Raquel Fleskes, PhD
@raquelfleskes.bsky.social
Ancient DNA, ethics. Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College.
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
February 12, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Welcome to the Bluesky account for Stand Up for Science 2025!
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
Keep an eye on this space for updates, event information, and ways to get involved. We can't wait to see everyone #standupforscience2025 on March 7th, both in DC and locations nationwide!
#scienceforall #sciencenotsilence
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
"Immersive Videography of Ancient DNA Extraction for Community Engagement and Educational Initiatives by the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project" is out in @bioanth.org where we use a GoPro to film aDNA extraction for community engagement!
doi-org.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/ajpa...
doi-org.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/ajpa...
Shibboleth Authentication Request
onlinelibrary-wiley-com.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org
February 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
"Immersive Videography of Ancient DNA Extraction for Community Engagement and Educational Initiatives by the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project" is out in @bioanth.org where we use a GoPro to film aDNA extraction for community engagement!
doi-org.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/ajpa...
doi-org.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/ajpa...
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
"Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) on Wednesday rolled out the Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy (ELON MUSK) Act, which would ban 'special' government employees like Musk from having federal contracts."
New Democratic bill targets Elon Musk
Rep. Mark Pocan's ELON MUSK Act takes aim at the billionaire's federal contracts.
www.politico.com
February 5, 2025 at 11:48 PM
"Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) on Wednesday rolled out the Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy (ELON MUSK) Act, which would ban 'special' government employees like Musk from having federal contracts."
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
This is what revisionist history looks like, in real time. And this also is why it might appear that archaeologists and historians have to dig deep to discover the existence of powerful women and marginalized groups -- because their legacies are so often erased.
NASA workers were told to "drop everything" and spend their time scrubbing mentions of women in leadership, indigenous people, and environmental justice from the web: www.404media.co/nasa-dei-dro...
Workers at NASA Told to ‘Drop Everything’ to Scrub Mentions of Indigenous People, Women from Its Websites
"This is a drop everything and reprioritize your day request," a directive "per NASA HQ direction" stated.
www.404media.co
February 5, 2025 at 10:59 PM
This is what revisionist history looks like, in real time. And this also is why it might appear that archaeologists and historians have to dig deep to discover the existence of powerful women and marginalized groups -- because their legacies are so often erased.
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
“USAID-backed studies have been shuttered, data streams have dried up, researchers and technical staff have been fired or put on leave, a system to predict food crises has been muzzled, and a USAID-supported global health journal has stopped reviewing manuscripts.”
From our @science.org news team 🧪
From our @science.org news team 🧪
'It’s tectonic:’ U.S. foreign aid freeze deals a blow to research around the globe
Dismantling of USAID could disrupt many clinical trials and wipe away U.S. “soft power” in developing countries, scientists warn
www.science.org
February 6, 2025 at 12:23 AM
“USAID-backed studies have been shuttered, data streams have dried up, researchers and technical staff have been fired or put on leave, a system to predict food crises has been muzzled, and a USAID-supported global health journal has stopped reviewing manuscripts.”
From our @science.org news team 🧪
From our @science.org news team 🧪
My partner is a USAID funded postdoc and was flown home early from fieldwork in Liberia last week. On Thursday he was told to stop working completely. We don't know how long this will last.
February 1, 2025 at 8:18 PM
My partner is a USAID funded postdoc and was flown home early from fieldwork in Liberia last week. On Thursday he was told to stop working completely. We don't know how long this will last.
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
USAID website straight up does not work anymore
February 1, 2025 at 7:43 PM
USAID website straight up does not work anymore
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
It's all gone. They've taken down all the CDC datasets from data.cdc.gov
Data that's critical for public health & research. Data paid for by citizens. That the government now censors.
"Do not fear those who tell the truth. Fear those who try to hide it. They are willing to sacrifice other things."
Data that's critical for public health & research. Data paid for by citizens. That the government now censors.
"Do not fear those who tell the truth. Fear those who try to hide it. They are willing to sacrifice other things."
February 1, 2025 at 12:34 PM
It's all gone. They've taken down all the CDC datasets from data.cdc.gov
Data that's critical for public health & research. Data paid for by citizens. That the government now censors.
"Do not fear those who tell the truth. Fear those who try to hide it. They are willing to sacrifice other things."
Data that's critical for public health & research. Data paid for by citizens. That the government now censors.
"Do not fear those who tell the truth. Fear those who try to hide it. They are willing to sacrifice other things."
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
Some additional #NSF thoughts. As always, these thoughts are mine alone. But here goes, It seems the damage this situation has already caused to the research enterprise in the US may be catastrophic (and irreparable?).
January 31, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Some additional #NSF thoughts. As always, these thoughts are mine alone. But here goes, It seems the damage this situation has already caused to the research enterprise in the US may be catastrophic (and irreparable?).
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
Good luck to all of us who work in the social sciences -
Exclusive: NSF this week began to search through billions of dollars of grants the agency has already awarded for anything touching on topics that President Donald Trump has criticized. And NSF has blocked grantees and trainees from accessing funds while the review is underway. scim.ag/3El0NZh
EXCLUSIVE: NSF starts vetting all grants to comply with Trump’s orders
Grantee accounts remain frozen, while union accuses NSF of ignoring rules governing peer review
scim.ag
January 31, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Good luck to all of us who work in the social sciences -
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.
January 30, 2025 at 7:51 PM
It’s official: all funding requests made on Tuesday by postdocs for their salaries have been unilaterally rejected by NSF.
I knew I wanted to have a child, but I felt that I needed to wait until I was in a secure job to make the transition. I felt an academic career was too precarious to start a family. I had these conversations in the first weeks of starting a PhD, and I'm sure many others have done the same
We had heard about the challenges posed by motherhood within academia, but what about the previous stage? @ecfreewoman.bsky.social & I wrote our story for @science.org on how the academic system makes it almost impossible for women to even plan for a family ❤️🩹: www.science.org/content/arti...
