Founder of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (1980)
Dr. Walter Westman (1945-1991) was an American ecologist and activist. Receiving his bachelor’s in botany (1966) at Swathmore College and his master’s from Macquarie University in Australia, he decided to pursue a graduate career in ecology in the United States. He completed his PhD at Cornell University under Robert Whittaker, where he studied pygmy forest ecosystems along the northwestern California coasts (1971). He held several academic appointments soon after, during which he earned international reputation for his work on biogeography, ecology, and responses to disturbance and environmental management in the Californian coastal sage ecosystems. As an openly gay man, Westman was dedicated towards advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and AIDS awareness, especially later in his academic career. He founded the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) in 1980 during a meeting of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Westman was dedicated towards promoting the discussion of homophobia within the scientific workplace. Later in his life, he joined Project Inform, an advocacy group focused on empowering people with HIV and Hepatitis C. After his passing in 1991, an award was set up in his name to recognize a NOGLSTP member annually for their contributions towards the organization’s mission.