Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Jun 21

New AIM Research Community: Ecology Meets Infectious Disease - Modeling Complex Interactions in Ecology and Infectious Diseases

More Information: sites.google.com/view/ecology...

Application Site: aimath.org/programs/res...

Ecology meets infectious diseases | American Inst. of Mathematics

aimath.org

1

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Jace D. Flatt, PhD, MPH (They/He) @jaceflatt.bsky.social · Mar 4

Sharing for visibility www.statnews.com/2025/03/03/n...

Thank you @statnews.com

NIH terminates ongoing grants for LGBTQ+ research

Saying that "research programs based on gender identity are often unscientific," the agency wrote to scientists to cancel current grants.

www.statnews.com

3 110 170

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · Feb 21

A small moment of science in the world of the very small... announcing calls for applications from MS + PhD students + postdocs for a Summer School on

Quantitative Phage-Bacteria Dynamics Across Scales
U of Maryland, College Park, June 23-27, 2025

Apply by 3/21/25:

bit.ly/phageschool2...

Summer School, Quantitative Phage-Bacteria Dynamics Across Scales
U of Maryland, College Park, June 23-27, 2025

1 25 20

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 20

Support VT Math! It's still Giving Day at VT. If we get the most # of donors in the College of Science, we'll get a bonus 5K to help support our students. Even $5 donations count towards our total number of donors!

givingday.vt.edu/giving-day/9...

Virginia Tech Giving Day 2025 | Donate

Giving Day Powered by ScaleFunder

givingday.vt.edu

1

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 19

This is happening now!
#D&D #DungeonsAndDragons #Opera #Accessibility #AccessibleGaming #TableTopGames #Music #PerformingArts #VirginiaTech

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 19

Do you like D&D? My brilliant husband and his colleagues are hosting a D&D livestream today as a fundraiser for the School of Performing Arts as part of VT's Giving Day. This is all part of a larger project aimed at making gaming more accessible and using gaming as a tool for music education.

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 19

Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/DGBNxV_OpNg/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/share/p/15wm...

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 19

Save the Hokie Bird with Doug Cockle (voice of Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher video games)
Wednesday February 19) from 12 to 3:30 pm. EST

YouTube: tinyurl.com/save-the-hokie-bird
Twitch: twitch.tv/OpenTheGatesGaming
SOPA Event Link: sopa.vt.edu/events/perfo...

Doug Cockle Saves the Hokie Bird! Giving Day 2025 D&D Adventure

Donate to the Doug's ambassador fund here! https://givingday.vt.edu/amb/dougcockleJoin VT Alum and special guest Doug Cockle (voice of Geralt of Rivia from t...

tinyurl.com

1 2

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 19

Do you like D&D? My brilliant husband and his colleagues are hosting a D&D livestream today as a fundraiser for the School of Performing Arts as part of VT's Giving Day. This is all part of a larger project aimed at making gaming more accessible and using gaming as a tool for music education.

1 1 2

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 18

WIRED @wired.com · Feb 18

Firings at the NSF included permanent employees who had already completed their one-year probationary period, as well as at-will workers.

National Science Foundation Fires 168 Workers as Federal Purge Continues

Firings at the NSF included permanent employees who had already completed their one-year probationary period, as well as at-will workers.

wrd.cm

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Chloé Lahondère @lahonderelab.bsky.social · Feb 18

Giving Day is almost there! Initiatives around Global Climate Change need more support than ever! Please consider donating to the @globalchangevt.bsky.social tomorrow!

Global Change Center at Virginia Tech @globalchangevt.bsky.social · Feb 17

⏳ #VTGivingDay starts THIS Wednesday at noon!

Join us Feb 19-20 to support the GCC and drive real-world solutions through innovative environmental research, impactful education, and community outreach. 🌍💡

Share and stay tuned for how you can help!

2 2

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases @umn-idim.bsky.social · Feb 13

A measles outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, is growing, with 24 cases and at least 14 hospitalizations—mainly among children. Low vaccination rates are fueling the crisis. Outbreaks like this will become more common as vaccine misinformation spreads and laws weaken immunization requirements.

Measles Outbreak Mounts Among Children in One of Texas’ Least Vaccinated Counties - KFF Health News

With hospitalizations and at least nine confirmed cases, health officials race to contain a growing outbreak in a community with low vaccination.

kffhealthnews.org

3 38 77

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · Feb 13

I'm changing it from LGBTQ+ to LGBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTQ+ just to make my fucking point.

3 77 430

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Justin Yeakel 🦣🐆 @jdyeakel.bsky.social · Feb 14

UC Merced achieved R1 status this morning. 20 years after opening its doors to its first undergraduate class in 2005. And to do so while dealing with the 2007-8 financial meltdown, the pandemic, dwindling state support, and, well, now - Trump - that's quite an achievement in my humble opinion!

