Sarah Hird, PhD
@sarahhird.bsky.social
Associate Professor at University of Connecticut studying evolution & bird microbiomes. More importantly: I’m an aspiring anti-racist, raging feminist & trying to ACT NOW on the climate crisis. Please read The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg et al.
What if there was a second female Muppet and she was not super obnoxious. #imagine
a large group of stuffed animals are sitting in a theater with an exit sign above them
Alt: a large group of muppets are sitting in a theater and they are laughing and applauding.
media.tenor.com
December 13, 2025 at 4:14 PM
What if there was a second female Muppet and she was not super obnoxious. #imagine
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
How are things at CT’s R1 flagship? Welp, turns out Admin’s skimmed $1,150,000 from our contractually negotiated salary equity fund. FFS!!
December 11, 2025 at 6:50 PM
How are things at CT’s R1 flagship? Welp, turns out Admin’s skimmed $1,150,000 from our contractually negotiated salary equity fund. FFS!!
New winter break goal just dropped:
Research culture: The SAFE Labs Handbook as a tool for improving lab culture. Donà et al. 2025.
elifesciences.org/articles/108...
H/T @napaaqtuk.bsky.social
Research culture: The SAFE Labs Handbook as a tool for improving lab culture. Donà et al. 2025.
elifesciences.org/articles/108...
H/T @napaaqtuk.bsky.social
December 10, 2025 at 8:42 PM
New winter break goal just dropped:
Research culture: The SAFE Labs Handbook as a tool for improving lab culture. Donà et al. 2025.
elifesciences.org/articles/108...
H/T @napaaqtuk.bsky.social
Research culture: The SAFE Labs Handbook as a tool for improving lab culture. Donà et al. 2025.
elifesciences.org/articles/108...
H/T @napaaqtuk.bsky.social
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes you get the idea.
Breastfeeding advocates often fall into three broad groups:
#1 Folks working to improve human health & know breastmilk is key, but also know that not all parents can BF & need safe, healthy alternatives...
#1 Folks working to improve human health & know breastmilk is key, but also know that not all parents can BF & need safe, healthy alternatives...
two panda bears are hugging each other while sitting on the ground .
Alt: A baby panda seems to give its mum a kiss before they cuddle.
media.tenor.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes you get the idea.
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
microsoft promised to "empower every user" and google to "revolutionise knowledge and technological innovation" but in reality what they have given us is an invasive surveillance dystopian nightmare hard to escape
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
Microsoft Teams Starts Telling Your Boss Where You Are—Now Just 8 Weeks Away
Microsoft confirms start date for new Teams update — no more hiding places.
www.forbes.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:55 AM
microsoft promised to "empower every user" and google to "revolutionise knowledge and technological innovation" but in reality what they have given us is an invasive surveillance dystopian nightmare hard to escape
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
www.forbes.com/sites/zakdof...
You’re telling me the only way to enter my birthday on this form is to push that up arrow…….(quick calculation, carry the one)……513 times? Excellent design, Microsoft. Bravo. 👍
December 6, 2025 at 2:24 AM
You’re telling me the only way to enter my birthday on this form is to push that up arrow…….(quick calculation, carry the one)……513 times? Excellent design, Microsoft. Bravo. 👍
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
Absolutely devastating account of the CSU's $17 million capitulation to ChatGPT, from a fellow faculty member watching it happen www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself
Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education.
www.currentaffairs.org
December 3, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Absolutely devastating account of the CSU's $17 million capitulation to ChatGPT, from a fellow faculty member watching it happen www.currentaffairs.org/news/ai-is-d...
Science question: does your lab have a MinION sequencer and does it work well? Worth the money? (thanks for any opinions!)
December 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Science question: does your lab have a MinION sequencer and does it work well? Worth the money? (thanks for any opinions!)
I am 1000% sure somebody’s going to have a case of the Mondays tomorrow.
November 30, 2025 at 11:31 PM
I am 1000% sure somebody’s going to have a case of the Mondays tomorrow.
Here’s what I don’t get about Stranger Things. Why do people keep voluntarily going into squelchy mystery holes. What is that. Multiple people. Just crawling their whole ass bodies through random HOLES.
November 27, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Here’s what I don’t get about Stranger Things. Why do people keep voluntarily going into squelchy mystery holes. What is that. Multiple people. Just crawling their whole ass bodies through random HOLES.
