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Jason C. Garvey, a leader in advancing social justice and inclusion in higher education for queer and trans (QT) students, has been invested as the inaugural Sanford Friedman-Jerome Hipps Green and Gold Professor of Education. University of Vermont leadership and special guests joined in the formal ceremony in Waterman Building’s Memorial Lounge on Thursday, September 30, 2021.

The endowed faculty position in the College of Education and Social Services was established by Sanford Friedman ’73 and his husband Jerome “Jerry” Hipps to honor the teaching, research, and support of LGBTQ students, faculty, and administrators at the post-secondary education and public education levels. Their intention is that the holder of the position will bring a dedication and passion to support all members of the community at all stages of life—from early childhood through late adulthood—in ways that further the inclusion and promotion of LGBTQA people.   

Sanford Friedman began his career at �պ����� in 1969 intending to become an English teacher, but he says a negative experience during his practicum, in which he encountered discrimination in the public school system as a young, gay student teacher, led him to consider a different career path. After graduating from �պ�����, he studied counseling and college student personnel administration at Indiana University, where he met Hipps.

Friedman says he was drawn back to a much more welcoming �պ����� campus environment as an alumnus by former Prism Center Director Dot Brauer, and he now serves in key volunteer roles across the University. He co-chaired the 20th anniversary of the Prism Center in 2019, and he and Hipps both served on the planning committee. Friedman is a member of the �պ����� Alumni Association Board of Directors, chairing its Affinity Group Subcommittee and serving on its Diversity and Equity Committee. He also serves on the �պ����� Hillel Board of Directors and as co-chair of �պ�����’s LGBTQA Alumni Affinity Group.   

Friedman says his dream is that the research and advocacy resulting from this position will influence policy changes that improve school climate for QT students, so they will not feel the same isolation and fear that he experienced after coming out.  And he hopes that these same students will feel more empowered to pursue degrees in education themselves. 

“I really want to make sure students who are queer and people of color who are queer—or however they self-identify—have an opportunity if they want to teach,” he said.

Jerry Hipps attended the University of Michigan and Indiana University. He spent his career in the field of education, using data-driven assessment techniques to evaluate a range of educational programs, including those for bilingual, compensatory, special, and vocational education. Throughout his career, he observed that concepts of diversity were traditionally limited to gender and race, to the exclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity. He says there are many parallels between his life’s work and that of Garvey.

Jason Garvey is a justice-driven educator on a mission to create equitable education outcomes for QT students, and particularly QT students of color. His research examines QT collegians across educational contexts, primarily using quantitative methods. Garvey’s work fills a void in national education research that largely excludes or misrepresents QT students. Beyond data collection, he seeks to demonstrate empirically to lawmakers and institutional policymakers how harmful policies have a negative impact on the success and livelihood of QT people.In 2020, he launched Queer and Trans People in Education (QTPiE), a multi-institutional research team with a mission to educate, advocate, and build coalitions that advance equitable policies and practices for queer and trans people in higher education.  

Garvey joined the �պ����� faculty in 2016 as an assistant professor in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration graduate program in the College of Education and Social Services. He was promoted to associate professor in 2019 and appointed to the Friedman-Hipps Green and Gold Professorship in 2020—the investiture ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic.

Garvey earned his PhD in College Student Personnel Administration and a Certificate in Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation from the University of Maryland, College Park. He holds an MA in School Psychology and a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Sexuality studies from The Ohio State University, as well as a BA in Educational Studies from the University of Delaware.    

Sharing a close bond with Friedman and Hipps, Garvey describes their meeting as “just serendipity, a match made in heaven.” He says the professorship helped to bolster his own scholarly visibility. "I'm so grateful for them because, as a queer researcher, it's a fight just to exist and be recognized in the Academe. I want to use this position to elevate queer and trans researchers, particularly scholars who are researching Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities who also identify as queer and trans. I want to demonstrate solidarity across communities to better serve marginalized students.”

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Fundraising for the College of Education and Social Services (CESS) is a major focus for �պ����� Foundation, a nonprofit corporation established to secure and manage private support for the benefit of �պ�����. To inquire about making a gift to CESS, please contact Erika Nestor at 802-999-2141 or Erika.Nestor@uvm.edu. More information about the impact of donors like Sanford Friedman and Jerry Hipps and the work of the �պ����� Foundation can be found at .