Students, faculty and staff at Roger Williams University will be saying goodbye to a beloved member community this week. It was announced on Sept. 7 that Assistant Director of Queer and Trans Student Initiatives Gabby Porcaro will be leaving RWU for a new opportunity and that her last day is Friday, Sept. 10.

“I am so proud of everything I have accomplished with my students in the Queer and Trans Resource and Advocacy Center (QTRAC,) with SAGA [The Sexuality and Gender Alliance] and Feminists United,” said Porcaro. “I always encouraged my students to lead with empathy and love and we’ve accomplished so many transformational changes.”

Porcaro also had some thoughts about RWU’s mistakes when it comes to equity, saying “where we’ve made missteps as a university in relation to queer and trans equity, racial equity and social justice movements is by being reactive rather than proactive.”

“I want to encourage my former colleagues to take a step back before creating, talk to the students, and create action plans from a proactive headspace. When we are functioning in a reactive headspace, we will always miss the mark and cause unintentional harm,” said Porcaro.

The community is invited to share good wishes with Porcaro on Friday, Sept. 10 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, located on the first floor of the library. Those that are interested should contact Director of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Zoila Quezada at ([email protected].)