SCampus Cutie: Chris Dunford – Sweet, Smart, Super

Year: Class of 2011
Relationship Status: Single
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Activities/Interests: Cooking, playing guitar, tea
Why He’s Our Campus Cutie: He’s cute, smart, and extremely passionate about making a difference by being actively involved with the LGBT community. 
 
What has been your overall experience being openly gay at USC?
 
I would say pretty fantastic actually. USC has an incredible network of LGBT and allied students, and it’s really made my coming out freshman year pretty easy. Plus it’s my way of flexing my activist muscle. Years from now I’ll be able to look back and say, “Yep. I went to all those Prop 8 protests and fought for equality.”
 
Tell us about the things you’ve been involved in at USC.
 
I used to be in UNICEF club and I used to run this one student org called OutReach. It’s goal was to help establish and support GSAs (Gay Straight Alliances) in local LA high schools.
 
That must have meant a lot to those students – knowing there was a network and resources for them. Is there any special moment you had with the students you met? Something that left a mark on you?
 
Yeah, one moment comes to mind. I was giving a tour of USC to a GSA who was interested in learning about the college experience. I remember their GSA president talking about how he wasn’t out to his family and genuinely couldn’t be. His father was a minister I think and the household was, in a word, traditional. They wanted him to get a job and stay near home after graduating from high school, but this kid had other ideas. He so badly wanted to go away to college, to be able to start his own life (a life where he could be out, mind you), and I couldn’t have felt more satisfied with my generation right then and there. I should add that he ended up going to college after all. And I should add that this college was out of state.
 
Speaking of college, you’re graduating this fall. What’s currently going through your mind, and what are your plans for the future?
 
Well. I plan on fishing for job in the biomed field, I’m most interested in tissue engineering so hopefully something involving this. But every now and then I humor the idea of getting my master’s. But whenever people ask if I want to go to med school, I can’t say ‘No’ fast enough. Dr. Dunford is my dad.
 
Ooh, what is tissue engineering?
 
It’s a field of engineering in which artificial organs are made for patients that need organ transplants. It sounds like science fiction but, yep, it’s a thing.
 
You’re not just smart, you’re hip and fashionable. Looking through your facebook pictures, you’re very model-esque. You’ve definitely got the looks and your own flair. You know how to dress. Can you tell us about your personal style and what inspires you?
 
Ahaha wow I’m flattered, embarrassed but flattered. Hmm, well, while I’m sometimes guilty of buying into those trendy GQ fashions, I can’t say that equates to a personal style. But what I really believe my own style is might be an amalgam of old, new, classy, down-to-earth, unique, and a touch of hippie if I can manage. I have some friends in San Francisco and Seattle and San Diego these days who wear the most bold, wild clothes. I love this. I won’t pretend to say I have the guts to do this sort of this, but it’s just so damn enviable. It takes some serious nerve to be able to put whatever inspires you onto your frame. Not that clothes or these kinds of things really matter to a character, but then again, clothes can speak tomes about one’s character. I guess they do say clothes make the man.

Anything else you’d like to add? About anything?
 
I’ve been meaning to take up boxing. I don’t think there’s any more bada** way to exercise than to fight someone. We’ll see how this plays out…