Newsletter

15
Aug

Accessibility isn’t the key to mentorship

When I start a new batch of students in my lab, my spiel includes: Two problems can prevent success. The
7 min read
12
Aug

Recommended reads #84

Are you familiar with the work of the Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group? I applaud their dedication and excellence in chronicling
2 min read
10
Aug

We need to stop putting diversity in a box at conferences

At the moment, I’m having an absolutely great time at the Ecological Society of America meeting. I’m learning
4 min read
08
Aug

Serious academics take the media seriously

The Guardian chose to publish a piece from a “serious academic” who made an argument that we shouldn’t share
4 min read
01
Aug

Advice for department chairs

I recently finished up a three-year stint as chair of my department. (At my institution, the role of department chair
5 min read
29
Jul

Recommended reads #83

New Zealand is developing detailed plans to eradicate every exotic predator, including feral cats, rats, and weasels. How women are
2 min read
25
Jul

What limits productivity at teaching institutions

It’s not the time, it’s the people. The popular conception is that scientists at teaching-focused institutions have lower
3 min read
18
Jul

Religious scientists as a component of STEM diversity

My experiences are leading me to worry that strident attitudes against religion are harming efforts to diversify our scientific communities.
5 min read
15
Jul

Recommended reads #82

This seems like a critical tool for building a syllabus – a course workload estimator. Patricia Leary is a law professor
3 min read
11
Jul

Respecting the expertise of amateurs

Amateurs aren’t experts, but they often have a lot of expertise that we overlook. The ornithological community has been
4 min read