Biographical Summary

Max Gaida is a PhD candidate in American History at the University of Cologne, where he also earned his Master’s degree and was awarded the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Thesis Prize. Committed to public scholarship, he launched the Queer Philadelphia Mapping Project during a fellowship at Temple University, part of his broader effort to making queer history more accessible. He had advanced this mission through academic publication in Pennsylvania History and by leading walking tours in Philadelphia’s Gayborhood.