who believes true equity, representation and visibility are vital in all public arenas, especially in institutional spaces and professional contexts. He acknowledges the privileges he holds (cis male, white, American, employed) that enable him to publicly identify as gay and queer. Ryan’s awareness of the broader concerns across our city, commitment to collaboration and generative practice, and understanding of intersectionality at CMU will enable him to provide direction, guidance and new perspectives to the LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Alliance. He is thrilled to engage with the community and serve as a co-lead for the next two years.