April Wright
@wrightam.bsky.social
Statistical phylogenetics and the fossil record. Researcher, professor and mentor at a PUI. Mother, reader, runner. Congenital optimist. Minnesotan Virginian.
Pinned
Courage.
I have tenure. It is crucial that we support the people doing brave things, and do them ourselves.
We must support courage.
I have tenure. It is crucial that we support the people doing brave things, and do them ourselves.
We must support courage.
There is a cost to this action: I am mere months away from a critical tenure decision. This action to withdraw from Proceedings B will likely delay publication long enough that the ms won't be eligible for reporting in the tenure packet. It won't "count" in this major application to keep my job. 2/4
January 13, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Courage.
I have tenure. It is crucial that we support the people doing brave things, and do them ourselves.
We must support courage.
I have tenure. It is crucial that we support the people doing brave things, and do them ourselves.
We must support courage.
Reposted by April Wright
I think this is an incredibly important point
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
Last spring, I was asked to give carreer advice to grad students. And the one thing I told them was: our best skill is our ability to learn difficult things -- it's also the first skill you will lose unless you intentionally don't let yourselves go.
January 8, 2026 at 2:45 PM
I think this is an incredibly important point
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
this doesn't mean that you have to keep doing the exact kind of work you did as a student/postdoc for the rest of your career
but it does mean you have to keep learning, pushing through the discomfort of not being good at something right away
Reposted by April Wright
We cannot be more clear. Leave us the fuck alone.
January 8, 2026 at 1:19 AM
We cannot be more clear. Leave us the fuck alone.
This Town Sucks (Liam Lynch, 2004)
YouTube video by Liam Lynch's Lynchland
youtu.be
January 8, 2026 at 1:27 AM
Reposted by April Wright
MPR playing an eye witness account right now of ICE shooting directly through the windshield at her face and not giving her medical care for 10 minutes.
MPR News is live right now bringing you updates on this. mprnews.org/listen
ICE reportedly shot someone at Portland and 33/34. Mspt saying bullets, could be less lethal 20+ agents on site, MPD and ambulances responding. Helicopters overhead
January 7, 2026 at 4:55 PM
MPR playing an eye witness account right now of ICE shooting directly through the windshield at her face and not giving her medical care for 10 minutes.
Reposted by April Wright
The Washington Post acquired documents that indicate an immigration center for 9,000 people is planned for Hammond, La. — but local Hammond officials are in the dark about it. (Gov. Jeff Landry's office didn't comment, so not clear what he knows.) #lalege
www.nola.com/news/northsh...
www.nola.com/news/northsh...
Northshore officials in the dark about possible Hammond ICE facility reported by Washington Post
Local officials in Hammond and Tangipahoa Parish do not have any details about a immigration detention facility the Washington Post reported could come to Hammond
www.nola.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM
The Washington Post acquired documents that indicate an immigration center for 9,000 people is planned for Hammond, La. — but local Hammond officials are in the dark about it. (Gov. Jeff Landry's office didn't comment, so not clear what he knows.) #lalege
www.nola.com/news/northsh...
www.nola.com/news/northsh...
Just me, quietly putting a big collapsible bag to hold multiple king cakes as my carryon home from #ssb2026
My Mardi Gras season has begun! My #SSB2026 has begun! My Mardi Gras SSB season jams begun! #LaissezLesBonsTempsRouler with @roszenil.bsky.social @nicolas-cr.bsky.social #LagoLab #ZeFeLab
January 7, 2026 at 4:46 AM
Just me, quietly putting a big collapsible bag to hold multiple king cakes as my carryon home from #ssb2026
I read this a few days ago and keep coming back to it. Very interesting and thought-provoking work by @tomopfuku.bsky.social.
Creative approach using birth-death mathematical theory in exploring so called "super-progenitor" species. New support for the prevalence of the budding speciation and the 'polytomies-as-signal interpretation'.
doi.org/10.1017/pab....
🧪 #Geology ⚒️ #Paleobio
doi.org/10.1017/pab....
🧪 #Geology ⚒️ #Paleobio
January 7, 2026 at 4:22 AM
I read this a few days ago and keep coming back to it. Very interesting and thought-provoking work by @tomopfuku.bsky.social.
Please stop, or I will be forced to stop you in your thesis document
guys stop saying "utilize" challenge 2026
January 3, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Please stop, or I will be forced to stop you in your thesis document
My daughter’s cat hates our other cat, and will sometimes sit watching him sleep from behind my office door
January 3, 2026 at 1:18 AM
My daughter’s cat hates our other cat, and will sometimes sit watching him sleep from behind my office door
Reposted by April Wright
New preprint modeling biogeo diversification of Hawaiian Kadua 🌱🏝️🌋
w/ @ca-naturalist.bsky.social @sswiston.bsky.social @fabiology.bsky.social @phylogeny.bsky.social Warren Wagner, Bruce Baldwin, Ken Wood @ninaronsted.bsky.social @fzapata.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.16.694722
w/ @ca-naturalist.bsky.social @sswiston.bsky.social @fabiology.bsky.social @phylogeny.bsky.social Warren Wagner, Bruce Baldwin, Ken Wood @ninaronsted.bsky.social @fzapata.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.16.694722
December 31, 2025 at 8:51 PM
New preprint modeling biogeo diversification of Hawaiian Kadua 🌱🏝️🌋
w/ @ca-naturalist.bsky.social @sswiston.bsky.social @fabiology.bsky.social @phylogeny.bsky.social Warren Wagner, Bruce Baldwin, Ken Wood @ninaronsted.bsky.social @fzapata.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.16.694722
w/ @ca-naturalist.bsky.social @sswiston.bsky.social @fabiology.bsky.social @phylogeny.bsky.social Warren Wagner, Bruce Baldwin, Ken Wood @ninaronsted.bsky.social @fzapata.bsky.social
biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.16.694722
Now that I’ve recovered from this book overnight: I originally read its predecessor a couple years ago, bought because the cover was cool.
