Rachael Merritt
@rachaelmerritt.bsky.social
AstroPhysicsEducationResearch Chimera (AstroPhD turned PERpostdoc) | NSF MPS-Ascend Postdoctoral Fellow at CU Boulder/JILA | I like space, cats, and being on time | she/her | Views are my own
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
Behold, the #MinCup35 bracket!
Use it to follow along, plan campaigns to support your favs, or make predictions on how voting will shake out. We start at the top left on September 1st, then alternate left and right as we work our way down.
Use it to follow along, plan campaigns to support your favs, or make predictions on how voting will shake out. We start at the top left on September 1st, then alternate left and right as we work our way down.
August 29, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Behold, the #MinCup35 bracket!
Use it to follow along, plan campaigns to support your favs, or make predictions on how voting will shake out. We start at the top left on September 1st, then alternate left and right as we work our way down.
Use it to follow along, plan campaigns to support your favs, or make predictions on how voting will shake out. We start at the top left on September 1st, then alternate left and right as we work our way down.
I am on this list.
Who knew that giving students the opportunity to participate in authentic research was "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda"?
Who knew that giving students the opportunity to participate in authentic research was "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda"?
Is your NSF grant on this list? Reach out if so!
Ted Cruz released a list of grants flagged for DEI or "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda" from his Oct. report.
NSF is using keywords from that report for their review, though Cruz's list is likely larger.
www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/2/cruz-...
Ted Cruz released a list of grants flagged for DEI or "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda" from his Oct. report.
NSF is using keywords from that report for their review, though Cruz's list is likely larger.
www.commerce.senate.gov/2025/2/cruz-...
Cruz-Led Investigation Uncovers $2 Billion in Woke DEI Grants at NSF, Releases Full Database
www.commerce.senate.gov
February 12, 2025 at 2:35 PM
I am on this list.
Who knew that giving students the opportunity to participate in authentic research was "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda"?
Who knew that giving students the opportunity to participate in authentic research was "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda"?
My CURE ran for the first time this semester. One of the final assignments is a Report to Future Researchers where they explain the project and give advice to incoming students.
There responses have been so thoughtful and is making the stress from this semester worth it!
Excited for next semester!
There responses have been so thoughtful and is making the stress from this semester worth it!
Excited for next semester!
December 12, 2024 at 3:37 PM
My CURE ran for the first time this semester. One of the final assignments is a Report to Future Researchers where they explain the project and give advice to incoming students.
There responses have been so thoughtful and is making the stress from this semester worth it!
Excited for next semester!
There responses have been so thoughtful and is making the stress from this semester worth it!
Excited for next semester!
Is my PhD advisor the coolest?
She absolutely is.
She absolutely is.
I helped plant a moon tree today! 🔭 🌱 🧪👩🏻🔬
It was very special to share this event with students and teachers at Sagamore Hills, local community members, and DeKalb school district staff.
It was very special to share this event with students and teachers at Sagamore Hills, local community members, and DeKalb school district staff.
May 3, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Is my PhD advisor the coolest?
She absolutely is.
She absolutely is.
February 21, 2024 at 9:08 PM
Just submitted my first APS April meeting abstract! If anyone else will be in Sacramento and wants to talk about physics CUREs lets meet up!
January 3, 2024 at 5:24 PM
Just submitted my first APS April meeting abstract! If anyone else will be in Sacramento and wants to talk about physics CUREs lets meet up!
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
It's probably been done, but...
December 14, 2023 at 4:19 AM
It's probably been done, but...
email update! OIT's response was "Your license was updated to a student license."...so I don't know if that means they gave me a student license to fix it or if somehow I had been classified as a student and then the university was like "wait you're not a student! no email for you!" but it's fixed!
December 12, 2023 at 4:18 PM
email update! OIT's response was "Your license was updated to a student license."...so I don't know if that means they gave me a student license to fix it or if somehow I had been classified as a student and then the university was like "wait you're not a student! no email for you!" but it's fixed!
ha. my work email is broken. I've contacted OIT and now we wait!
It's fine. No one probably had anything to tell me anyway! 🙃
It's fine. No one probably had anything to tell me anyway! 🙃
December 12, 2023 at 12:19 AM
ha. my work email is broken. I've contacted OIT and now we wait!
It's fine. No one probably had anything to tell me anyway! 🙃
It's fine. No one probably had anything to tell me anyway! 🙃
Our dnd characters just leveled up! The bard and I (warlock) have been meeting to check for overlapping spells which doesn't seem to be an issue any more (thanks character development!) So, similar outcomes but not the same spells (e.g., Level 4 bard - Enthrall, Level 4 warlock - Crown of Madness 😁)
December 5, 2023 at 3:50 PM
Our dnd characters just leveled up! The bard and I (warlock) have been meeting to check for overlapping spells which doesn't seem to be an issue any more (thanks character development!) So, similar outcomes but not the same spells (e.g., Level 4 bard - Enthrall, Level 4 warlock - Crown of Madness 😁)
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
You know that thing where REUs pick the students who are out-of-the-box ready for grad school instead of giving opportunities to those who need them the most? Yeah, that thing. 🧪
open.substack.com/pub/sciencef...
open.substack.com/pub/sciencef...
