Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · 2d

gas, hybrid, EV

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 2d

quantitative methods, qualitative methods, mixed methods

Photo of a Kansas City Chiefs press conference with Andy Reid, Travis Kelce, and Patrick Mahomes. Reid is wearing a gray suit and red tie with a lapel pin. Kelce is wearing a camp-style short-sleeved shirt with a bird print, along with a suede cap, and Mahomes is wearing a white collared shirt, a pink checkered double-breasted vest, and a pale pink tie.

Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

AAUP @aaup.org · 7d

The Trump admin’s offer to give preferential treatment to institutions that toe the party line reeks of bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda.

This is corruption.

Adherence to ‘loyalty oaths’ would usher in a new era of thought policing in American higher education.

Universities Must Reject Trump Admin 'Loyalty Oath' Compacts

The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities that court government favor in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological...

www.aaup.org

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Daniel Bolnick @danielbolnick.bsky.social · 10d

NSF unexpectedly changed (at the last minute) who is eligible to apply for the Grad Research Fellowship, dropping 2nd year students. We started a petition to reverse this unfair change, Sign here:
laurenkuehne.github.io/grfpChanges/
and please spread the word!!!!

Petition to NSF to Restore Eligibility for the 2026 Graduate Research Fellowship Program Competition

laurenkuehne.github.io

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 13d

NSF Graduate Fellowship announcement is finally posted!

www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

www.nsf.gov

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Jason Williams @jasonwilliamsny.bsky.social · 14d

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

An Open Letter to U.S. STEM Leadership on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Kevin Reuning @reuning.bsky.social · 22d

The @aaup.org just shared guidance for academic workers on how to protect themselves online www.aaup.org/news/advisor...

Advisory to Academic Workers

In a moment when it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict the consequences of our online speech and choices, the AAUP and Faculty First Responders are issuing guidance to AAUP members and othe...

www.aaup.org

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · 29d

I am glad my Supervisor of Elections sent this message today:

All vote-by-mail ballot requests in Florida expired on December 31, 2024, due to a change in Florida Law. Voters must make a new vote-by-mail ballot request for each election cycle.

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

CJ Campbell @batsonthemove.bsky.social · Sep 9

Hot off the presses 🔥🦇! In a new paper, we describe a new migratory strategy (pell-mell migration) in which hoary and eastern red bats migrate north in the autumn— sometimes long distances— before turning around and migrating south. 1/n

Bat Conservation International 🦇 @batcon.org · Sep 9

🦇 New research helps explain why some bats are at greater risk from wind energy facilities.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author...

@floridamuseum.bsky.social @ufresearch.bsky.social

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Sep 9

These intrepid flights also appear to increase the risk of encountering dangerous obstacles such as wind turbines.

See the full study here:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Migratory Strategy is a Key Factor Driving Interactions at Wind Energy Facilities in At‐Risk North American Bats

We develop a framework that scales from movements of individuals to the dynamics of continental migration using data synthesis of endogenous markers, which we apply to three North American bat specie...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Sep 9

New pub from my first PhD student @batsonthemove.bsky.social.

She found some bats have a complex migration strategy: two species move north in the autumn, flying long and likely circuitous routes of hundreds of miles, before ultimately returning south to overwinter.

news.ufl.edu/2025/09/bat-...

Bats on the move: study reveals migration patterns behind wind turbine fatalities

A new study sheds light on why North America’s bats are dying in large numbers at wind energy facilities.

news.ufl.edu

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Sep 9

I’d be happy to put you in contact with them if this type of programming is of interest.

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Sep 9

I am not sure what you mean by open mic. There is a group at the University of Florida that has run a Science on Tap event at a local brewery. Their goal is to recruit scientists to give an engaging talk for the public. Here are their tips.

www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wp-content/u...

www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Alexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · Sep 4

Florida Decided There Were Too Many Children

The state’s elimination of vaccine mandates is a courageous first step toward decluttering itself of any excess kids.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Madhu Pai, MD, PhD @madhupai.bsky.social · Sep 5

Guess what Florida will make great again?

Measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, Covid-19, hepatitis A & B, varicella, Human papillomavirus, Meningococcal meningitis & rotavirus

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back.
"The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

My resignation letter from CDC.

Dear Dr. Houry,

I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested.

This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough.

While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people.

It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC.

Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc.

I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information.

The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed.

For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision.

Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically.

Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Aug 27

My 6yo wanted his jacket on our walk to the bus stop!

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Jenna Norton @jenna-m-norton.bsky.social · Aug 23

Good overview of yesterday’s legally questionable & incredibly harmful SCOTUS decision from @maxkozlov.bsky.social & @dangaristo.bsky.social.

It’s clear SCOTUS will not rein in Trump’s authoritarian overreach.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

US Supreme Court allows NIH to cut $2 billion in research grants

The decision will hinder lawsuits against grant terminations, legal specialists say.

www.nature.com

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Prof Jeffrey S Morris @jsm2334.bsky.social · Jul 23

This morning, the Atlantic published an article on David Geier, highlighting his history of publishing papers that claim associations between various vaccines and chronic conditions, including autism.

www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Jul 19

This cat is from Gainesville.

Jill Weinberger @jillybobww.bsky.social · Jul 19

Kudos to Pepper for her hunting skills & her contribution to science, and if you find a dead animal you should always see if your county or other local scientists are looking for study subjects, but also JUST KEEP YOUR CATS THE FUCK INSIDE.

gizmodo.com/florida-cat-...

Florida Cat Named Pepper Brings Home Never-Before-Seen Virus—for the Second Time

Pepper the pet cat has made yet another contribution to virology.

gizmodo.com

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Tiffany Lowe-Power 🌱🦠 @tlowepower.bsky.social · Jul 18

Do not organize conferences in the US with an expectation to invite international scientists.

www.nbcnewyork.com/news/busines...

Travelers to the US must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' — What to know

The fee will be at least $250, is on top of other visa fees, and may be reimbursable.

www.nbcnewyork.com

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Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Jul 17

🧪Have a terminated NSF grant? Or been impacted by such a termination? Call your Senators, esp if they're Repub!!

An amendment to restore killed NSF grants will later be debated on the *full Senate* floor, after it narrowly failed in committee today.

🧵 Brief thread 1/4

Senate panel raises hopes that NSF will restore killed grants

Republicans promise to work with Democrats to salvage defeated amendment

www.science.org

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Jul 17

New parenting level unlocked: my kids have given me head lice.

Reposted by Hannah Vander Zanden

Stephen Heard @stephenbheard.bsky.social · Jul 15

Academics get annoyed by the "gosh, it must be nice to have your summers off" thing. But it's just a special case of something general: there's lots we don't know about each other. scientistseessquirre...

“It must be nice to have your summers off” – and other things we don’t know about each other

If you want to get a bunch of academics really, really, really worked up, there are a few easy ways to do that. You can ask a seemingly innocuous question about (or express pretty much any position…

scientistseessquirrel.wordpress.com

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Hannah Vander Zanden @hanvanzan.bsky.social · Jul 16

Hooray! I am celebrating with you! I get to do the same on August 16. 😎

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Science Magazine @science.org · Jul 10

The Senate appropriations committee has voiced its intent to ignore the request by President Donald Trump to slash the budgets of the National Science Foundation and NASA science programs. scim.ag/4nW7XWi

Senate spending panel would rescue NSF and NASA science funding

Its support for a flat budget is a sign of congressional resistance to drastic cuts Trump has proposed

scim.ag

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