Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
@coereba.bsky.social
Ornithologist, evolutionary ecologist, morphologist, mom, knitter, reader, lover of bananaquits. she/her 🏳️🌈 Associate Professor of Biology at Kenyon College. wrightlab.org
Pinned
Hi! I’m an ornithologist at a small liberal arts college studying the ecology & evolution of bird anatomy & flight. Follow for fun bird trivia, discussions on effective teaching & mentoring, knitting, & my kids’ hijinks.
Yes, I AM holding a kingfisher sternum in my profile pic. Thanks for noticing!
Yes, I AM holding a kingfisher sternum in my profile pic. Thanks for noticing!
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
Nativism comes from a place of insecurity and cowardice. You have to believe in your core that you can't compete with talented immigrants and that you've failed to build a strong enough community to welcome in more neighbors.
we have to get out of this framing that the hard right has a point about immigration numbers, but they're saying it in a mean & racist way
even if they weren't racist at all (& they very much are), what they are calling for is still national suicide
even if they weren't racist at all (& they very much are), what they are calling for is still national suicide
November 28, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Nativism comes from a place of insecurity and cowardice. You have to believe in your core that you can't compete with talented immigrants and that you've failed to build a strong enough community to welcome in more neighbors.
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild.
Andean cock-of-the-rock
Bornean orangutan
Gray wolf
Indian paradise flycatcher
Cheetah
Andean cock-of-the-rock
Bornean orangutan
Gray wolf
Indian paradise flycatcher
Cheetah
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild
Moose
Grizzly bear
Elk
American bison
Pronghorn antelope
Moose
Grizzly bear
Elk
American bison
Pronghorn antelope
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild
Black bear
White tailed deer
Coyote
Snow shoe hare
Bald eagle
Black bear
White tailed deer
Coyote
Snow shoe hare
Bald eagle
November 28, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you have seen in the wild.
Andean cock-of-the-rock
Bornean orangutan
Gray wolf
Indian paradise flycatcher
Cheetah
Andean cock-of-the-rock
Bornean orangutan
Gray wolf
Indian paradise flycatcher
Cheetah
My Emotional Support Beagle and Lap Puppy takes his jobs very seriously.
My mother in law passed away last night, and this Velcro dog can tell I need extra snuggles. I can’t do anything today without tripping over him.
My mother in law passed away last night, and this Velcro dog can tell I need extra snuggles. I can’t do anything today without tripping over him.
November 9, 2025 at 6:38 PM
My Emotional Support Beagle and Lap Puppy takes his jobs very seriously.
My mother in law passed away last night, and this Velcro dog can tell I need extra snuggles. I can’t do anything today without tripping over him.
My mother in law passed away last night, and this Velcro dog can tell I need extra snuggles. I can’t do anything today without tripping over him.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
This morning, my sugar-filled gremlins are arguing over whether today (Nov 1) is Halloween.
5yo: it’s not just ONE DAY! It’s a season.
7yo: It’s LITERALLY one day!
husband: both fair points.
5yo: it’s not just ONE DAY! It’s a season.
7yo: It’s LITERALLY one day!
husband: both fair points.
November 1, 2025 at 1:54 PM
This morning, my sugar-filled gremlins are arguing over whether today (Nov 1) is Halloween.
5yo: it’s not just ONE DAY! It’s a season.
7yo: It’s LITERALLY one day!
husband: both fair points.
5yo: it’s not just ONE DAY! It’s a season.
7yo: It’s LITERALLY one day!
husband: both fair points.
My daughter dressed up as Elsa & I dressed as Anna (from Frozen). We ran into another little girl dressed as Elsa, who ran up to me, grinning, & gave me a big hug, squealing “Anna!”
I asked “Do you want to build a snowman?” She replied, “and ride our bikes around the halls?” It was so sweet.
I asked “Do you want to build a snowman?” She replied, “and ride our bikes around the halls?” It was so sweet.
November 1, 2025 at 2:03 AM
My daughter dressed up as Elsa & I dressed as Anna (from Frozen). We ran into another little girl dressed as Elsa, who ran up to me, grinning, & gave me a big hug, squealing “Anna!”
I asked “Do you want to build a snowman?” She replied, “and ride our bikes around the halls?” It was so sweet.
