If you're a scientist who's had to cut or cancel your field season because of US budget cuts, DM me for an oped I'm working on.

HUD has been touring the building for months. NSF says nothing…”nothing to see here”. I’m quite sick of gaslighting, bullying, and lack of respect for science and academia. It’s getting harder and harder to take.

My 2026 opening National Geographic Live show has been announced! 🎫 On 03/13/2026, find me at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins, CO, where I'll be talking about one of my favorite places in the world, Galapagos Islands! 💚🐢🐧🦎🏝️🪹 www.lctix.com/shows-ticket...

Anyone heard anything new about NSF PRFB? 👀

I don't care what side of the Israel-Palestine conflict your sympathies lie on, snatching up people with a valid student visa for the crime of writing an OpEd is naked fascism and if you don't oppose this you are a threat to this country's most basic values

This arrest is the latest in an alarming pattern to stifle civil liberties. The Trump admin is targeting students with legal status and ripping people out of their communities without due process. This is an attack on our Constitution and basic freedoms — and we will push back.

Interested in other approaches to measuring selection on gene expression? The incomparable John Kelly and I have written a perspective piece describing why one might want to measure selection on gene expression, and exploring a few ways one might use to do it.

✨My Nat Geo Live journey begins soon!✨ First, we will be traveling the Islands on a Lindblad Nat Geo Boat! Open my start packer with me! 🎁 www.tiktok.com/@knutie_taki...

I was offered the opportunity by 🚨 Nat Geo Live 🚨 to help them create a film about the Galapagos Islands! 🇪🇨 I've created a TikTok account to take you on the journey with me! Check out my first video + learn how to pronounce my name 😜 www.tiktok.com/@knutie_taki...

It's #NeurodivergentCelebrationWeek ! SICB is eagerly anticipating 2026's #Disabled & #Neurodivergent Perception, Community, & Identity in the #Biosciences with @taorminalepore.bsky.social @sarahknutie.bsky.social Brooke Fitzwater (@)oceanfilly & read @scholarlykitchen.bsky.social post

SICB journals helps celebrate #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek ! See ICB co author @sarahknutie.bsky.social 's blog #Neurodiversity in #Academia integrativeandcomparativebiology.wordpress.com/2024/07/30/n... & ICB publication doi.org/10.1093/icb/... & be sure to follow Sarah 👍

This is absolutely devastating www.wired.com/story/nation...

I am reeling from the cuts at NSF- a close friend and colleague, who was an outstanding PO and absolute asset to the evolutionary biology community, was just fired. This is simply because he COULD be- he was still in the 2 year probationary period after changing jobs at NSF. Goddamn it.

Firings are happening right now at the National Science Foundation. Essential staff are being cut. This isn’t about the budget. If it was, they’d be going after the military (17%) or state appropriations (38%). NSF is 0.7% of the federal budget. All federal employees make up only 4% of the budget.

Firings happening right now at the NSF.

Peaceful morning vibes in the field. 🥰

Darwin's cotton (Gossypium darwinii) is only found in the Galapagos Islands (in other words, it's endemic!) The flowers are in full bloom right now on San Cristobal 💚

Beautiful first day at our natural site! It’s still too dry for much breeding but we did find some nest builds! 🪺 Below👇 are two amazing Galapagueñas: Elizabeth Tituaña (field tech; left) and Isabela Vargas (Grad student; right) after we found our first nest!

Good morning! ☀️

Back in the Galapagos for my 16th year of research! 💚 Fingers crossed for a great finch nesting season! 🐣

Taking a page from @seanhollowell.bsky.social ‘s book, I’m also posting something blue for my first Bluesky post. Swallow-tailed Gulls in a Starlit Sky. Watercolor on cold-pressed paper.

I need cis people to understand that I have a persistent fear that a student or (more likely) the parent of a student will decide that a trans person teaching a required course for their major violates their religious liberty or whatever. This is what being visibly trans in education is rn.

New Research Highlight: citizen science observations shed light on how anthropogenic food sources influence wildlife disease - https://buff.ly/48C9ucE 🦠 🧪 🌏

Congrats to @uconneeb.bsky.social student ✨✨ Lorraine Pérez-Beauchamp ✨✨ who received a Sigma Xi GIAR & UConn El Instituto grant for her work on the role of parental behavior in the relationship between Darwin's finches & their invasive parasites! 🪰🐦 @sigmaxi.bsky.social

Today!!

