Dr. Gary Wright (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum at the University of Missouri. Dr. Wright’s research focuses on justice-oriented science teaching and gender and sexual diversity (GSD)-inclusive science education, with a particular focus on preparing pre-service and in-service science teachers to work with and learn from LGBTQ students. He draws on a variety of frameworks in his research, including queer theory, teacher attitudes and beliefs, and identity. Dr. Wright also conducts research on mentoring in STEM, exploring the impact of a distance near-peer mentoring model on the STEM identity of underserved students living in rural communities in the U.S. and Botswana. Dr. Wright’s scholarship has garnered recognition through several awards and fellowships, including the NARST Outstanding Doctoral Research Award.

Dr. Wright is a first-generation college graduate and a former North Carolina Teaching Fellow. He holds a Ph.D. and M.Ed. in Science Education from North Carolina State University, and a B.A in Biology with a secondary science license from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Dr. Wright is also a former high school science teacher, having taught for 3 years in rural North Carolina communities.

Areas of Expertise

• Pre-service science teacher education
• Gender and sexual diversity-inclusive education
• LGBTQ+ identities (students and teachers)
• Near-peer mentoring
• Mixed methods