I asked “Do you want to build a snowman?” She replied, “and ride our bikes around the halls?” It was so sweet.
lol sob.
October 31, 2025 at 7:20 PM
lol sob.
It’s amazing to me how many people who have never taught think LLMs will replace professors/teachers. Even if they didn’t get basic stuff wrong regularly, at least half of teaching is building relationships, human connections.
October 30, 2025 at 12:20 PM
It’s amazing to me how many people who have never taught think LLMs will replace professors/teachers. Even if they didn’t get basic stuff wrong regularly, at least half of teaching is building relationships, human connections.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
I have a number of colleagues who think that LLMs will be very useful as individualized tutors.
One of their arguments is that unlike previous generations of AI tutors, LLMs have the full context window of the conversation and that’s better understand what a student knows and doesn’t know.
One of their arguments is that unlike previous generations of AI tutors, LLMs have the full context window of the conversation and that’s better understand what a student knows and doesn’t know.
October 30, 2025 at 10:37 AM
I have a number of colleagues who think that LLMs will be very useful as individualized tutors.
One of their arguments is that unlike previous generations of AI tutors, LLMs have the full context window of the conversation and that’s better understand what a student knows and doesn’t know.
One of their arguments is that unlike previous generations of AI tutors, LLMs have the full context window of the conversation and that’s better understand what a student knows and doesn’t know.
Now is a great time to donate to your local food pantry.
Here it comes, folks. I volunteer at a food pantry twice a month. We got slammed today - twice our usual number of households, a bunch we'd never seen before, and people lined up waiting for us to open. It's gonna get bad fast.
October 28, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Now is a great time to donate to your local food pantry.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
Are you looking for a PhD position and want to spend your summers in the Rocky Mountains?
My lab @cudenverclas.bsky.social is looking for 1 PhD student to work on a NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts in Colorado! 🧪🌍🐙
Apply by Nov 1!
Details here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
My lab @cudenverclas.bsky.social is looking for 1 PhD student to work on a NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts in Colorado! 🧪🌍🐙
Apply by Nov 1!
Details here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
2025 - Hypoxia PhD job ad
The Moore lab at the University of Colorado Denver is searching for 1 Ph.D. student to study the elevational limits of dragonflies in Colorado (http://moore-evo-eco.weebly.com). This position is fully...
docs.google.com
August 18, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Are you looking for a PhD position and want to spend your summers in the Rocky Mountains?
My lab @cudenverclas.bsky.social is looking for 1 PhD student to work on a NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts in Colorado! 🧪🌍🐙
Apply by Nov 1!
Details here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
My lab @cudenverclas.bsky.social is looking for 1 PhD student to work on a NSF-funded project to study elevational range shifts in Colorado! 🧪🌍🐙
Apply by Nov 1!
Details here docs.google.com/document/d/1...
My kindergartener was repeating the step of her active shooter drill today. Apparently they’re supposed to look, listen, throw things at the shooter, then run away.
What a fucked up country we live in that we teach kindergartners to take on people with guns instead of regulating the fucking guns.
What a fucked up country we live in that we teach kindergartners to take on people with guns instead of regulating the fucking guns.
October 14, 2025 at 1:13 AM
My kindergartener was repeating the step of her active shooter drill today. Apparently they’re supposed to look, listen, throw things at the shooter, then run away.
What a fucked up country we live in that we teach kindergartners to take on people with guns instead of regulating the fucking guns.
What a fucked up country we live in that we teach kindergartners to take on people with guns instead of regulating the fucking guns.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
As an educator, I agree with all of this.
I actually don't really care if AI is useful/interesting/good for some things in education actually - it is besides these things clearly a big problem already that maybe need listing yet again:
October 11, 2025 at 10:42 PM
As an educator, I agree with all of this.
I have never been jealous of a Nobel prize winner before….
October 7, 2025 at 4:45 PM
I have never been jealous of a Nobel prize winner before….
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
The new Wiley journal review system is an absolute nightmare. Editorial assistants have been replaced by a clunky, AI-enabled website that makes it harder to find and invite reviewers. Associate editor workloads have increased. I'm not convinced the invitations to reviewers are even going through.
