Sarah Mountz, PhD, MSW is an assistant professor at University at Albany. Her research focuses on the experiences of LGBTQ youth in child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Sarah’s most recent research project, From Our Perspectives, used a community based participatory research (CBPR) framework to look at the experiences of LGBTQ former foster youth in Los Angeles County through qualitative interviewing and photovoice methods. Participants’ photos were featured in a traveling art installation that participants helped curate, as well as on an interactive website, and in a mini-documentary series.Previously, Sarah’s research used life history interviewing to explore the experiences of queer, transgender and nonbinary young people in girls’ juvenile justice facilities in New York State with attention to how the intersection of gender identity and sexual orientation, age, race and ethnicity informed their trajectories into and out of the juvenile justice system. She is particularly interested in LGBTQ and other youth activism and organizing. Prior to joining the faculty at University at Albany, Sarah was an assistant professor at California State University, Northridge. Before that Sarah practiced in the child welfare system for ten years, during which time she was a caseworker in New York City at a specialized congregate care facility opened for LGBTQ youth in foster care in addition to working with birthparents in private adoption. She is also an adult ally to queer and transgender youth organizers.