Ritch C. Savin-Williams is professor and chair of Human Development at Cornell University. He received the Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, where he studied sex differences in dominance hierarchy formation at summer camp. Later research projects included examining behavioral and experienced domains of self-esteem and adolescent friendships. His books on adolescent development include, The New Gay Teenager (2005), "Mom, Dad. I'm Gay." How Families Negotiate Coming Out" (2001), . . . And Then I Became Gay. Young Men's Stories (1998), and, with Kenneth Cohen, The Lives of Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexuals: Children to Adults (1996). He is currently writing about the experiences of growing up with same-sex attractions, the mental health of sexual-minority youth, and the sexual development of heterosexual youth.
Dr. Savin-Williams is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice and has served as an expert witness on same-sex marriage, gay adoption, and Boy Scout court cases. He received the 2001 Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution and the 2005 Outstanding Book Award from Division 44 of the American Psychological Association for The New Gay Teenager. He has also written curriculum materials for the Unitarian Universalist Association, Beyond Pink and Blue: Exploring Our Stereotypes of Sexuality and Gender.