Anna Wells Piotti Oral History (She/They)- April 2023

Anna Piotti shared her experiences as a graduate student at Penn State, including her background growing up in rural Maine, her journey to Penn State, and her work as a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) instructional consultant. She discussed the challenges and complexities of navigating higher education institutions, the importance of inclusive teaching practices, and her insights on the strengths and areas for improvement at Penn State. Anna also spoke about her personal identity, including her asexuality and non-binary gender identity, and the support she has found in the LGBTQIA+ community at Penn State. Overall, the interview provides a detailed and thoughtful perspective on the experiences of a graduate student at a large research university. 

The Queer and Trans Oral History Collection includes diverse narratives of past and present students and faculty at Penn State University. This compilation of oral history interviews illuminates the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ communities within the institution from the 1960s through the early 2020s. These personal accounts detail a range of LGBTQIA+ experiences including activism, survival, successes, and challenges.  These oral history recordings were created as part of The Queer and Trans oral history project in The Pennsylvania State's Special Collections Library, led by Cora Butcher-Spellman.  The Queer and Trans oral history project was made possible thanks to the Candace and Patrick E. Malloy Graduate Assistantship in the University Archives.  This project title reflects our current understanding of the interviews. We understand identities develop over time.