As women in academia, having children can feel impossible. Talking about it makes us feel less alone
The struggle is “balancing their careers not just with motherhood, but with what comes before: relationships and planning for a family,” these postdocs write
www.science.org
January 30, 2025 at 7:33 PM
I knew I wanted to have a child, but I felt that I needed to wait until I was in a secure job to make the transition. I felt an academic career was too precarious to start a family. I had these conversations in the first weeks of starting a PhD, and I'm sure many others have done the same
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
If you have students who are trans no you don’t. If you have students of color who may be affected by ICE no you don’t. If anyone asks you gender or racial the makeup of your class you don’t have to tell them.
Protect your class and protect your students by not complying in advance. They trust you.
Protect your class and protect your students by not complying in advance. They trust you.
1. Breaking News: Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting trans youth and teachers in schools who teach for them.
It goes after "social transition" and threatens arrests.
I will go through line by line, as I have the last 3 nights.
Find the EO here:
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
It goes after "social transition" and threatens arrests.
I will go through line by line, as I have the last 3 nights.
Find the EO here:
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling – The White House
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose and
www.whitehouse.gov
January 30, 2025 at 5:34 PM
If you have students who are trans no you don’t. If you have students of color who may be affected by ICE no you don’t. If anyone asks you gender or racial the makeup of your class you don’t have to tell them.
Protect your class and protect your students by not complying in advance. They trust you.
Protect your class and protect your students by not complying in advance. They trust you.
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
To expand on this, right now ~200 postdoc fellows directly funded by NSF are locked out of their salary &research funds right before the first of the month. No doubt other NSF funded grads &postdocs are affected as well. All requests for funds put in before the freeze are slowly being cancelled
As of now, NSF does not appear to be changing course at all given the temporary restraining order or the rescission of the memo. I can't help but feel that the NSF director is failing us and his handling of this is indefensible. new.nsf.gov/executive-or...
NSF Implementation of Recent Executive Orders
Information for the NSF community regarding executive orders.
new.nsf.gov
January 29, 2025 at 8:59 PM
To expand on this, right now ~200 postdoc fellows directly funded by NSF are locked out of their salary &research funds right before the first of the month. No doubt other NSF funded grads &postdocs are affected as well. All requests for funds put in before the freeze are slowly being cancelled
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
NSF grantees - people who have already received their grants based on a previously funded and approved research proposal - are being told to stop any activities related to DEI and accessibility.
Call this what it is: government censorship of ongoing research projects.
www.opm.gov/policy-data-...
Call this what it is: government censorship of ongoing research projects.
www.opm.gov/policy-data-...
January 29, 2025 at 1:34 PM
NSF grantees - people who have already received their grants based on a previously funded and approved research proposal - are being told to stop any activities related to DEI and accessibility.
Call this what it is: government censorship of ongoing research projects.
www.opm.gov/policy-data-...
Call this what it is: government censorship of ongoing research projects.
www.opm.gov/policy-data-...
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
It is very easy to call your representatives’ offices. They have to log your calls and the call numbers are meaningful. You don’t even have to try to convince anyone; just call and tell them your concerns. They are there to represent you. Let them know what that means. www.usa.gov/elected-offi...
Find and contact elected officials | USAGov
Use USAGov’s Contact Your Elected Officials tool to get contact information for your members of Congress, the president, and state and local officials.
www.usa.gov
January 28, 2025 at 2:16 PM
It is very easy to call your representatives’ offices. They have to log your calls and the call numbers are meaningful. You don’t even have to try to convince anyone; just call and tell them your concerns. They are there to represent you. Let them know what that means. www.usa.gov/elected-offi...
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
Just a reminder that Target said "no DEI at Target".
So I said "no purchases at Target".
That was easy.
So I said "no purchases at Target".
That was easy.
January 28, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Just a reminder that Target said "no DEI at Target".
So I said "no purchases at Target".
That was easy.
So I said "no purchases at Target".
That was easy.
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
Do you know why a president would do all the most evil and heinous shit via Executive Order? Because his party can't easily make it law. And if they can't make it law, they can't make it last.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
January 29, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Do you know why a president would do all the most evil and heinous shit via Executive Order? Because his party can't easily make it law. And if they can't make it law, they can't make it last.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
Latest from the NSF. All funding is frozen, following NIJ. In addition, my partner is a USAID funded postdoc who is currently being flown back from Liberia early with instructions to hault all research. The consequences of this cannot be understated
January 29, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Latest from the NSF. All funding is frozen, following NIJ. In addition, my partner is a USAID funded postdoc who is currently being flown back from Liberia early with instructions to hault all research. The consequences of this cannot be understated
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
If you have been affected by the fires in LA, or are concerned about your ability to keep precious Drosophila strains going during the latest funding crisis, we will host your strains as a backup. Please email me.
Please amplify. If you are also able to host fly strains, add your name as well.
Please amplify. If you are also able to host fly strains, add your name as well.
January 28, 2025 at 9:45 PM
If you have been affected by the fires in LA, or are concerned about your ability to keep precious Drosophila strains going during the latest funding crisis, we will host your strains as a backup. Please email me.
Please amplify. If you are also able to host fly strains, add your name as well.
Please amplify. If you are also able to host fly strains, add your name as well.
Reposted by Raquel Fleskes, PhD
January 28, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Coming back from maternity leave to realize that X is beyond saving. Happy to make the transition to BlueSky! Should have done it a long time ago, but better late than never.
January 29, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Coming back from maternity leave to realize that X is beyond saving. Happy to make the transition to BlueSky! Should have done it a long time ago, but better late than never.