Dr. Jeff Maliskey
LGBTQIA2S+ Educator
Dr. Jeff Maliskey (he/him) is an LGBTQIA2S+ educator with direct experience in helping educators and organizations affirm LGBTQIA2S+ people. Jeff draws on his personal and professional experience as a gay educator in the Midwest. He uses evidence-based practice and historical understanding to create environments for individuals seeking out opportunities to support LGBTQIA+ people.
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Jeff currently serves as the inaugural Pride Center Director at the University of North Dakota. His work focuses on supporting LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff while developing programs and initiatives to create an inclusive and affirming collegiate environment. As a scholar, Jeff's research focuses on queer historical inquiry, providing a base of knowledge to better understand contemporary LGBTQIA+ experiences in higher education. Jeff received his Ph.D. in Education, Health, and Behavior Studies from the University of North Dakota. His dissertation entitled The History of Queer Resistance and Student Activism at the University of North Dakota explores the queer history of the University, demonstrating how student activism was the driving force for the University in becoming a cultural battleground in the fight for LGBTQIA2S+ equality.
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Jeff is also actively involved in advancing the field for queer and trans resource center work through involvement in the Consortium of Higher Education LGBTQ+ Resource Professionals since 2019. Jeff currently serves on the Board as the Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator. He previously served as a Regional Representative.
Keynotes & Speaking
Jeff is a frequently invited keynote and guest speaker at colleges, universities, professional organizations , and community organizations. He blends his personal stories and professional experience to discuss how to support LGBTQIA2S+ people. Jeff will work with you to speak on a topic that best achieves your goals.
Popular Talks for Colleges
LGBTQIA2S+ State of Affairs in Higher Education
Dr. Jeff Maliskey discusses the current state of affairs for LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff in higher education. By exploring current LGBTQIA2S+ trends in addition to best and emerging practices in higher education across the nation, Jeff reflects and offers insight into the current and future direction of LGBTQIA2S+ work.
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Unveiling our Past, Shaping Our Future, A Journey through LGBTQ+ History
LGBTQ+ history is often shared through stories without written record and can sometimes get lost over generations, especially in rural communities. Unveiling our past gives us understanding to the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people to contextualize our current state of affairs. This presentation explores regional history through Dr. Jeff Maliskey’ s research in higher education LGBTQ+ activism and the connection to the national LGBTQ+ movement from the 1980s to present day in the Midwest region.
Clients
Media & Press
Scholarly Work
My research has been influenced by my experiencing working in higher education as an educator in LGBTQ+ student services. My interest developed through establishing inaugural LGBTQ+ services at the University of North Dakota which lead me to learning about queer history through storytelling and archival data. Through this work, I found an interest in the history of LGBTQ+ student activism in higher education and queer history in higher education broadly as a growing area in queer scholarship.
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My research focuses on queer historical inquiry to provide a base of knowledge to better understand contemporary LGBTQ+ experiences and issues in higher education. ​My doctoral research explored the queer history of the University of North Dakota from 1980 to 2022, demonstrating how LGBTQ+ student activism lead to the development of LGBTQ+ programs and services at the University. Grounded in critical historical inquiry, oral history interviews and primary sources evidences assist in telling a story of how LGBTQ+ student advocacy and activism were the driving force for the flagship university in North Dakota to become a cultural battleground in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.
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Click here to download the full dissertation.
Conference Papers
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Maliskey, J., & D’Amico Pawlewicz, D. (2021, November). Queer resistance and conservative politics: The history of campus activism in the northern plains. Paper presented at the annual meeting History of Education Society, San Diego, CA. (Virtual)
Maliskey, J., & D’Amico Pawlewicz, D. (2021, November). Queer resistance on campus: Universities, conservative politics, and the quest for lgbtq+ rights in the northern plains. Paper accepted at the 2021 American Educational Studies Association Annual Conference, Portland, OR. (Accepted but unable to attend due to COVID-19 pandemic)
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Conference Presentations
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Maliskey, J. (2024, April). Promising Practices in Serving Queer & Trans Students. A presentation at the North Dakota/South Dakota ASPIRE Conference, Grand Forks, ND.
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Maliskey, J., & Cohen, S.S. (2024, March). Our Political Context: Exploring the Threats to Our Work. A presentation at the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals Pre-Convention at the ACPA 2024 Convention, Chicago, IL.
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Maliskey, J. (2023, November). Creating Collaborative Learning Opportunities with Academic Programs. A presentation at the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference, Lexington, KY.
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Maliskey, J. (2022, October). A History of Queer Resistance at the University of North Dakota. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education & Beyond, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND.
Maliskey, J., Kinney, A., Kelsch, A. (2022, October). Understanding and Addressing the Impact of Pronouns and Gender Use in Academic Writing, Surveys, and Teaching. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Higher Education & Beyond, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND.
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Doulamis, S., & Maliskey, J. (2021, November). Doing Our Part: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Initiatives in Health Promotion. NASPA Region IV-West, Tulsa, OK. (Virtual)
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Maliskey, J. (2020, February). The Importance of Resiliency Groups on College Campuses. A presentation at the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference, Kalamazoo, MI.
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Maliskey, J. (2019, November). Including LGBTQ Students in Interpersonal Violence & Healthy Relationships Campus Programs. A presentation at the NASPA IV-West Regional Conference, Fargo, ND.
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Maliskey, J. (2018, February). Creating Community Through Dialogue. A presentation at the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference, Omaha, NE.