Sara Emily Burke
@saraburke.bsky.social
Associate Professor at Syracuse University (psychological science of intergroup bias)
Any university that takes a bribe in exchange for swearing loyalty to any aspect of Trump's ideology is abandoning its legitimacy as an institution of higher education.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda for better access to federal money
A document sent to the universities encourages them to adopt the White House’s vision for America’s campuses, with commitments to accept the government’s priorities on admissions, women’s sports, free...
www.pbs.org
October 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Any university that takes a bribe in exchange for swearing loyalty to any aspect of Trump's ideology is abandoning its legitimacy as an institution of higher education.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
The chancellor of Texas Tech has apparently ordered faculty to ignore the scientific research literature when teaching about the psychology of gender (at least in the classroom). This undermines the credibility of a psychology degree from Texas Tech.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...
Texas Tech Moves to Limit Academic Discussion to 2 Genders
www.nytimes.com
September 30, 2025 at 12:28 AM
The chancellor of Texas Tech has apparently ordered faculty to ignore the scientific research literature when teaching about the psychology of gender (at least in the classroom). This undermines the credibility of a psychology degree from Texas Tech.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...
Academic freedom should protect honest criticism of Charlie Kirk, even if the criticism is delivered with an irreverent tone.
My new opinion piece on Syracuse.com:
www.syracuse.com/opinion/2025...
My new opinion piece on Syracuse.com:
www.syracuse.com/opinion/2025...
Syracuse University must protect faculty who criticize Charlie Kirk (Your Letters)
To maintain the ethos of thorough inquiry at universities, "we must protect professors from institutional interference in the things they say and write," says the letter writer.
www.syracuse.com
September 25, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Academic freedom should protect honest criticism of Charlie Kirk, even if the criticism is delivered with an irreverent tone.
My new opinion piece on Syracuse.com:
www.syracuse.com/opinion/2025...
My new opinion piece on Syracuse.com:
www.syracuse.com/opinion/2025...
Forms of Psychological Bias Against Transgender Women and Men and People with Nonbinary Gender Identities -- now online at Personality and Social Psychology Review.
Main article: doi.org/10.1177/1088...
Preprint: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
#SocialPsychology #IntergroupBias #Transgender #Nonbinary
Main article: doi.org/10.1177/1088...
Preprint: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
#SocialPsychology #IntergroupBias #Transgender #Nonbinary
Forms of Psychological Bias Against Transgender Women and Men and People With Nonbinary Gender Identities - Sara Emily Burke, Alexandria Jaurique, Benjamin M. Valen, Natalie M. Wittlin, Mackenzie L. M...
Academic The present review examines bias against transgender women and men and bias against people with nonbinary gender identities. A central contention is th...
doi.org
September 20, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Forms of Psychological Bias Against Transgender Women and Men and People with Nonbinary Gender Identities -- now online at Personality and Social Psychology Review.
Main article: doi.org/10.1177/1088...
Preprint: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
#SocialPsychology #IntergroupBias #Transgender #Nonbinary
Main article: doi.org/10.1177/1088...
Preprint: doi.org/10.31234/osf...
#SocialPsychology #IntergroupBias #Transgender #Nonbinary
Political violence is bad. Killing people for their opinions is bad. If you agree, you should speak out against Charlie Kirk. Unlike most of his current detractors, Charlie Kirk supported political violence.
September 18, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Political violence is bad. Killing people for their opinions is bad. If you agree, you should speak out against Charlie Kirk. Unlike most of his current detractors, Charlie Kirk supported political violence.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
Every chance you get, say “fuck you” to authoritarian demands. One of the regime’s tools is making people believe resistance is futile—that acquiescence is the only option. But especially for those with power and privilege, the most basic, necessary act is to say: FUCK YOU.
April 15, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Every chance you get, say “fuck you” to authoritarian demands. One of the regime’s tools is making people believe resistance is futile—that acquiescence is the only option. But especially for those with power and privilege, the most basic, necessary act is to say: FUCK YOU.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
Another day wasted when university presidents & chancellors could have been in front of microphones. The total lack of loud public collective action condemning this & explaining to Americans why this is a complete disaster is utterly maddening.
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
April 8, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Another day wasted when university presidents & chancellors could have been in front of microphones. The total lack of loud public collective action condemning this & explaining to Americans why this is a complete disaster is utterly maddening.
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Thousands of people gathered peacefully in Syracuse this afternoon to protest against Trump's and Musk's senseless destruction. (Pictured: my hastily-lettered sign reading "Hands off our beloved transgender Americans, immigrants, and students" on the front and "Hands off democracy" on the back.)
April 6, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Thousands of people gathered peacefully in Syracuse this afternoon to protest against Trump's and Musk's senseless destruction. (Pictured: my hastily-lettered sign reading "Hands off our beloved transgender Americans, immigrants, and students" on the front and "Hands off democracy" on the back.)
"The free movement of our international community members is therefore essential to the functioning of the University and serving our mission."
More public declarations of this sort are urgently needed. Let Tufts serve as a role model for other universities.
More public declarations of this sort are urgently needed. Let Tufts serve as a role model for other universities.
Proud of my alma mater. This Jewish Tufts alum - and former Hillel student president - knows that the Trump administration is exploiting our community’s legitimate concerns about antisemitism to undermine students’ rights and our democracy.
www.tufts.edu/president/sp...
www.tufts.edu/president/sp...
