#Evol2026 has been a blast!! Hope to see some of you mutuals at my talk this evening. Let’s talk about dogs and fossils and dog fossils 😎

Exciting talk at #Evol2026 by the 2026 Gould Prize recipient @neilshubin.bsky.social! An advocate for “curiosity-driven research”!!

I first met Neil Shubin 30 years ago when he was digging for fossils of our fishy ancestors in Pennsylvania road cuts. Now he's becoming president of the National Academy of Sciences. We talked about taking the helm of the 163-year-old organization at this fraught moment. Gift link: nyti.ms/4giD3FX

I’m here at #evol2026, as is a sizable chunk of Systematic Biology’s editorial board (academic.oup.com/sysbio/pages...). Early career folks: Please feel free to grab us to talk about publishing in the journal. We are here to help!

The @systbiol.bsky.social Mentorship Program is back for 2026-2027! The program pairs off mentees with mentors based on shared interests in systematics and biodiversity research. Low effort, high reward! 12 virtual monthly meetings. More info: www.systbio.org/mentorship-p... Apply by June 12th!

Applications are now open for the 2026 Workshop on Molecular Evolution (MOLE)! www.mbl.edu/education/ad... Claudia Solis-Lemus and I will be holding an informational session on Zoom next Wed (1/21) from 10:30-11:30 AM Central for those interested: lsu.zoom.us/j/4968115684 Deadline to apply: 1/26

The wonderful Emily Graslie talking to the #SSB2026 crowd about the importance of natural history museums. She has an art background and became enamored with the University of Montana natural history collections and created the #brainscoop series.

“Scientific societies can support you and foster you through your whole career” - SSB President @trayc7.bsky.social opening the #ssb2026 meeting Can’t join us today? Make sure your registration is up to date to keep up with SSB news and happenings www.systbio.org

Check out the schedule for the upcoming #ssb2026 meetings for later this week Thanks to @jembrown.bsky.social for organizing all this for @systbiol.bsky.social ssb2026.github.io

Reflections on the evolving practice of systematic biology, a joy to write with Michael Donoghue for the upcoming 75th volume of Systematic Biology! academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...

DEVOTED -- our new series launching on CNN today. "In a fractured world where trust in institutions has eroded, Donie O'Sullivan joins people on their spiritual journey as they question societal norms and find new sources of meaning." First up: "ethical carnivores" www.cnn.com/videos/title...

The GRFP lives!! (due end of October) www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

Please share — Michigan State Plant Biology is searching for an Herbarium Director! Tenure stream, open rank faculty position balancing research, teaching, service, and admin responsibilities. Join us! Reach out to me or @emjo.bsky.social with questions! plantbiology.natsci.msu.edu/job-postings...

I spoke with Kari Jordan and Erin Becker of The Carpentries about why they declined a $1.5M NSF grant intended to expand data science training. Their decision highlights the growing intersection of #science, #DEI, and federal policy. Read the full story on Forbes: www.forbes.com/sites/johndr...

I'm excited to share that my story is featured in this week's edition of Science Magazine! Being able to do my research with my Tribe and in my homelands has been so impactful and meaningful personally and for my career. And it's important for other young Indigenous researches to know it's possible!

There is one month left to apply for our Simons Graduate Fellowships in Ecology and Evolution! These awards provide support for students entering U.S.-based Ph.D. programs with a plan to perform research in #ecology and #evolution. www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons... #science

Calling all @utaustin.bsky.social people past and present that are attending #Evol2025. We are taking a community photo on Tuesday during the afternoon coffee break. Details below, please spread the word!

Last but not least, I will be sharing some work on a model I have been developing for chromosome evolution today! Be there or be square! I'll be presenting at 4:45 in Phylogenetic Theory! #Evol2025

I ❤️ Systematics #Evol2025

Thank you so much for everyone who came to my #Evol2025 talk! For those who couldn’t make it, I’m planning to upload it to my website and make a little thread here about the work, so stay tuned 🐕

Have you gotten your professional portrait done yet? Thanks to @systbiol.bsky.social DEIC @analyssi.bsky.social for sponsoring free portraits today with a professional photographer! In the Atrium! #Evol2025

Had a wonderful time celebrating the work and message of @corriemoreau.bsky.social at the @systbiol.bsky.social presidential address! #Evol2025

Excited to hear from @jbyoder.org, winner of @systbiol.bsky.social @sse-evolution.bsky.social @asn-amnat.bsky.social idea award! #Evol2025

Packing for #Evol2025? Bring your new and gently used field gear and clothes that you no longer use to donate to the Field Gear Swap! Hosted by the tri-society Diversity Committees - drop by their booth to donate or pick up! www.evolutionsociety.org/news/display... @evolmtg.bsky.social

Today, NSF added another 500 GRFP awardees, bringing this year’s total to 1500 www.research.gov/grfp/Awardee...

