CoreyWelch_STEM
@coreywelch.bsky.social
Director/Founder, STEM Scholars Prog. Iowa State; STEM Equity speaker; Former Zoologist; Facilitator, SACNAS Leadership Institutes; Member of ◆Northern Cheyenne Nation◆ + 1st Gen/Pell; My views. I’m waay more fun live than online.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
This must be weird news to see if you’re one of the literally hundreds or even thousands of university administrators who preemptively censored faculty, scrubbed websites, changed the names of centers, etc.
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges. This leaves in place a federal judge's ruling that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules. (Via AP) apnews.com/article/dei-... #ncpol #nced
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...
apnews.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:45 PM
This must be weird news to see if you’re one of the literally hundreds or even thousands of university administrators who preemptively censored faculty, scrubbed websites, changed the names of centers, etc.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Re the February Dear Colleagues letter that threatened funding for schools & universities over DEI-related efforts:
‘[Ed Dept]…moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge’s August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment & federal procedural rules.’
‘[Ed Dept]…moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge’s August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment & federal procedural rules.’
Trump administration drops legal appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges
The Trump administration is dropping its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked a campaign against diversity, equity, and inclusion threatening federal funding to the nation’s schools and colle...
apnews.com
January 21, 2026 at 6:19 PM
Re the February Dear Colleagues letter that threatened funding for schools & universities over DEI-related efforts:
‘[Ed Dept]…moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge’s August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment & federal procedural rules.’
‘[Ed Dept]…moved to dismiss its appeal. It leaves in place a federal judge’s August decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment & federal procedural rules.’
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Great news! The unethical hepatitis B vaccine trial planned for Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled.
Public pressure and insisting that clinical trials pass ethics analysis worked.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
1/2
Public pressure and insisting that clinical trials pass ethics analysis worked.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
1/2
Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled
$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Great news! The unethical hepatitis B vaccine trial planned for Guinea-Bissau has been cancelled.
Public pressure and insisting that clinical trials pass ethics analysis worked.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
1/2
Public pressure and insisting that clinical trials pass ethics analysis worked.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
1/2
I had to cut references to this part out of my 2024 plenary talk at the evolution meetings in Montreal. Real cool.
This was a very interesting read:
An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin's time 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin's time 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
January 13, 2026 at 5:14 PM
I had to cut references to this part out of my 2024 plenary talk at the evolution meetings in Montreal. Real cool.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
This was a very interesting read:
An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin's time 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin's time 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
January 13, 2026 at 3:54 PM
This was a very interesting read:
An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin's time 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
An untold story in biology: the historical continuity of evolutionary ideas of Muslim scholars from the 8th century to Darwin's time 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Refreshing to see a society that is still grappling with, and not hiding from, their recent past. Solutions/policy remains works in progress, but they are not cowards about the examination.
January 13, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Refreshing to see a society that is still grappling with, and not hiding from, their recent past. Solutions/policy remains works in progress, but they are not cowards about the examination.
Last day in Cape Town
January 13, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Last day in Cape Town
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
This is the exact quote I have been searching for with regard to what is happening with science
In conversation back in 1994, the late Russian environmentalist Alexi Yablokov explained the problem of rebuilding democracy this way:
"If you have a tank of live fish, it is fairly easy to make fish soup.
Once you have fish soup, however, it is very difficult to make a tank of life fish again."
"If you have a tank of live fish, it is fairly easy to make fish soup.
Once you have fish soup, however, it is very difficult to make a tank of life fish again."
January 13, 2026 at 2:36 AM
This is the exact quote I have been searching for with regard to what is happening with science
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Kemi, this is just a population density map
January 12, 2026 at 8:01 AM
Kemi, this is just a population density map
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
I’m so proud of @lsu.bsky.social Museum of Natural Science and @tropicalbotany.bsky.social Herbarium folks who volunteered for these tours to over 100 folks - I’m sure they won’t forget what they saw behind the scenes. #museums #naturalhistory
#ssb2026
#ssb2026
Museum and Herbarium tours are now underway. Next bus will depart around 5:00 PM.
All tours should finish by 7:15 and Biodiversity Trivia Night will start at 7:30.
#SSB2026 @systbiol.bsky.social
All tours should finish by 7:15 and Biodiversity Trivia Night will start at 7:30.
#SSB2026 @systbiol.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 3:22 AM
I’m so proud of @lsu.bsky.social Museum of Natural Science and @tropicalbotany.bsky.social Herbarium folks who volunteered for these tours to over 100 folks - I’m sure they won’t forget what they saw behind the scenes. #museums #naturalhistory
#ssb2026
#ssb2026
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
08-Jan: Born on this day in 1823, the man who independently of Darwin came up with the idea of natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace. Here’s a post I wrote about Darwin’s and Wallace’s friendship…
friendsofdarwin.com/articles/dar...
