Andy Cofino is an educator & consultant with over 15 years of experience helping organizations support & affirm their LGBTQIA+ employees, customers, and clients.
Photo by Idriss Njike
Andy Cofino (he/him/his pronouns) currently serves as the Director of the UCLA Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Campus Resource Center. He previously served roles supporting LGBTQIA+ people at Princeton University, New York University, and on the Executive Board of the National Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals.
Andy leads professional development opportunities & workshops and consults with universities/colleges, non-profits, and corporations nationwide, offering insights & expertise on supporting LGBTQIA+ populations.
Andy identifies as bisexual and transgender and often draws from his personal and professional experience to create a learning environment that is both data-driven and personally compelling. Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Women’s and Gender Studies with a minor in Italian from Pace University and a Master of Arts in LGBTQ Studies, Social Justice, and Creative Writing from New York University.
Andy is available for speaking engagements, consultation, curriculum development, and facilitation for K-12 schools, college/universities, non-profit organizations, and corporations nationwide. Some of the organizations he has consulted with, presented and/or performed at include:
- Princeton University
- Stanford University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Drew University
- Marist College
- New York University
- American University
- Hunter College
- Vanderbilt University
- AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts
- Edwin Gould Services For Children and Families
- Franklin & Marshall College
- Rutgers University
- Regional and National Conferences:
- UCLA Administrative Management Group (AMG) Leadership Conference
- New York State Nurse’s Association Annual Conference
- National Association of International Educations (NAFSA) Annual Conference
- Creating Change — The National Conference on LGBTQ Equality
- Philadelphia Trans Health Conference
- Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Diversity & Inclusion National Meeting
- The LGBT Health Workforce Conference at Hunter College
- Guest Lecturer:
- Contemporary Issues in Higher Education (California State University, Fresno, 2019)
- LGBTQ Institutions and Organizations (UCLA, 2018-2021)
- Program Development & Evaluation in Student Affairs (UCLA, 2018-2021)
What Clients Are Saying
Andy opened for a lecture I gave to New York state school nurses on LGBTQ issues and wowed, moved, and taught the participants with his clarity, pathos, and brilliance. What a way to teach understanding and tolerance!
Andy proved himself a knowledgeable and engaging trainer. He conducted several workshops aimed at raising institutional awareness and sensitivity towards members of our community identifying along the LGBTQ spectrum. Andy's knowledge of the prominent issues helped foster a robust discussion of ways we can strengthen institutional support for members of this community. Equally important, Andy's demeanor and style created a supportive environment for participants to ask questions and explore uncertainties within their own knowledge base.
Andy Cofino is able to detail the struggles of community members whom many care nothing for or about, and to bring their issues to life, humanizing them and making their stories accessible and relevant to ALL people.
Out in the Open is a compelling, courageous, and uplifting work of spoken-word theater whose message is as contemporary as it is timeless. Andy Cofino has a rare talent. Every performance was absolutely sold-out with standing-room only access, each ending with thunderous standing ovations and multiple encores. Every single one of them was earned.