BECAUSE OF SOCIETY.
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
BECAUSE OF SOCIETY.
Every single person on campus today:
November 21, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Every single person on campus today:
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
FYI at our most recent bargaining session UConn *still* had no response to our paid leave proposal. April 7 —> Nov 18 = 32 wks. If our proposal were a baby it would be the size of a papaya 🥭
👁️👁️
“Hird said while some faculty have six months of medical leave available to them, it does not include healthy post-partum mothers, fathers, non-birthing mothers & adoptive parents that are not experiencing a qualifying medical condition.”
dailycampus.com/2025/11/10/u...
#nutmegsky
“Hird said while some faculty have six months of medical leave available to them, it does not include healthy post-partum mothers, fathers, non-birthing mothers & adoptive parents that are not experiencing a qualifying medical condition.”
dailycampus.com/2025/11/10/u...
#nutmegsky
UConn faculty paid family leave debate continues in CT Mirror Op Ed pages
University of Connecticut faculty have expressed their frustration with university administrations over paid family leave policies.
dailycampus.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:51 PM
FYI at our most recent bargaining session UConn *still* had no response to our paid leave proposal. April 7 —> Nov 18 = 32 wks. If our proposal were a baby it would be the size of a papaya 🥭
A great overview of what (& why) UConn faculty are fighting for with contract negotiations: dailycampus.com/2025/11/18/l...
#nutmegsky @uconnaaup.bsky.social
#nutmegsky @uconnaaup.bsky.social
LTTE: Support UConn Faculty’s Reasonable Contract Demands
For months now, the UConn-AAUP negotiating team has made minimal progress at the bargaining table across from the UConn administration’s negotiators.
dailycampus.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:12 PM
A great overview of what (& why) UConn faculty are fighting for with contract negotiations: dailycampus.com/2025/11/18/l...
#nutmegsky @uconnaaup.bsky.social
#nutmegsky @uconnaaup.bsky.social
I have decided I like the ability to give an email a 👍.
It means: “I acknowledge and/or appreciate your email but I will not clog your inbox to relay that simple message.”
Any other adopters of this…convenience?
It means: “I acknowledge and/or appreciate your email but I will not clog your inbox to relay that simple message.”
Any other adopters of this…convenience?
November 12, 2025 at 8:35 PM
I have decided I like the ability to give an email a 👍.
It means: “I acknowledge and/or appreciate your email but I will not clog your inbox to relay that simple message.”
Any other adopters of this…convenience?
It means: “I acknowledge and/or appreciate your email but I will not clog your inbox to relay that simple message.”
Any other adopters of this…convenience?
You ever see someone else’s post & think you picked the wrong field?
What are the DUELING DINOSAURS???
What is Nanotyrranus & why is it controversial?!?!
(Violet Beauregarde voice) I want to be a dinosaur scientist! Sigh.
What are the DUELING DINOSAURS???
What is Nanotyrranus & why is it controversial?!?!
(Violet Beauregarde voice) I want to be a dinosaur scientist! Sigh.
Pretty much standing room only for @jgn-paleo.bsky.social presenting on the Dueling Dinosaurs and recent Nanotyrannus publication.
Starting out providing context for Nanotyrannus research and controversy.
#2025SVP
Starting out providing context for Nanotyrannus research and controversy.
#2025SVP
November 12, 2025 at 12:38 PM
You ever see someone else’s post & think you picked the wrong field?
What are the DUELING DINOSAURS???
What is Nanotyrranus & why is it controversial?!?!
(Violet Beauregarde voice) I want to be a dinosaur scientist! Sigh.
What are the DUELING DINOSAURS???
What is Nanotyrranus & why is it controversial?!?!
(Violet Beauregarde voice) I want to be a dinosaur scientist! Sigh.
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
Awesome to see you fighting for such a basic human right! But also frustrating! 😣
Tell them that in Sweden we give 480 days paid parental leave to split between parents as they choose, for each child. So a few months should be bare minimum.
Tell them that in Sweden we give 480 days paid parental leave to split between parents as they choose, for each child. So a few months should be bare minimum.