#HistSci
friendsofdarwin.com/articles/dar...
#HistSci
Modesty and candour: the Darwin-Wallace friendship
To mark the 200th anniversary of Wallace’s birth, an article exploring the friendship between Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.
friendsofdarwin.com
January 8, 2026 at 6:34 PM
08-Jan: Born on this day in 1823, the man who independently of Darwin came up with the idea of natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace. Here’s a post I wrote about Darwin’s and Wallace’s friendship…
friendsofdarwin.com/articles/dar...
#HistSci
friendsofdarwin.com/articles/dar...
#HistSci
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
ANOTHER NIH leader resigns—John Beigel—over 'a flu study dustup'
A Beigel supporter within NIH "called the flu study dustup a 'pseudomanufactured concern' that was meant to force him out, so officials could bring in a researcher who has strongly supported Trump"🙄
www.science.org/content/arti...
A Beigel supporter within NIH "called the flu study dustup a 'pseudomanufactured concern' that was meant to force him out, so officials could bring in a researcher who has strongly supported Trump"🙄
www.science.org/content/arti...
NIH official resigns after flap over risks of seasonal flu virus study
Agency may be expanding list of pathogens subject to dangerous “gain-of-function” regulations
www.science.org
January 7, 2026 at 8:20 PM
ANOTHER NIH leader resigns—John Beigel—over 'a flu study dustup'
A Beigel supporter within NIH "called the flu study dustup a 'pseudomanufactured concern' that was meant to force him out, so officials could bring in a researcher who has strongly supported Trump"🙄
www.science.org/content/arti...
A Beigel supporter within NIH "called the flu study dustup a 'pseudomanufactured concern' that was meant to force him out, so officials could bring in a researcher who has strongly supported Trump"🙄
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
The district court injunction that prevented NIH from capping indirects at 15% was upheld today on appeal!
www.reuters.com/world/trump-...
www.reuters.com/world/trump-...
Trump administration cannot slash NIH research funding, court rules
District Judge Angel Kelley last year blocked the cuts, and on Monday the appeals court agreed.
www.reuters.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:09 AM
The district court injunction that prevented NIH from capping indirects at 15% was upheld today on appeal!
www.reuters.com/world/trump-...
www.reuters.com/world/trump-...
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Elle Simone Scott, a chef, food stylist, and cookbook author who was the first Black woman to join the cast of “America’s Test Kitchen,” has died.
Elle Simone Scott, culinary trailblazer, has died - The Boston Globe
Scott was diagnosed with ovarian cancer shortly after she started working at America’s Test Kitchen and became an advocate and educator, working to increase awareness of the disease.
trib.al
January 8, 2026 at 2:21 AM
Elle Simone Scott, a chef, food stylist, and cookbook author who was the first Black woman to join the cast of “America’s Test Kitchen,” has died.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Looking for a postdoc? Work on vertebrates and have lab experience? Come be the lab manager/museum postdoc for the LSU Museum of Natural Science!
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
LSU Museum of Natural Sciences is hiring a postdoc! Come join our very active and supportive museum community. Applicants can work with any of the major divisions: 🐀🦜🦎🐸🐠
Review begins February 15th, please share!
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0119...
Review begins February 15th, please share!
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0119...
Postdoctoral Researcher
All Job Postings will close at 12:01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated). If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progre...
lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Looking for a postdoc? Work on vertebrates and have lab experience? Come be the lab manager/museum postdoc for the LSU Museum of Natural Science!
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
(It's a great stepping stone to being a curator!)
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
When I explain to people what is involved with writing a successful grant, they simply don’t believe me.
I explained it once to a famous person from Pixar, and he looked me square in the eye and said: You mean all the cancer and Alzheimer’s grants work that way? You’ve gotta be &$%#ing kidding me!
I explained it once to a famous person from Pixar, and he looked me square in the eye and said: You mean all the cancer and Alzheimer’s grants work that way? You’ve gotta be &$%#ing kidding me!
I don't think you non-science people realize what it takes to get a grant funded by NIH. Started experiments in Sept 2021 to generate 3 new mouse mutants to model human disease. Prelim dara shows they have relevant disease phenotypes worthy of study. Need a small grant first to characterize /1
January 3, 2026 at 1:14 AM
When I explain to people what is involved with writing a successful grant, they simply don’t believe me.
I explained it once to a famous person from Pixar, and he looked me square in the eye and said: You mean all the cancer and Alzheimer’s grants work that way? You’ve gotta be &$%#ing kidding me!
