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Jennifer van Alstyne

@jenvanalstyne.bsky.social

640 followers 1.6K following 590 posts

Online presence for professors | Academic Websites, Social Media, Bio Writing https://TheAcademicDesigner.com/ The Social Academic blog @HigherEdPR https://TheSocialAcademic.com/blog/ Peruvian-American poet ✨️ https://JenniferVanAlstyne.com/social-media/

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · Mar 22

Hi, I'm Jennifer 👋🙂

I empower academics to be confident showing up online. Nice to meet you!

A bit about me 🤗
-I live in Oceanside, California
-I have 2 cute cats, Bartlet and Ash
-I got married last summer at the San Diego Zoo
-I'm a poet

Have you introduced yourself here yet? 💡

Jennifer, a latina woman smiles in her home office in San Diego. She's wearing an orange sweater and stands in front of a built in bookcase.

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 21h

Should I have a LinkedIn profile as an academic?

What makes a good faculty profile? #AcademicSky #ScienceSky

This article isn’t about which is better for you: faculty profile or LinkedIn profile. It would be great for your online presence if you had both 🤗
theacademicdesigner.com/2025/faculty...

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne. It's nice to meet you!

Let's get intentional about how you show up online. Your digital footprint can make a meaningful difference for you, your teaching, and your research. I'm here to help you.

Schedule your Zoom call with Jennifer higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-je...

Jennifer van Alstyne stands in front of the built-in bookcase in her home office in San Diego. She's a latina woman smiling with her hand touching a flower stem leaning towards her from a llama vase on the bookcase.

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

I'm here to help you with done-for-you online presence services for academics:
-Website Design (personal academic websites, research group websites, research lab websites)
-Social Media (profile set-up, strategy, and training)
-Bio Writing (faculty bios, website bios, speaker bios, fellowship bios)

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

You can do this process yourself by writing a bit more than you have space for in your bio. Then, choose what needs to stay, and what maybe doesn't stay in your bio, but can find another home on your website or social media if it's important to you.

Don't wanna do it yourself for your academic bio?

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

If you're writing your own bio, write more than you need. My brain loves to edit (cut things out). So I'm often writing a 500 word bio, to result in a 350 word bio. Getting everything down for my clients helps ensure I'm not missing anything. Then we prioritize what's most important to keep in.

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

I didn't even have to go back and edit things to bring in variety. Their bio writing interviews brought up their unique perspective. Their interdisciplinary research is collaborative, but what makes them a stronger group is the strengths and expertise they bring as individuals.

I love bio writing.

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

I'm doing new bios for the 4 leads of this research group. It's been fun to work with all of them before we get to their new website design.

I worried: Will these bios going to be too alike? Cause they're in similar fields. But each person's story is unique. Their journey, motivations, focuses.

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 1d

One of the things that I help faculty with is done-for-you bio writing.

"I've always written my own bio" is true for most of them, but there's always this expression of relief on their face when they're like, "Oooh, a new academic bio is off my plate."

I just sent off revisions for 2 faculty bios.

Reposted by Jennifer van Alstyne

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

What types of academic websites are there? A guide for faculty, researchers, and graduate students, #AcademicSky #ScienceSky

theacademicdesigner.com/2025/types-o...

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

"You don’t owe your social media followers," says Jennifer Polk, PhD of @fromphdtolife.com 💡

"You don’t owe them your presence. You can choose to pause your activity and you don’t have to stress about it."

On The Social Academic blog, podcast, and YouTube
theacademicdesigner.com/2025/career-...

Jen Polk's cover photo for her blog, From PhD to Life. There are two sets of legs, the 1st wearing jeans and sneakers, the 2nd wearing blue tights, tan chunky heels, and a pencil skirt. Both photos are actually of Jen Polk and represent moving from academia to a career outside of faculty roles in Higher Education.

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

Oooh and another Assistant Professor website too 🤗

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

If you've been thinking about having your personal academic website designed for you, I'm here to help you.

Let's chat on your no pressure Zoom call about teaming up for your website project, #AcademicSky
higheredpr.as.me/meet-with-je...

Jennifer van Alstyne, a latina woman smiles. She has a small yellow flower in her hair.

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

Right now? I've got the following academic website projects in process:
-New Assistant Professor (launches next week)
-Lecturer on the job market
-Master's student changing fields
-PhD candidate on the academic job market
-Research group led by 4 Associate Professors
-Professor

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne. Since 2018 I've helped academics on their online presence. I design websites, do social media profile set-up and training, and done-for-you bio writing for folks.

I work with faculty, researchers, scientists, postdocs, and grad students at every stage of their career.

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

One time I shared Owlstown as an option with a PhD, she said, "Don't you want my money? I want to work with you."

And I was like, yes, please. I'd love to design her retired academic father's website for her. We'd celebrate his legacy. "I just wanted you to know you don't have to work with me."

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

I also shared with her the no-cost option I often recommend to PhD students: Owlstown. It's a free academic website builder created by my friend, Dr. Ian Li. He's a co-host with me on the Best Personal Academic Websites Contest. Owlstown has been around for years.

Owlstown.com

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

I was just chatting with a PhD candidate about working together on her personal academic website. I shared with her, "this is the 1st year I have a number of graduate students reaching out for done-for-you academic website design."

While I'd love to work with this grad student on her website...

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 2d

What types of academic websites are there? A guide for faculty, researchers, and graduate students, #AcademicSky #ScienceSky

theacademicdesigner.com/2025/types-o...

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 3d

Late night album from Pierre Lapointe has been on repeat. Just wrapping up in my office for the night.

Jennifer's desktop computer monitor with Spotify playing Pierre Lapointe live album with an orchestra. This is the music she's listening to while writing an academic bio for her faculty client.

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 4d

One of my favorite posts is about sending direct messages on social media, or reaching out to connect directly with folks in deeper ways.

It's an oldie but goodie inspired my my friend, Dr. Echo Rivera theacademicdesigner.com/2020/how-to-...

Connect through Direct Messaging on Social Media

Direct messages on social media are a great way to network. Start conversations with faculty and researchers in your field through direct messaging (DMs). Learn the art of sending direct messages.

theacademicdesigner.com

Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 4d

There's so much possibility for connection online when you're willing to reach out first, #AcademicSky #ScienceSky

Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne. I started The Social Academic blog back in 2018 to help folks in Higher Education have a meaningful online presence.

One of my favorite posts...
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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 5d

Substack, newsletter, blog, website?

Are you exploring options for what you want to share?

You may find this conversation with @americanstudier.bsky.social and @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social about sharing your public scholarship online helpful for you #AcademicSky

theacademicdesigner.com/2025/public-...

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 5d

I had a beautiful vacation with my family, a long weekend that felt too short 🌴

Catching up with things today, I'm already behind on my Agenda. A last item on my to-do list and the rest will wait till tomorrow ✅

Reposted by Jennifer van Alstyne

Ben Railton @americanstudier.bsky.social · 7d

+ Please share widely to get all this great public scholarship to all the folks, & make sure to check out our new Black & White & Read All Over site for these threads & much more!

blackwhiteandread.com

Black and White and Read All Over

blackwhiteandread.com

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Jennifer van Alstyne @jenvanalstyne.bsky.social · 5d

Hi, I'm Jennifer van Alstyne. Nice to meet you!

In this episode of my podcast, The Social Academic, I sit down with my own photo / hair and makeup team to share what to expect and their top tips for folks who thinking about working with a professional too.
theacademicdesigner.com/2025/photogr...