October 6, 2025 at 3:22 PM
The new Wiley journal review system is an absolute nightmare. Editorial assistants have been replaced by a clunky, AI-enabled website that makes it harder to find and invite reviewers. Associate editor workloads have increased. I'm not convinced the invitations to reviewers are even going through.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
"Sorry I was late to class, professor, there's a moose charging people by the student union" god I missed Alaska
October 6, 2025 at 9:58 PM
"Sorry I was late to class, professor, there's a moose charging people by the student union" god I missed Alaska
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
Don’t use ChatGPT to reach out to prospective PhD advisors.
October 1, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Don’t use ChatGPT to reach out to prospective PhD advisors.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
Alright fellow nerds, I know the best minds of our generation have been on the case for years, but has anyone made a really GOOD jigsaw puzzle app for iPad?
September 27, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Alright fellow nerds, I know the best minds of our generation have been on the case for years, but has anyone made a really GOOD jigsaw puzzle app for iPad?
List three things you can talk about for three hours without prep:
1. Bird flight
2. Bird anatomy
3. Knitting socks
1. Bird flight
2. Bird anatomy
3. Knitting socks
List three things you can talk about for three hours without prep:
1. Vaccines
2. Quirky fun travel experiences I only had because of my kids’ interests
3. Costume creation without a pattern
Though tbh I could do vaccines for the whole 9 hours if anyone let me
1. Vaccines
2. Quirky fun travel experiences I only had because of my kids’ interests
3. Costume creation without a pattern
Though tbh I could do vaccines for the whole 9 hours if anyone let me
List three things you can talk about for three hours without prep:
1. Tuberculosis.
2. Neighbours (the Aussie soap).
3. Cats.
1. Tuberculosis.
2. Neighbours (the Aussie soap).
3. Cats.
September 27, 2025 at 2:14 PM
List three things you can talk about for three hours without prep:
1. Bird flight
2. Bird anatomy
3. Knitting socks
1. Bird flight
2. Bird anatomy
3. Knitting socks
Today Bandit helped one of my students take an exam, and she told him he is the bestest dog ever & perfect in every way. He is proud of the job he’s doing as the unofficial Emotional Support Beagle* for Kenyon’s Biology Department.
*only 70% actual beagle
*only 70% actual beagle
September 25, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Today Bandit helped one of my students take an exam, and she told him he is the bestest dog ever & perfect in every way. He is proud of the job he’s doing as the unofficial Emotional Support Beagle* for Kenyon’s Biology Department.
*only 70% actual beagle
*only 70% actual beagle
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
One thing I always try to do as a reviewer/editor when recommending a change is to think about whether or not the resulting improvement to the paper/software justifies the amount of time I think it will take the author to address it. The bigger the ask, the greater the need in order to justify it.
September 21, 2025 at 3:26 PM
One thing I always try to do as a reviewer/editor when recommending a change is to think about whether or not the resulting improvement to the paper/software justifies the amount of time I think it will take the author to address it. The bigger the ask, the greater the need in order to justify it.
One of my absolute favorite things about teaching at Kenyon College is I almost never get asked this question. My students are excited to learn, and while they want good grades, they’re focused on learning rather than test-taking.
September 20, 2025 at 1:29 PM
One of my absolute favorite things about teaching at Kenyon College is I almost never get asked this question. My students are excited to learn, and while they want good grades, they’re focused on learning rather than test-taking.
Reposted by Natalie Wright, Ph.D.
I was almost hit by 6 cars crossing the street yesterday on my dog walk. Every one of them turning left into a crosswalk in which I had the right of way. Cars are used to kill constantly (over 100 times a day in the US) but no right wing outrage over that…
I was listening to a story on NPR this morning about the precautions transit riders are taking in the wake of this murder, and yet millions of people engage in the highly risky activity of driving multiple times a day without a second thought.
"Ginning up a moral panic over public transportation is a thinly veiled pretext to starve it of the resources that could make it even safer." @via @katearonoff.bsky.social
September 15, 2025 at 1:49 PM
I was almost hit by 6 cars crossing the street yesterday on my dog walk. Every one of them turning left into a crosswalk in which I had the right of way. Cars are used to kill constantly (over 100 times a day in the US) but no right wing outrage over that…
How is it that I’ve bought my kids over a dozen water bottles and yet we can never find a single one when it’s time to leave for school?
September 10, 2025 at 1:18 PM
How is it that I’ve bought my kids over a dozen water bottles and yet we can never find a single one when it’s time to leave for school?