I explained it once to a famous person from Pixar, and he looked me square in the eye and said: You mean all the cancer and Alzheimer’s grants work that way? You’ve gotta be &$%#ing kidding me!
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
"I don’t know why my fellowship was terminated. I suspect that it has something to do with studying a species that doesn’t fit the binary of what we expect to see in nature, with completely different males and females."
@carlzimmer.com profiles my wonderful coauthor @jjinsing.bsky.social Gift link.
@carlzimmer.com profiles my wonderful coauthor @jjinsing.bsky.social Gift link.
He Studied Why Some Female Birds Look Like Males
www.nytimes.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:10 PM
"I don’t know why my fellowship was terminated. I suspect that it has something to do with studying a species that doesn’t fit the binary of what we expect to see in nature, with completely different males and females."
@carlzimmer.com profiles my wonderful coauthor @jjinsing.bsky.social Gift link.
@carlzimmer.com profiles my wonderful coauthor @jjinsing.bsky.social Gift link.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Psst. Nobody post on BlueSky to the next 24 hours. Pass it on.
January 1, 2026 at 5:59 AM
Psst. Nobody post on BlueSky to the next 24 hours. Pass it on.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Joe is obviously thinking quite similarly, and in this thread he does one better and demolishes the central claim in one recent such story using a bit of Fermi estimation. A reporter (as contrasted with a stenographer) would have done the same.
It's strange how rarely journalists covering this space can ask "Hey, but is it bullshit?". CEO's whose companies are over-leveraged, bubbly, and unprofitable promise a major breakthrough that will justify their fragile position and no one seems to *consider* they may be lying.
It's Theranos 2.0.
It's Theranos 2.0.
Gary, I hope you know that I really appreciate your views as a way to keep myself honest instead of falling into the easy traps of minimizing what AI can do.
Yet I find this kind of talk to strain credulity at best.
Yet I find this kind of talk to strain credulity at best.
December 30, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Joe is obviously thinking quite similarly, and in this thread he does one better and demolishes the central claim in one recent such story using a bit of Fermi estimation. A reporter (as contrasted with a stenographer) would have done the same.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
But in the tech startup space, the reward is cold hard cash.
Reputation schmeputation.
And so this requires a very different sort of due diligence from science reporters who, because of their domain of work, are used to interviewing reasonably trustworthy subjects.
Nature etc. have yet to adapt.
Reputation schmeputation.
And so this requires a very different sort of due diligence from science reporters who, because of their domain of work, are used to interviewing reasonably trustworthy subjects.
Nature etc. have yet to adapt.
December 30, 2025 at 10:11 PM
But in the tech startup space, the reward is cold hard cash.
Reputation schmeputation.
And so this requires a very different sort of due diligence from science reporters who, because of their domain of work, are used to interviewing reasonably trustworthy subjects.
Nature etc. have yet to adapt.
Reputation schmeputation.
And so this requires a very different sort of due diligence from science reporters who, because of their domain of work, are used to interviewing reasonably trustworthy subjects.
Nature etc. have yet to adapt.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
...they're running into a cultural mismatch. In the past, if a scientist makes a scientific claim, they're not going to just outright lie about it because the credit or reward they receive is reputational. Straight up lying to Nature with false claims about what you did is a reputation killer.
December 30, 2025 at 10:09 PM
...they're running into a cultural mismatch. In the past, if a scientist makes a scientific claim, they're not going to just outright lie about it because the credit or reward they receive is reputational. Straight up lying to Nature with false claims about what you did is a reputation killer.
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
Every week, Nature publishes yet another breathless puff piece about some AI startup, based only unpublished claims from the company and interviewing only those who work there.
How can the leading scientific journal publish piece after piece that would make Kevin Roose blush?
I think it's that...
How can the leading scientific journal publish piece after piece that would make Kevin Roose blush?
I think it's that...
December 30, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Every week, Nature publishes yet another breathless puff piece about some AI startup, based only unpublished claims from the company and interviewing only those who work there.
How can the leading scientific journal publish piece after piece that would make Kevin Roose blush?
I think it's that...
How can the leading scientific journal publish piece after piece that would make Kevin Roose blush?
I think it's that...
Reposted by CoreyWelch_STEM
At the Peabody Museum at Yale: one reason the Trump administration wants to eliminate exhibitions like this on race is because they show that scientific racism is not new but a step backwards to a discredited past.
December 30, 2025 at 5:03 PM
At the Peabody Museum at Yale: one reason the Trump administration wants to eliminate exhibitions like this on race is because they show that scientific racism is not new but a step backwards to a discredited past.