Dr. Taylor serves as a DEI educator and consultant for CFAES, the University, Wexner Medical Center, and the broader Ohio community. He is frequently invited to speak about issues such as transgender identities, pronouns, allyship, bystander intervention, inclusive and equitable hiring practices, and implicit bias. Dr. Taylor joined the CFAES office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in September 2018 with a 50/50 appointment as Program Manager and postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology where he worked with Dr. Mary Gardiner. In November of 2019 he left entomology and pivoted into DEI work full time.
After arriving at OSU Leo spearheaded the founding of a Cultivating Change chapter at Ohio State and he continues to serve as the advisor. He created the DEI professional development program for CFAES, which was launched in January 2019, and features guest presenters in addition to original workshops and webinars. Programs are always free and open to anyone regardless of affiliation to CFAES or OSU. Please continue reading to learn more about Dr. Taylor.
Leo Taylor was born and raised in Muncie, IN and received his B.S. (psychology) and M.S. (biology) from Ball State University. He received his PhD in entomology from Cornell University. Leo has delivered hundreds of workshops, webinars, conference presentations, guest lectures, and keynote addresses on a variety of DEI topics with a specialty in transgender allyship development and self-empowerment. Leo's lived experience as a queer, disabled, neurodivergent transman inspires his conviction that modeling vulnerability and embodying joyful authenticity is an effective way to help others feel personally connected to social justice work. Leo is passionate about issues affecting people who are women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, living with HIV, and those struggling with the unwarranted stigma associated with pathologized neurodivergence. In addition to his professional work, Leo has served as a life coach, mentor, and support group facilitator for graduate students and individuals from some of the most marginalized populations.
In his spare time Leo enjoys dancing, thrifting, making mosaic art, nature, performing, and generally challenging the heteronormative status quo.