1 7 47

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Kelly Zamudio @kzutaustin.bsky.social · Feb 14

This is the kind of stuff we celebrate! #HBCU #BlackHistoryMonth

Nicole Symmonds, PhD @spicyethicsprof.bsky.social · Feb 13

Howard University is now a R1 university, the first HBCU with a research one designation. H-U definitely knows!

Howard University Receives “Research One” Carnegie Classification Indicating Highest Level of Research Production

The American Council of Education (ACE) today announced that Howard University has been conferred a Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification, indicating “very high research spending and doctorate pro...

thedig.howard.edu

2 16

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Mallory Harris, PhD @malar0ne.bsky.social · Feb 14

"I am afraid for our country because I know what happens when science denialism comes into power."

Always grateful for @gregggonsalves.bsky.social's leadership, especially today.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/o...

Opinion | I Shudder to Imagine Kennedy Running Our Health Agencies. (Gift Article)

We have to go toe-to-toe with this administration and resist its attacks on public health.

www.nytimes.com

15 56

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Jessie Oehrlein @numberdance.bsky.social · Feb 13

Three of my professional societies (in stats and atmospheric science) signed on.

The math societies, though...

American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org · Feb 13

AMS joins numerous professional societies in a commitment to champion scientific integrity--including academic freedom, inclusion of diverse perspectives, and policies grounded in scientific evidence--and support scientists, scientific data, and science funding.

Read more: unitedsciencealliance.org

3 6 17

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe @aaberhe.com · Feb 13

Professional societies stand together in defense of science & scientists.
“science has led to humanity’s greatest advances, improving people’s lives & the health of our planet … (we’re) committed to supporting, elevating, & fighting for science & those who further it.“
www.unitedsciencealliance.org

7 120 240

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Alt NIH Bluesky 🧪 @altnih4science.bsky.social · Feb 6

What can we do?

Scientists are on our own. University leaders at big schools are not going to help us.

Do what you can to connect with your colleagues. Plan local actions. If you can speak out to the media about what's happening to science, you're critical right now, please do speak out.

/end

5 52 190

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Ayanna Pressley @ayannapressley.bsky.social · Feb 4

Elon musk isn’t elected.

He’s a Nazi nepo baby who breaks everything he touches.

And right now he’s locked himself in a room with grandpa’s Social Security check.

85 900 3.5K

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · Feb 2

Found this gem in an arcane NSF doc...key to know:

The Constitution and law SUPERSEDES exec orders!

"In the event of a conflict between policies issued at a lower tier versus policies issued at a higher tier, the higher tier policy will take precedence"

nsf-gov-resources.nsf.gov/files/Resear...

3 94 200

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 2

Every time I say something to a family member about how the last two weeks have been for me and they respond with silence, I learn everything I need to know.

2

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Anna Grzymala-Busse @annagbusse.bsky.social · Feb 1

I wish this was satire.

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · Feb 1

Having watched with growing alarm the developments of the last 24 and 36 hours in Washington, I thought I’d take a stab at how the US media would cover this story if it was happening in a foreign country. Here’s that story that should be written this weekend: www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/musk-s-jun...

Musk's Junta Establishes Him as Head of Government

Imagining how we'd cover overseas what's happening to the U.S. right now

www.doomsdayscenario.co

1 20 47

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Joshua Weitz @joshuasweitz.bsky.social · Feb 1

There are a few things to pay attention to here with a caveat.

If it turns out that NSF accepted applications and then cancelled the program w/out review, this will have major implications (again, *if* at this point, but given recent events, seems plausible and folks should be prepared).

a brief 🧵

👻Sewall Fright🎃 @stairwaytokevin.bsky.social · Feb 1

The dismantling of American Science continues. The Organismal Response to Climate Change grant call has been cancelled. The NSF Director is a disgrace

Email text:
[EXT] Grants.gov
Opportunities Update
External Email
The following grant opportunities were created, updated, or deleted on Grants.gov:
NSF
National Science Foundation
25-504 - Organismal Response to
Climate Change
Deletion Comments: Opportunity deleted

1 4 8

Reposted by Michael Robert (he/him)

Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · Feb 1

Bleak. The USAID website has gone dark.

24 180 530

Michael Robert (he/him) @marobert.bsky.social · Feb 1

turns out several climate-change based NSF programs have been archived.

new.nsf.gov/focus-areas/...

Climate

Learn how NSF invests in research to understand the Earth's climate, including climate change and its impacts on nature and society.

new.nsf.gov

1