Patrick Finnessy, Ph.D. is the Director of the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns at the University of Illinois at Chicago. An educator and activist for twenty years, Dr. Finnessy teaches, researches, publishes, and challenges. The author of a curriculum guide for the anthology Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian, his work often examines the intersections of school curriculum, identity, and sexuality. A highly recruited presenter, he has also led workshops on LGBT issues to audiences in Asia, South America, Europe, and across the United States.