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Lavender Graduation is an annual graduation ceremony conducted at universities to honor LGBTQ+ students and acknowledge their accomplishments and contributions.
The ceremony was created by Ronni Sanlo, a lesbian keynote speaker in LGBTQ+ communities, and is hosted by the University of Arizona Health Sciences LGBTQ+ Interest Group.
Russell (Russ) B. Toomey, PhD
Russell (Russ) B. Toomey, PhD, is program chair and professor of family studies and human development at the University of Arizona. He conducts research on the processes by which sexual and gender minority youth thrive and are resilient despite the oppressive barriers and challenges they encounter in society. His research identifies both the individual-level mechanisms (e.g., coping, activism) and systems-level policies (e.g., inclusive school policies) that reduce the impacts of discrimination and contribute to optimal health, well-being, and educational outcomes. At the University of Arizona, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on adolescent development, human sexuality, and advanced graduate-level applied statistics. He serves on the Executive Council for the Society for Research on Adolescence and as an associate editor for the American Educational Research Journal.