Quinn Rioz

Quinn is a Chicanx, Queer, Trans Nonbinary Educator, consultant, and Star Wars nerd from a galaxy far, far, away (Oxnard, CA). They began working at the Center in January 2019 as the Associate Director and became the Director in November 2021. During their time at UCSB, Quinn has worked with students, staff, and faculty to create resources, educational initiatives, and affirming spaces for trans and queer students while advocating for institutional change that addresses some of the systemic oppression LGBTQIA+ people experience.

Quinn has a background in nonprofit and social work. They have served in various positions supporting underserved families, survivors of interpersonal violence, runaway, houseless, and LGBTQIA+ youth. Quinn is a first generation college student that graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California Lutheran University and pursued a Master of Arts in Education concentration in Special Interest at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Their Master’s thesis centers the voices and resilience strategies of trans students of color. They currently lecture at SFSU and teach a queering education course where QTBIPOC identities and experiences in education are the focus.

Quinn’s life passion and work is to empower and cultivate spaces for queer and trans people of color. They believe reinforcing resilience through community building can be the greatest form of resistance. Quinn loves their plantitas, raising monarch butterflies, traveling, camping, cooking, and spending time at the beach with their wife and two fur babies, Taco de Papa and Simon.