🧵Here's a story of people doing things RIGHT in academia. Why? Well, I am not shy about critiquing higher ed and associated industries, so I figure it might be useful to share examples of good behavior.
This is the story of the best rejection I ever got. It was from McGill University.
#AcademicSky
He was certainly afraid of Vietnam-style combat in Vietnam.
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, MACSYS proudly celebrates the exceptional women who are advancing our mission to model a whole cell - one of the most ambitious challenges in modern science. Pictured here are our Chief Investigators, Research Fellows, and PhD candidates.
A brilliant and bracing read for anyone who cares about justice in the world, cares about doing better, and cares about doing it rigorously. Chad Topaz leads by example, with a rare combination of generosity, wit, and self-awareness backed up by unwavering mathematical precision.”—Eugenia Cheng, author of Unequal: The Mathematics of When Things Do and Don’t Add Up “Finding effective solutions—especially for big, important problems like structural inequity and social injustice—requires clearly identifying and quantifying the problem. And that is exactly what Unlocking Justice does. Chad Topaz’s careful, quantitative examination and analysis of the criminal justice system isn’t written just for data nerds like me. It is essential reading to truly get to the bottom of the stubbornly persistent injustices in our law enforcement, court and penal systems, and shines a light on how to bring real, lasting change.”—Kimberly Atkins Stohr, columnist, The Boston Globe
I am ugly-crying bc my book now has blurbs from two of my heroes, @kimberlyeatkins.bsky.social and @dreugeniacheng.bsky.social. They said nice things so of course my brain can't handle it and I will be using therapy to deal with my feelings of undeserving-ness. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Fully funded PhD available. Developing mathematical models of haemostasis to predict clinical outcomes. Combines maths with large data and wet lab experience www.nottingham.ac.uk/mathematics/...
Every machine in a Hospital that diagnoses your body without cutting you open is based on a principle of Physics, discovered by a Physicist who had no interest in Medicine.
If you think the world doesn’t need Basic Science, or that somehow Science has failed you, think again.
#sciencematters
DECRA success rate is the lowest in 14 years, since 2012 (1st year the scheme ran).
What a pathetic system we have for supporting new ideas, new people…
DE26: 13.1%
25: 17.9
24: 19.6
23: 15.0
22: 19.7
21: 17.1
20: 16.0
19: 17.2
18: 16.3
17: 16.7
16: 16.4
15: 14.3
14: 13.6
13: 15.6
12: 12.8
Fantastic outcomes! Finally mathematically talented girls and young women are getting what boys and young men have had, and taken for granted, for centuries: multiple mentoring, role models, endless positive reinforcement, recognition, approval, and confidence-boosting, the list goes on and on
Don't post your preprint on SSRN (option at many journals). Google scholar often delists papers that have an SSRN preprint. Arxiv preprints are more prominent in scholar. @elsevierconnect.bsky.social @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social @academic-chatter.bsky.social eg. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Screenshot of Guardian Live headline with a picture of former Science Minister, Ed Husic, looking a bit flabbergasted. Headline is black text on white background and says that those in Treasury and Finance need to see scientific research as an investment, not a cost.
He’s not wrong, the former Science Minister*
*In the same Party as the current one!
(From Guardian Australia “live”)
A screenshot of an article headline under “Science” stating “The Sydney mathematician finding a better way to keep your data safe” and text “Professor Nalini Joshi is developing the mathematics to make your secrets stronger” next to a snapshot of me looking up to the right with a smile.
From today’s Sydney Morning Herald
UK Maths students - interested in doing a cross-disciplinary PhD in biofilms and doing part of your studies in Australia? This could be your chance!
ima.org.uk/27939/compet...
New blog: As a grant peer reviewer I consider Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) even if the scheme doesn't list EDI criteria. Key is to tie the selection criteria to EDI. This is how I do it mathemagicalconservation.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/a... @katehelmstedt.bsky.social @hugepossum.bsky.social
one reason it will be hard for academics to take back uk/aus/nz universities from the business-brained folk who are in charge is that it's basically impossible to speak to them without going insane
Any pure mathematicians interested in a move to beautiful Adelaide? careers.adelaide.edu.au/cw/en/job/51...
“Broken: Universities, Politics & The Public Good” by Graeme Turner
A sharp, factual analysis of what’s wrong with Australia’s demand-driven university system. Makes a compelling case for universities as vital public good and knowledge infrastructure. #read2025
Three Oxford Mathematicians have won 2025 London Mathematical Society (@londmathsoc.bsky.social) Prizes. Left to right, Nigel Hitchin wins the De Morgan Medal, Helen Byrne the Naylor Prize and Lectureship in Applied Mathematics and Vidit Nanda a Whitehead Prize.
www.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/72373
Sharing 3 x scholarship opportunities with @monsoon0.bsky.social: Postgrad Research in Mathematics for Quantum Resilience
Quantum computing will be revolutionary- Qs about online security & unexpected discoveries remain. Please share with your networks - details about eligibility below:
#MathSky
Under new regulations, all visitors to the United States will need to have their head examined.
After a court enforced realisation that he wasn’t protected by our broken whistleblower laws, Richard Boyle has pleaded guilty to being a whistleblower. It’s a sad outcome. Richard is a superhero - Australia needs more people like him. #auspol
I’m so furious about this ridiculous divisive statement that I’m not getting any work done. What a pathetic disappointment Starmer is
Awesome postdoc opportunity to work on some cool wrinkling problems in Limerick www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNA576/p...
On this Women in Mathematics Day, we’re proud to introduce some of the women in our Centre who are making an impact through their research & leadership in the mathematical sciences. Prof Jennifer Flegg uses mathematics and statistics to answer challenging questions in biology & medicine. #may12wim
___coyotl___
Raphael Coyotl
I think most of us in Australia have been holding our breath on trying to pursue this until the election was over, but now that we have our own non-insane people stably in power it is one of my largest hopes that Australia does exactly this.
Staff members at the US National Science Foundation (NSF) were told on 30 April to “stop awarding all funding actions until further notice,” according to an email seen by Nature.
https://go.nature.com/44Ugf9V
"Darth Vader's "massive attacks" on inhabited planets make his position as a member of the Galactic Pacifists Society increasingly difficult and he should consider resigning"
Peter Dutton plans to throw more buckets of cash at Defence. That's foolishness. We'd get a lot more capability if we ditched the $368B #AUKUS sub scam and purged the Defence bureaucracy that's wasted many $billions on failed projects. #auspol
Some Australian politicians made an early choice about who they would stand with. The Liberal’s No 1 Senate candidate in South Australia Senator Antic isn't shy about his political allegiance. He’s happily embraced an indecent lawless authoritarian, wannabe dictator. #auspol
