Teaching with Integrity, Courage, and Care!
Each month, Teaching While Queer recognizes an educator whose work reflects a deep commitment to equity, authenticity, and inclusive teaching. This program uplifts educators who lead with care, advocate for LGBTQ+ communities, and create learning environments where students—and educators—are able to show up as their full selves.
Educators of the Month
Dr. Clark Ausloos
February 2026
Dr. Clark D. Ausloos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling whose teaching, research, and clinical practice reflect a deep and unwavering commitment to liberation, justice, queer and trans affirmation, and the empowerment of marginalized communities. Across classrooms, clinics, and communities, Dr. Ausloos works at the intersections of counseling, education, and social justice—centering trauma-informed and gender-affirming approaches to care.
Dr. Ausloos brings extensive experience working with LGBTQ+ youth and families across school, community, and healthcare settings. His work consistently bridges theory and practice, ensuring that scholarship is not only rigorous, but responsive to lived realities.
Why We’re Honoring Dr. Ausloos
Dr. Ausloos embodies the values at the heart of Teaching While Queer’s Educator of the Month program. His work demonstrates:
A steadfast commitment to queer and trans liberation
Leadership that advances equitable, affirming mental health practices
Scholarship that bridges education, counseling, and justice
Care-centered pedagogy rooted in trauma-informed and gender-affirming frameworks
Through both his academic contributions and professional leadership, Dr. Ausloos has helped shape national conversations around mental health, identity, and care—particularly for LGBTQ+ communities navigating systems not built with them in mind.
Scholarship, Leadership, and Impact
Dr. Ausloos has authored or co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and delivered 70+ national and international conference presentations. He regularly consults with organizations including Columbus Public Health, the Hunt Institute, and Rutgers University to advance inclusive and equitable counseling practices.
His contributions to the profession have been recognized with numerous honors, including:
Ohio Counselor of the Year Award (2020)
Professional Integrity and Leadership Award (OASERVIC, 2020)
Ned Farley Service Award (SAIGE, 2023)
SAIGE Presidential Award (2024)
Robert Barret Distinguished Lecturer on Multicultural Issues in Counseling, UNC Charlotte (2023)
Dr. Ausloos currently serves as President of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender-Expansive Identities (SAIGE) and holds leadership roles with ACA, NBCC, ACES, AARC, ACAC, and the Association for Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness (ACSSW).
A Note of Gratitude
Dr. Ausloos was nominated by members of the Teaching While Queer community for his profound impact on students, educators, and practitioners alike. We are honored to recognize his leadership, scholarship, and care-centered approach to education and counseling.
Thank you, Dr. Ausloos, for modeling what it looks like to teach, lead, and practice with integrity—and for helping build systems where queer and trans people are not merely included, but affirmed and empowered.
Michael Sadowski
January 2026
Michael Sadowski is the Associate Dean of the College at Bard College and a nationally recognized educator, author, and advocate working at the intersection of education, gender, sexuality, and institutional change. He is one of the founders of Out@Bard, the college’s LGBTQ+ organization for faculty and staff, helping to foster more affirming, visible, and sustainable academic environments.
Michael is also the author of Men I’ve Never Been: A Memoir, a powerful exploration of masculinity, identity, and becoming. His work—both inside and outside the classroom—models what it looks like to teach with integrity, vulnerability, and care.
Why We’re Honoring Michael
Michael’s impact goes far beyond titles or publications. He represents a kind of educator many queer teachers aspire to become—or hope exists:
- Someone who leads without erasing their identity
- Someone who understands that policy, pedagogy, and lived experience are inseparable
- Someone who uses storytelling as a tool for liberation, reflection, and growth
Through his leadership, teaching, and writing, Michael consistently creates space for complex conversations about gender and sexuality—while grounding them in compassion, curiosity, and academic rigor.
In the Classroom & Community
This month, Teaching While Queer is especially excited to join Michael as a guest panelist in his Gender and Sexualities course at Bard College, alongside Clark Wolff-Hamel, Education Director at PFLAG. The panel will center advocacy, education, and what it means to show up authentically in learning spaces during a time of cultural and political pressure.
Moments like this remind us why community-centered education matters—and why educators like Michael are so essential.
A Note of Gratitude
Michael was nominated by members of the Teaching While Queer community and graciously accepted this spotlight. We are deeply grateful for the ways he continues to mentor, challenge, and support educators and students alike.
Thank you, Michael, for teaching bravely—and for reminding us that who we are belongs in the work we do.
Learn More
🔗 Faculty page: https://www.bard.edu/faculty/michael-sadowski
📘 Men I’ve Never Been: A Memoir
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