It ended up being a mid-aughts alternative history of first contact with aliens. Normally not a alt history person, but it’s very sharply observed
It ended up being a mid-aughts alternative history of first contact with aliens. Normally not a alt history person, but it’s very sharply observed
December 31, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Now that I’ve recovered from this book overnight: I originally read its predecessor a couple years ago, bought because the cover was cool.
It ended up being a mid-aughts alternative history of first contact with aliens. Normally not a alt history person, but it’s very sharply observed
It ended up being a mid-aughts alternative history of first contact with aliens. Normally not a alt history person, but it’s very sharply observed
I am absolutely undone. This was fantastic.
December 31, 2025 at 1:04 AM
I am absolutely undone. This was fantastic.
I recently had my first “AI-enabled” CS interns. It was not a good situation, and I think the most distressing thing was the lack of soft skill. When to ask for help. How to know you’re chasing a dead end.
This will not build sustainable career pipelines.
This will not build sustainable career pipelines.
December 28, 2025 at 10:43 PM
I recently had my first “AI-enabled” CS interns. It was not a good situation, and I think the most distressing thing was the lack of soft skill. When to ask for help. How to know you’re chasing a dead end.
This will not build sustainable career pipelines.
This will not build sustainable career pipelines.
Reposted by April Wright
Where do senior coders come from?
Demand for junior developers softens as AI takes over
While coding jobs won’t go away, many IT experts see the job transforming into more of an oversight role.
www.cio.com
December 28, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Where do senior coders come from?
I read a book nearly every week this year, a fact I attribute to Fairfax County libraries being bomb as hell.
fry from futurama says " and it 's all thanks to the books at my local library .. "
Alt: fry from futurama says " and it 's all thanks to the books at my local library .. "
media.tenor.com
December 28, 2025 at 9:51 PM
I read a book nearly every week this year, a fact I attribute to Fairfax County libraries being bomb as hell.
Listening to my son trying to explain the plot of Lord of the Rings while food-drunk after hot pot.
I would watch a Wizard People, Dear Reader style overdub of this.
I would watch a Wizard People, Dear Reader style overdub of this.
a group of people are dancing under a tree with lanterns hanging from it
ALT: a group of people are dancing under a tree with lanterns hanging from it
media.tenor.com
December 28, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Listening to my son trying to explain the plot of Lord of the Rings while food-drunk after hot pot.
I would watch a Wizard People, Dear Reader style overdub of this.
I would watch a Wizard People, Dear Reader style overdub of this.
Years ago, a friend got us a Christmas moth squishmallow for our daughter. Years later, our hound took it, used it, and eventually shredded it. This Christmas, we stocked up on Crimbo Moths for years to come.
Please, enjoy this face that says “I will definitely not destroy this expensive ass moth”
Please, enjoy this face that says “I will definitely not destroy this expensive ass moth”
December 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Years ago, a friend got us a Christmas moth squishmallow for our daughter. Years later, our hound took it, used it, and eventually shredded it. This Christmas, we stocked up on Crimbo Moths for years to come.
Please, enjoy this face that says “I will definitely not destroy this expensive ass moth”
Please, enjoy this face that says “I will definitely not destroy this expensive ass moth”
Reposted by April Wright
It’s wild so many people are willing to go to bat for prisons as a reserve for rural jobs when universities are better in every aspect for such a role.
"Even after accounting for the upfront costs and delayed benefits, enrolling marginal applicants to public universities generates substantial net returns for society, the marginal students themselves, and the government budget."
Public Universities FTW!
Public Universities FTW!
December 24, 2025 at 10:42 PM
It’s wild so many people are willing to go to bat for prisons as a reserve for rural jobs when universities are better in every aspect for such a role.
Reposted by April Wright
I took a deep dive into Meta’s “Hyperion” data center in Richland Parish, LA. The story of a tech behemoth coming bearing billions to a poor community like Richland Parish is complex and worthy of scrutiny. 🧵 1/7
sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/
sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/
The power play behind Hyperion, Mark Zuckerberg’s colossal data center being built in rural Louisiana
$10 billion of investment. Code names to disguise projects and companies. Mixed opinions. Skyrocketing property values. And enough tax breaks...
sherwood.news
December 15, 2025 at 4:31 PM
I took a deep dive into Meta’s “Hyperion” data center in Richland Parish, LA. The story of a tech behemoth coming bearing billions to a poor community like Richland Parish is complex and worthy of scrutiny. 🧵 1/7
sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/
sherwood.news/tech/hyperion/
In what might be the crowning achievement of my life, I’ve complained so much to the city that they’re putting in a crosswalk in front of my house
December 23, 2025 at 7:34 PM
In what might be the crowning achievement of my life, I’ve complained so much to the city that they’re putting in a crosswalk in front of my house
A lot of our *colleagues* don’t understand that
One of many things the pro-AI crowd doesn't seem to understand is the very important distinction between academic scholarship and the production of papers. Of course they can be related but they're not necessarily the same thing
December 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
A lot of our *colleagues* don’t understand that
Currently resisting the temptation to eat all the good tinned fish while everyone else sleeps.
But, like, barely.
But, like, barely.
December 21, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Currently resisting the temptation to eat all the good tinned fish while everyone else sleeps.
But, like, barely.
But, like, barely.
Pizza heals a lot of wounds tho
December 18, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Pizza heals a lot of wounds tho
I’ll miss the dog park the most. My pictures don’t do justice to how nice this view is.
December 18, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I’ll miss the dog park the most. My pictures don’t do justice to how nice this view is.