November 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Awesome to see you fighting for such a basic human right! But also frustrating! 😣
Tell them that in Sweden we give 480 days paid parental leave to split between parents as they choose, for each child. So a few months should be bare minimum.
Tell them that in Sweden we give 480 days paid parental leave to split between parents as they choose, for each child. So a few months should be bare minimum.
👁️👁️
“Hird said while some faculty have six months of medical leave available to them, it does not include healthy post-partum mothers, fathers, non-birthing mothers & adoptive parents that are not experiencing a qualifying medical condition.”
dailycampus.com/2025/11/10/u...
#nutmegsky
“Hird said while some faculty have six months of medical leave available to them, it does not include healthy post-partum mothers, fathers, non-birthing mothers & adoptive parents that are not experiencing a qualifying medical condition.”
dailycampus.com/2025/11/10/u...
#nutmegsky
UConn faculty paid family leave debate continues in CT Mirror Op Ed pages
University of Connecticut faculty have expressed their frustration with university administrations over paid family leave policies.
dailycampus.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:15 PM
👁️👁️
“Hird said while some faculty have six months of medical leave available to them, it does not include healthy post-partum mothers, fathers, non-birthing mothers & adoptive parents that are not experiencing a qualifying medical condition.”
dailycampus.com/2025/11/10/u...
#nutmegsky
“Hird said while some faculty have six months of medical leave available to them, it does not include healthy post-partum mothers, fathers, non-birthing mothers & adoptive parents that are not experiencing a qualifying medical condition.”
dailycampus.com/2025/11/10/u...
#nutmegsky
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
Important update. SNAP is FULLY FUNDED in Connecticut as of today. The state has given assurance that it will backstop payment should the Trump administration persist in its callous effort to starve American families for political leverage.
November 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Important update. SNAP is FULLY FUNDED in Connecticut as of today. The state has given assurance that it will backstop payment should the Trump administration persist in its callous effort to starve American families for political leverage.
Prosanta is amazing and this piece is amazing.
“Letting your colleagues see your vulnerability and letting them share their concern, well-wishes and help gives you an opportunity to embrace their compassion when you need it the most.”
“Letting your colleagues see your vulnerability and letting them share their concern, well-wishes and help gives you an opportunity to embrace their compassion when you need it the most.”
I’m stuck in bed between chemo treatments for metastatic coloncancer, wearing a take-home chemo pump attached to my chest.
I wanted to share my advice that you can benefit from ‘Letting Your Colleagues In’ don’t need to struggle alone
@insidehighered.com
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/care...
I wanted to share my advice that you can benefit from ‘Letting Your Colleagues In’ don’t need to struggle alone
@insidehighered.com
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/care...
Consider Sharing Health Challenges With Colleagues (opinion)
Being open with my colleagues about my cancer diagnosis has allowed me to access an enormous source of support and comfort.
www.insidehighered.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Prosanta is amazing and this piece is amazing.
“Letting your colleagues see your vulnerability and letting them share their concern, well-wishes and help gives you an opportunity to embrace their compassion when you need it the most.”
“Letting your colleagues see your vulnerability and letting them share their concern, well-wishes and help gives you an opportunity to embrace their compassion when you need it the most.”
November 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I wish people wouldn’t post garbage people’s garbage posts from garbage websites here.
a black and white photo of a man in a suit and tie making a funny face .
Alt: a black and white scene of gene wilder saying oh, uhh…no thanks
media.tenor.com
November 5, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I wish people wouldn’t post garbage people’s garbage posts from garbage websites here.
The horns I’ve had for a while but there’s something new in my zoom meetings….
November 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM
The horns I’ve had for a while but there’s something new in my zoom meetings….
Reposted by Sarah Hird, PhD
Are you intetested in deep sea and ship-based #SciComm strategies? Join us TODAY for our COBRA webinar!! (This will also be recorded and posted freely online afterwards!)
Super pumped to be a guest speaker in the COBRA webinar series in two weeks’ time, along with Olivia Pereira from @mbarinews.bsky.social! We’ll be talking about our Science Communication strategies & experiences. Register for Zoom link here: cobra.bigelow.org/webinars/
November 4, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Are you intetested in deep sea and ship-based #SciComm strategies? Join us TODAY for our COBRA webinar!! (This will also be recorded and posted freely online afterwards!)
November 4, 2025 at 12:46 PM