Today!!!!

Today!

Today!

🚨SICB people🚨 My lab is doing a raffle for one of our tan Nest Parasite Community Science 🪰 shirts. All you have to do is go to one of my students' talks at SICB & post a 📸🦋 here of them presenting! Once you post the picture, DM me the link & whether you prefer a M/XL shirt! Talk details below👇

I’m the outgoing secretary so please get in touch if you’re interested! 😋 I loved participating but I especially had fun creating features for early career researchers in the newsletters #sicb2025

Finally (and please definitely RT this one) the Division of Ecoimmunology and Disease Ecology seeks nominees for the roles of Secretary and Program Officer Elect. If you're interested reach out to me or another member of our nominating committee (Emily Le Sage & @sarahknutie.bsky.social) #sicb2025

For those interested, my lecture for the University of Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute “The global expansion of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza” is available here on YouTube. It is from May 2024, but is still pertinent. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImFD...

🚨SICB people🚨 My lab is doing a raffle for one of our tan Nest Parasite Community Science 🪰 shirts. All you have to do is go to one of my students' talks at SICB & post a 📸🦋 here of them presenting! Once you post the picture, DM me the link & whether you prefer a M/XL shirt! Talk details below👇

Illinois Natural History Survey is hiring a new Director (my boss!) illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree... Come lead an amazing organization that has a really powerful applied mission, and some excellent scientists :)

I'm so happy when engineering students decide to take my Animal Behavior class. They never disappoint when I ask them to produce a creative project on a bizarre animal behavior. Check out River Granniss's video on electric eel Do not try this at home.... 👀 youtube.com/shorts/cGDwr...

Students from my @uconn.bsky.social Animal Behavior class were tasked with producing a creative project on a bizarre animal behavior. Assessment titled: "That Animal Does What!?" They did not disappoint. Check out this pufferfish mating ritual diorama from Brisa Lopez-Zaragoza.

Sound about right.

😂

Super fun to see all the 6th grade students from last year as 7th graders this year!! 😭 How do these humans change so much in 6 months?!?! 😱 So thankful for the amazing Hartford teachers who invite us into their worlds each year ❤️

I was absolutely inspired by >120 Hartford 6th graders over the past two days. Thank you to the amazing teachers for allowing us into their classrooms and collaborating with us! Most K-12 teachers are SERIOUSLY underpaid for what they do and our educational system WILL suffer in the future.

I’m feeling inspired to get back to my online science community 🐦 …but I’ve fully moved to 🦋! I’ve missed ya’ll! It’s been way too long 🫶

Ooooh, all sorts of good knowledge nuggets in this, including work from @sarahknutie.bsky.social!

The struggle is for real... [Picture by my lovely, nerdy lab]

I am SO proud of my two senior undergrads who placed 1st & tied for 3rd in the SICB DEDE best poster competition. Both exceptional scientists & communicators! I am so lucky to work with them! Lorraine Pérez-Beauchamp (left) & Sila Inanoglu (right)

Disentangling Elements of Human Activities and Invasive Parasites on the Health of Darwin’s Finches UConn researchers are studying how humans impact wildlife, inside and out today.uconn.edu/2023/11/dise...

@peterlconlin.bsky.social with some spookily nice streaks

I started using class TRIVIA to assess learning in my Animal Behavior class... & IT IS WORKING!🎉 Students love it, I love it, & what's better than doing it on Halloween as a flying squirrel. 🌰 Winners get prizes, including the first place group receiving @edyong209.bsky.social's book!

As part of my CAREER grant, we're working with 6th grade classes in Hartford to teach students about how parasites affect birds. Last week we set up feeder cameras to start the project on the roof of the school & the teacher/kids are sending me such cool images! Here's a female house finch!

Teaching intro data science or stats in environmental sciences / ecology this fall? The lterdatasampler package is now on CRAN, with curated real world datasets from the US Long Term Ecological Research program! Check it out: lter.github.io/lterdatasamp...

Does anyone know if you can put pictures or figures in your personal statement for the NSF GRFP?