New powerful article up in the New York Times on cancelled and delayed grants www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

High winds can't stop us from learning about phylogenetic networks from Claudia Solis-Lemus! The power is out, but we still have internet and zoom. #MOLE2025

It's back! The Society of Systematic Biologists is running Year 3 of the Mentorship Program! Find community, support your colleagues, and talk trees. Apply by June 10th, 2025. Program info: www.systbio.org/mentorship-p... Application form: forms.gle/QtD22C9dtfRF... @systbiol.bsky.social

Yesterday was Bayes Day at #MOLE2025! Paul Lewis kicked things off with Bayes' Theorem, Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), and many related topics. Afternoon and evening devoted to gene-tree inference (me) and divergence-time estimation (@trayc7.bsky.social‬) using graphical models and RevBayes.

More details coming soon, but mark your calendars ... Breakout meeting for @systbiol.bsky.social‬ The Society of Systematic Biologists - will be Jan 9-11 in Baton Rouge! Topic is 'The Importance of Natural History Collections' @jembrown.bsky.social is primary host/organizer ssb2026.github.io

🗳️ Ballots went out this week! 🗳️ You have one week remaining to vote. Have you encountered an issue with your ballot? Email [email protected] as soon as possible so we can get you sorted out.

NSF officials announced they are essentially abandoning the use of “rotators”— scientists on leave from academic positions who help the agency choose the best research to fund. NSF also plans to reduce the number of administrators classified as senior executive service employees. scim.ag/3EKnxmc

NSF’s entire Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EDU/EES), which “aims to provide opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to actively participate and excel in STEM disciplines” and some of it congressionally mandated, was just notified they will be RIFed. www.nsf.gov/edu/ees/about

NEW: We (mostly @noamross.net) launched a website to shine a brighter light on terminated NIH and NSF grants. grant-watch.us It links to our NIH & NSF trackers, grant info submission forms, and other info. We'll also add new analyses soon. Check it out and let us know what else you'd like to see.

#WithoutNSF I wouldn’t be a scientist. - I got in an NSF REU Program and learned about grad school. - I did my PhD funded by 2 different NSF grants. - As a postdoc, I was an NSF RCN participant, building my network. - I got tenure with an NSF RAPID grant. - I got promoted with an NSF EPSCoR grant.

🌿🌸🌾🪴 🌿🌸🌾🪴 🌿🌸🌾🪴 🌿🌸🌾🪴 For American students planning to start grad school who are reconsidering their USA offers (or had offer rescinded), my Canadian university #QueensU announced a special funding call. Want to join my lab to study #plant #evolution? Get in touch! 🌿🌸🌾🪴 🌿🌸🌾🪴 🌿🌸🌾🪴 🌿🌸🌾🪴

NIH just cancelled the STEP-UP summer research program and they alerted students today. One of my students accepted their offer, turned down other REUs, and is now screwed for this summer.

The penguin is quilted and ready to protest! It’s a bit crooked, but I have had vertigo off and on all week, so I’m okay with crooked.

Federal funding for KU programs that enable Haskell and KU students to conduct scientific research, further their studies and launch their careers has suddenly been terminated. lawrenceks.news/3FWulNK

Im so bummed to see this. Cipres had been an incredible computational resource to my research program. As an ECR I depended on it to run so many phylogenetic analyses, many if which ended up in my publications. I’m really sad to see it go. Much gratitude for the people who kept Cipres running

The San Carlos Apache tribe is offering a $75,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the people responsible for killing Apache teenager Emily Pike. Nationally, there are 4,200 unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Calling scientists from Iowa, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota & Wyoming — we have a big hole in our author map, and need you 🧪. Join the grassroots movement to defend American science by writing in your hometown paper: sciencehomecoming.com

Reminder: You have about a week and a half to submit applications for the Early Career Travel Award! Application submission must be complete by March 31 to be eligible

Cool article featuring myself and several of my friends! I feel very honored to be featured alongside such awesome artists.

This elderly man showed up to support an anti-trans bill in my home state and then, because he had to wait hours to testify, he was stuck listening to queer folks rally against it By the time it was his turn to speak, he'd changed his mind Never doubt that speaking out can change hearts and minds

🧪 The NSF director is lying to you. Let’s fact check 7 claims from yesterday’s letter to the community, while pointing out 3 critical omissions. 🧵

My Obituary of Elisabeth Vrba—out today in Nature in read-only format: rdcu.be/ediyO

One month left for early registration and in-person talk submission for #Evol2025! Don’t forget - SSE members get significant discounts on virtual and in-person registration. Check your membership and register today: buff.ly/IadATYh @evolmtg.bsky.social