Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · 14d

Feel free to reach out about my grad student experience in the lab! I’ve had a great time and would definitely recommend.

Smith Bee Lab @smithbeelab.bsky.social · 26d

The Smith Bee Lab is HIRING! 🐝🐝🐝
- Postdoc (2-4yrs, flexible start-date)
- 1-2 Graduate Students (to start Fall 2026)

No prior experience with honey bees needed, we encourage people from diverse research areas to apply!

(no jerks, plz)

Advertisement for applying to the Smith Bee Lab

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Nobuaki Mizumoto @nobuakimzmt.bsky.social · Aug 12

I'm looking for a graduate student (either PhD or master's) to join my lab starting Jan 2026. If you know any students in social behavior and evolution (and termites!), please let them know!

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Reposted by Erica Maul

samuel mehr @mehr.nz · Jul 18

TIL in 1992 the National Science Foundation made a grant to support the creation of THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS (the original one, with Lily Tomlin as Ms Frizzle)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mag...

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jul 18

STEM ed has been foundational to NSF's mission & mandated functions ever since its founding in 1950.

Ex: Remember the Magic School Bus? NSF funded that.

Bill Nye the Science Guy? Zoom? Reading Rainbow?

NSF was a key funder in all those [with others like the imperiled Corp for Public Broadcasting]

PBS - The Magic School Bus Ending Credits and Fundings

YouTube video by RoadRunnerCoyote2015

www.youtube.com

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Jul 16

Registration is OPEN for STEM professionals (grad students included) at Letters to a Pre-scientist! I have participated in this program for 2 years now and it is such a lovely experience.

For STEM Professionals - Letters to a Pre-Scientist

Pen Pal Program Overview We encourage STEM Professionals of all kinds to get involved with Letters to a Pre-Scientist! STEM professionals send and receive letters throughout a school year from ...

nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Jul 8

Made it to Baltimore for #ABS2025 !! Come to my talk in the Dietary Decisions section Thursday at 3:00 (spoiler: it’s not about dietary decisions!!), and message or find me if you want to chat about research or my experience in @smithbeelab.bsky.social (recruiting grad students!).

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · May 3

PhD wins can feel few and far between, so I’m thankful for this week! Not only did I finish my quals and become a candidate, but I also was awarded a Wellesley College Graduate Fellowship! Had to celebrate in @smithbeelab.bsky.social tradition.

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Apr 15

@aztecacecropia.bsky.social ??

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Dr. Catherine Macdonald @drcatmac.bsky.social · Apr 8

Annual GRFP thread, more relevant than ever (# of awards down 50%).

This thread is for students who didn't win the GRFP today. Who are wondering if they belong in science, or scrolling through posts that start "So excited to announce..." with a little spurt of bitterness they aren’t proud of. 1/9

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Chelsea Cook @phdbee.bsky.social · Mar 24

🎉🎉I am SO excited to share our lab's first data paper published in ProcB @royalsociety.org! This research is part of @jlotusnguyen.bsky.social 's PhD dissertation and explores how social #behavior is organized in honey bees. 🐝 Let me share the story...!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....

Disruption of collective behaviour correlates with reduced interaction efficiency | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Group-living organisms commonly engage in collective behaviour to respond to an ever-changing environment. As animals face environmental change, establishing the mechanisms of information used to collectively behave is critical. Western honeybees (Apis ...

royalsocietypublishing.org

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Mar 29

Definitely taking inspo from this gif-enriched thread! Congrats to all!!

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Justine 🐝 Nguyen @jlotusnguyen.bsky.social · Mar 24

The first data paper of my dissertation thesis was recently published in ProcB! Follow my rockstar PI's thread below to learn more! Thanks for your support! 😁
And reach out if you're interested in a postdoc - I'm graduating soon 👀

Chelsea Cook @phdbee.bsky.social · Mar 24

🎉🎉I am SO excited to share our lab's first data paper published in ProcB @royalsociety.org! This research is part of @jlotusnguyen.bsky.social 's PhD dissertation and explores how social #behavior is organized in honey bees. 🐝 Let me share the story...!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....

Disruption of collective behaviour correlates with reduced interaction efficiency | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Group-living organisms commonly engage in collective behaviour to respond to an ever-changing environment. As animals face environmental change, establishing the mechanisms of information used to collectively behave is critical. Western honeybees (Apis ...

royalsocietypublishing.org

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Mar 29

I’m so sorry :( to you and those students :(

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Mar 7

Is anyone looking for a roommate for Animal Behavior in Baltimore this summer? #ABS2025

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Mar 3

Congrats Emily!!