Evaluation criteria for training programs are self-defeating
Programs are incentivized to support students who are already on their way to thriving instead of genuinely broadening participation.
open.substack.com
December 5, 2023 at 12:40 AM
You know that thing where REUs pick the students who are out-of-the-box ready for grad school instead of giving opportunities to those who need them the most? Yeah, that thing. 🧪
open.substack.com/pub/sciencef...
open.substack.com/pub/sciencef...
Forgive the rant here friends, but I've been thinking a lot about something a drag queen said in regards to someone behaving badly. The Vixen said "Everyone is telling me how to react but no one is telling her how to act". I feel this to my bones.
November 29, 2023 at 4:25 PM
Forgive the rant here friends, but I've been thinking a lot about something a drag queen said in regards to someone behaving badly. The Vixen said "Everyone is telling me how to react but no one is telling her how to act". I feel this to my bones.
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
Reminder that the Big Ten Academic Alliance Fee Waiver program gives waivers for 15 schools' PhD programs (including OSU astro and OSU physics) for US citizen students w/ 3.0+ GPAs and diverse backgrounds! Easy form to complete due by Nov 15. btaa.org/resources-fo...
October 30, 2023 at 10:07 PM
Reminder that the Big Ten Academic Alliance Fee Waiver program gives waivers for 15 schools' PhD programs (including OSU astro and OSU physics) for US citizen students w/ 3.0+ GPAs and diverse backgrounds! Easy form to complete due by Nov 15. btaa.org/resources-fo...
i don't know if its a result of my anime watching youth, but i am listening to the interviews on 1.25x speed for transcribing!
who knew always having closed captioning on would help me with research 😅
who knew always having closed captioning on would help me with research 😅
November 13, 2023 at 10:54 PM
i don't know if its a result of my anime watching youth, but i am listening to the interviews on 1.25x speed for transcribing!
who knew always having closed captioning on would help me with research 😅
who knew always having closed captioning on would help me with research 😅
I dropped my ballot at a dropbox last week (Thank you, Colorado!), but if you haven't make sure you go to your polling place today! VOTE!!
November 7, 2023 at 3:18 PM
I dropped my ballot at a dropbox last week (Thank you, Colorado!), but if you haven't make sure you go to your polling place today! VOTE!!
How do academic family trees work when you are a postdoc? Is it like, oh yeah, this person is my grandparent on my postdoc side and that person is my auntie/uncle on my phd side?
November 6, 2023 at 5:35 PM
How do academic family trees work when you are a postdoc? Is it like, oh yeah, this person is my grandparent on my postdoc side and that person is my auntie/uncle on my phd side?
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
Black Holes vs Regular Holes xkcd.com/2844
October 20, 2023 at 5:10 PM
Black Holes vs Regular Holes xkcd.com/2844
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
Pain is all in the mind. Unfortunately, so is your entire experience of the universe.
August 3, 2023 at 3:17 PM
Pain is all in the mind. Unfortunately, so is your entire experience of the universe.
After 4 gate changes, a 2 hour flight delay, and JUST catching the shuttle I have arrived at Iowa State for my first Ascend Fellowship Conference! Really looking forward to spending the next 3 days with the other fellows (from my cohort and from cohorts 1&2) and the Ascend leadership team!!
October 3, 2023 at 9:11 PM
After 4 gate changes, a 2 hour flight delay, and JUST catching the shuttle I have arrived at Iowa State for my first Ascend Fellowship Conference! Really looking forward to spending the next 3 days with the other fellows (from my cohort and from cohorts 1&2) and the Ascend leadership team!!
Reposted by Rachael Merritt
TEAM ZIRCON FOREVER
[or 4.4 billion years and counting]
#TeamZircon #MinCup23
[or 4.4 billion years and counting]
#TeamZircon #MinCup23
October 1, 2023 at 11:04 PM
TEAM ZIRCON FOREVER
[or 4.4 billion years and counting]
#TeamZircon #MinCup23
[or 4.4 billion years and counting]
#TeamZircon #MinCup23
Third time's the charm!! YAAAAY #TeamZircon!!!!
This also means the Fluorite Tower (my office's trophy for the #mincup) will live on my desk for the next year!!!
Thanks so much @mineralcup.bsky.social for making September so fun!
This also means the Fluorite Tower (my office's trophy for the #mincup) will live on my desk for the next year!!!
Thanks so much @mineralcup.bsky.social for making September so fun!
October 2, 2023 at 12:13 AM
Third time's the charm!! YAAAAY #TeamZircon!!!!
This also means the Fluorite Tower (my office's trophy for the #mincup) will live on my desk for the next year!!!
Thanks so much @mineralcup.bsky.social for making September so fun!
This also means the Fluorite Tower (my office's trophy for the #mincup) will live on my desk for the next year!!!
Thanks so much @mineralcup.bsky.social for making September so fun!
Just finished watching Castlevania Nocturne. I am pleased.
October 1, 2023 at 1:33 AM
Just finished watching Castlevania Nocturne. I am pleased.