Houston basketball has shocked me tonight, my goodness…

Society of Engineering Science (SES) conf. 2026 will be held at Purdue University Oct. 11-14, 2026. Abstract submission deadline: May 1, 2026.

Interested in Architected Materials? Consider submitting an abstract to our mini-symposium 4.2!

@carlosmportela.bsky.social, Meza, Restrepo, Combescure

Once Again, Federal Officials Exclude Minnesota From Investigation of a Fatal Shooting

Local authorities in Minnesota say they have been impeded from investigating how federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen. It is the second time in three weeks that the Department of Homeland Security has blocked local investigators from reviewing evidence.

“None of this makes America great again,” writes Inquirer columnist Jenice Armstrong.

🔗 www.inquirer.com/opinion/pres...

For those of you interested in the area of Mechanics of Architected Materials, please join us at USNC-TAM 2026 in sunny Pasadena from June 21-25, 2026 (co-organized with @carlosmportela.bsky.social, Shaikeea, and Meza).

Submit your abstract to MS502 by Jan 15:
www.usnctam26.org/abstract-sub...

@danpreston.bsky.social

I walked the stage for the first time since I graduated high school, and it was for my PhD from @ricegradschool.bsky.social (the COVID-19 pandemic prevented me from walking for my BS degree). My heart is SO full from the support of my family, friends, former lab mates, and collaborators!

Trying to explain to your friends just how Baylor does Christmas? 🐻🎄

Show them this -- #BaylorChristmas on 5th Street, in 20 seconds:

The Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology at
@uofpenn.bsky.social
is accepting applications for our 2026 cohort of postdoc fellows. Finishing PhD students & recent grads are encouraged to reach out to faculty sponsors! Apps due by Oct 13, 2025.

viest.upenn.edu/postdoctoral...

💚 100+ campus & community entries
🚚 10 floats
🎈 14 balloons
💛 1 incredible #BaylorHomecoming parade

See more photos: bit.ly/3LkhTKg

Sic ‘Em Bears!! 🐻

2025 — 2026 Cohort of Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellows Named - Office of the Vice Provost for Research The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Senior Vice Provost for Research Dawn Bonnell are excited to announce the 2025–2026 cohort of Provost’s Postdoctoral

I am excited to share that next week I start @upenn.edu as a Provost Postdoctoral Research Fellow! I am looking forward to this next step in my academic journey, as well as the new challenges, research, and experiences this chapter will come with.

research.upenn.edu/news/2025-20...

Odds of winning NIH grants plummet as new funding policy and spending delays bite Funding multiyear grants up front will sharply cut number of investigators receiving awards

Researchers’ chances of winning a grant from the National Institutes of Health have dropped under a new policy. scim.ag/4f7uew2

Congratulations Dr. Marquise Bell on defending your PhD thesis in @ricegradschool.bsky.social Mechanical Engineering today! Dr. Bell is the fourth PhD graduate from the PI Lab. He will move to the @upenn.edu this fall as a Provost's Postdoctoral Fellow working with Prof. Kevin Turner. Great job!

Congrats @quisebell.bsky.social on your Ph.D. thesis defense!

NEW: NSF will be kicked out of their building. Announcement will be made tomorrow by HUD Sec. and Governor of VA. HUD will take over the NSF building over the next two years.

NSF staffer: "There is no planning for NSF, no identified future location, appropriation for a new building or a move."

Judge overturns NSF’s 15% cap on reimbursing indirect costs of research Agency’s action deemed in violation of federal law

A federal judge in Boston has rescinded the National Science Foundation’s new 15% cap on reimbursement of facility and administrative costs (F&A)—called indirect expenses—related to research grants. cen.acs.org/policy/resea... #chemsky 🧪

Thanks for highlight! Checkout this neat story highlighting my research direction and perspective on the role of mentorship.

How do you design a better space suit? Just ask Rice Ph.D. candidate Marquise Bell! His NASA-funded research on soft wearable materials is out of this world. 🚀
Inspired by his mentors, he's now empowering others. #PhDLife #SpaceTech #MentorshipMatters
Read his story: giving.rice.edu/gift-mentors...

@quisebell.bsky.social

NSF and NASA Budget Requests Pose an Unprecedented Threat to Astronomy The president's budget requests for NASA and the NSF were released last week. This post summarizes the major cuts and the impacts they would have, and provides resources to help fight back against thi...

The proposed NSF and NASA budgets would absolutely decimate astronomy. I wrote about for @astrobites.bsky.social you can check it out here: astrobites.org/2025/06/02/b...

Changes in failure rate.

One of the most-viewed PNAS articles in the last week is “Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics.” Explore the article here: ow.ly/Q1BB50VZrJZ

For more trending articles, visit ow.ly/OEGQ50VZrJW

NPR Sues Trump Over Order to Cut Funding

Breaking News: NPR said it was suing President Trump over his executive order that aimed to end its federal funding, saying it violated the First Amendment.

Me: let’s look alive, brain, section 3 of our paper still needs a lot of work!

Brain: here’s a variation on the title we were already happy with

Alright… I’ve been just as baffled at the barrage of headlines recently, however…

THIS is insane.

Check out this nice story highlighting my experience with mentorship, both as a mentee and a mentor!

giving.rice.edu/gift-mentors...

Many thanks to Sarah Meals at Rice University for the interview and opportunity chat about my experiences and how they relate to The Rice Fund.

As the partner of someone who works heavily in the NIH space, I can tell you with 100% certainty that valuable, important, helpful science is being crushed by this administration.

This totally tubular robot doesn’t need a centralized processing system to hop around on land or swim in the water—it relies instead on air and simple physics. That and more of the best from @science.org and science in this edition of #ScienceAdviser: www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