Melissa (she/her) completed her PhD in Business Administration at Uninettuno University. Her research focuses on the influence of open innovation and dynamic capabilities on the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises during exogenous crises. Melissa received her B.Sc. in Computer Science in 2015 from University of Milano-Bicocca with a thesis on IT architectures that enable marketing communications and CRM development. She obtained her MBA in Business Administration and Digital Technologies (summa cum laude) in 2020 from Uninettuno University with a thesis on digital innovations and business models applied to insurance processes. Her research interests include: Innovation Management, Open Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management. Follow Melissa on Twitter: @MelissaVasi and check out her website: www.melissavasi.com

Being Gay in Academia: Unravelling Suffocating Contradictions

This article explores the experience of a gay man entering academia in an oppressive conservative culture, creating impossible contradictions between who they are and who academia wants them to be. Professional norms of academia clash with stereotypes of what ‘gay’ looks like to produce a suffocating costume that we often feel is necessary to survive. The article advocates for representation of minority groups in academia to expand ideas of who we can be – and for PhD students to care for one another and embrace our unique stories and identities.

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