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Feb 6

I’m so sorry, Madeline ❤️ my coping mechanisms rn are taking back my attention (spending less time on social media), engaging with my community and volunteering, reading trans and queer literature (and building my physical media collection), and growing my own food. That’s what fit the word count 😅

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Jane Waters 🏳️‍⚧️🐜🇵🇸 @lovetheants.bsky.social · Jan 16

Collaborating with @rin-krichilsky.bsky.social and Kanako Shimizu, we put together what's basically a top-ten list of ways to help foster trans inclusivity and awareness within our scientific and academic communities and would love if you could help share the guide!

How to Support Trans Colleagues

Create a Gender-Inclusive Environment

Research institutional, governmental, local, and other bureaucratic procedures and policies that recognize and support gender transition.

Support training and advocacy for colleagues’ personal/professional safety (ex. in fieldwork, lab work, conferences, institution visits, affinity groups).

Establish and/or identify gender-neutral bathrooms throughout your building. Implement trans-inclusive recruitment and hiring procedures.

Acknowledge intersectionality and the unique needs and barriers that someone with multiple marginalized identities may face.

Consider the importance of representation in your field.

Advocate for Name Changes

Research institutional, governmental, local, and other bureaucratic procedures and policy to recognize and support an individual’s name change.

Identify journals in your field that allow authors to change their names post- publication.

Improve Information Accessibility

Publicly share information on inclusive practices throughout your departments and institution. (Ensure the content centers and is created by trans people.)

Consider Daily Language & Use

Decrease use of gendered terms to avoid exclusionary language.

Ask for personal pronouns.

List on all public-facing directories, and consider including them in email signatures and on professional websites.

Practice discretion. Don’t out your colleagues without their consent.

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Hank Green @hankgreen.bsky.social · Jan 21

Take back your attention.

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Reposted by Erica Maul

iussi-nas.bsky.social @iussi-nas.bsky.social · Jan 22

If you are an undergraduate science major who is interested in pursuing a career in STEM, there is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills while studying the interface between microbes and bees. BeeMORE is a USDA-funded Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Dr. Damien P. Williams Wants A Better Sociotechnical Paradigm @wolvendamien.bsky.social · Jan 22

"How to be a trans ally in academia today"
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/care...

How to be a trans ally in academia today (opinion)

What it means to be an ally has changed, Chelsea Thompto writes.

www.insidehighered.com

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Felix Javier @felixjavier.bsky.social · Oct 23

I started gathering a list for REUs/Summer research opportunities for undergraduate students in Ecology/Conservation/Evolutionary Biology. Feel share to share with any undergraduate students who may be interested in participating in *PAID* research.

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

REUs/Summer Research 2024 List (Ecology and Evolution)

docs.google.com

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Ned Dochtermann @neddochtermann.bsky.social · Jan 2

I have a PhD position open to start fall semester 2025!

The position will include investigations of the structure of both phenotypic (behavioral) plasticity and genetic variation in behavior as well as lots of opportunity to develop your own project.
#Evolution #evobio #evolsky #Ecology 🧪

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Reposted by Erica Maul

David Shiffman, Ph.D. 🦈 @whysharksmatter.bsky.social · Dec 30

If you are a scientist (including graduate students) or professional science communicator who is at least 18 years old and are using Bluesky for any kind of professional purposes, please consider taking our survey.

Link:

umiami.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Please help share. 🧪🌎 #SciComm

Scientists at the University of Miami are carrying out a research study on how scientists use online platforms like Twitter/X and Bluesky.

If you are 18 years of age or older and are a scientist who uses these platforms for professional purposes, please click the link below to complete a short survey.

If you are interested in learning more about this research study, please e-mail us at Julia.wester @ miami.edu. In the body of your email please provide your full name, and if you would prefer to be contacted by phone, your phone number and the best time to reach you.

Contacting us for more information does not commit you to participating, and should you decide to participate you may terminate your participation at any time.

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Peter Marting @aztecacecropia.bsky.social · Nov 13

Congrats to the whole team: Michael Smith, Claire Bailey, Ben Koger, @ericamaul.bsky.social, Prathibha, Bajaree Chuttong, Roberto Molinari, Ethan Rowe, Maritza Spott

Form, function, and evolutionary origins of architectural symmetry in honey bee nests

Smith et al. show that honey bees stockpile their nests symmetrically on either side of the double-sided comb, revealing architectural symmetry in the extended phenotype. This symmetry provides the co...

shorturl.at

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Reposted by Erica Maul

Peter Marting @aztecacecropia.bsky.social · Dec 17

Our architectural symmetry paper made the cover of Current Biology! Congrats to @smithbeelab.bsky.social and the team. Check out the form, function, and evolutionary origins of honeybee nest symmetry here: www.cell.com/current-biol...

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Erica Maul @ericamaul.bsky.social · Apr 13

I had so much fun today judging the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair for my second year!! And so did lab mate Prathibha 😊 This state is full of young smart cookies and I feel reinvigorated for my own research.

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