University Declaration for Rümeysa Öztürk
University Declaration for Rümeysa ÖztürkApril 2, 2025Dear Tufts community,Please see below a declaration by Tufts University in support of a motion filed today by Rümeysa Öztürk’s legal team in Öztür...
www.tufts.edu
April 2, 2025 at 11:15 PM
"The free movement of our international community members is therefore essential to the functioning of the University and serving our mission."
More public declarations of this sort are urgently needed. Let Tufts serve as a role model for other universities.
More public declarations of this sort are urgently needed. Let Tufts serve as a role model for other universities.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
We are excited to announce our official partnership with @indivisible.org for the National Day of Action on April 5th!
Stand Up for Science says: HANDS OFF OUR SCIENCE!
#standupforscience
#handsoffourscience
Find and register for an event near you: handsoff2025.com?utm_source=s...
Stand Up for Science says: HANDS OFF OUR SCIENCE!
#standupforscience
#handsoffourscience
Find and register for an event near you: handsoff2025.com?utm_source=s...
March 29, 2025 at 1:16 PM
We are excited to announce our official partnership with @indivisible.org for the National Day of Action on April 5th!
Stand Up for Science says: HANDS OFF OUR SCIENCE!
#standupforscience
#handsoffourscience
Find and register for an event near you: handsoff2025.com?utm_source=s...
Stand Up for Science says: HANDS OFF OUR SCIENCE!
#standupforscience
#handsoffourscience
Find and register for an event near you: handsoff2025.com?utm_source=s...
When Cory Booker is finally finished with this speech, we should remember an important lesson from it. Even when we are not sure precisely what to do, we must keep talking to remind ourselves that the unfolding catastrophe is not normal, acceptable, or inevitable.
April 2, 2025 at 12:02 AM
When Cory Booker is finally finished with this speech, we should remember an important lesson from it. Even when we are not sure precisely what to do, we must keep talking to remind ourselves that the unfolding catastrophe is not normal, acceptable, or inevitable.
No government ever has the right to arrest someone for criticizing the government or its allies. Any government that regularly does so abandons its claim to legitimate authority.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tuf...
www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tuf...
www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
Tufts international graduate student taken into ICE custody
The student was reportedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and remains in federal custody, according to an email sent by the university Tuesday evening.
www.wgbh.org
March 27, 2025 at 6:14 AM
No government ever has the right to arrest someone for criticizing the government or its allies. Any government that regularly does so abandons its claim to legitimate authority.
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tuf...
www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tuf...
www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2024...
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
New blog post! In which I explain the issue with mediation analysis and sketch out one way to deal with the underlying causal inference problem -- in just a bit over 1,000 words!
If you have never found the time to read up on this, now is your chance.
www.the100.ci/2025/03/20/r...
If you have never found the time to read up on this, now is your chance.
www.the100.ci/2025/03/20/r...
Reviewer notes: That’s a very nice mediation analysis you have there. It would be a shame if something happened to it.
Mediation analysis has gotten a lot of flak, including classic titles such as “Yes, but what’s the mechanism? (Don’t expect an easy answer)” (Bullock et al., 2010), “What mediation analysis can (not) ...
www.the100.ci
March 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
New blog post! In which I explain the issue with mediation analysis and sketch out one way to deal with the underlying causal inference problem -- in just a bit over 1,000 words!
If you have never found the time to read up on this, now is your chance.
www.the100.ci/2025/03/20/r...
If you have never found the time to read up on this, now is your chance.
www.the100.ci/2025/03/20/r...
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL WHO SUPPORT HIGHER ED:
Please join us in signing this public commitment to the value and values of higher ed as a crucial part of healthy democracies, and calling on our leaders to actively defend us against attack!
bit.ly/DemocracyAnd...
Please join us in signing this public commitment to the value and values of higher ed as a crucial part of healthy democracies, and calling on our leaders to actively defend us against attack!
bit.ly/DemocracyAnd...
Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education
Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign We publicly affirm our commitment to the enterprise of higher educ...
bit.ly
March 19, 2025 at 1:14 PM
CALL TO ACTION FOR ALL WHO SUPPORT HIGHER ED:
Please join us in signing this public commitment to the value and values of higher ed as a crucial part of healthy democracies, and calling on our leaders to actively defend us against attack!
bit.ly/DemocracyAnd...
Please join us in signing this public commitment to the value and values of higher ed as a crucial part of healthy democracies, and calling on our leaders to actively defend us against attack!
bit.ly/DemocracyAnd...
Attacks on DEIA programs cause harm by interfering with the programs themselves, but also by raising questions about who really belongs on campus. This open letter is a good opportunity (one among many) for faculty to tell students that we value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
This administration is canceling grants & vilifying DEIA. Faculty should be pushing back to explain how DEIA efforts are critical in our mission to support all students and benefit society by increasing student success. Please sign & share. #AcademicSky
medium.com/@dearstudent...
medium.com/@dearstudent...
Open Letter to Our College Students
(Faculty at any U.S. institution of higher education — add your name to the letter with this form by signing in from a .edu address. If…
medium.com
March 17, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Attacks on DEIA programs cause harm by interfering with the programs themselves, but also by raising questions about who really belongs on campus. This open letter is a good opportunity (one among many) for faculty to tell students that we value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
The concept of "conflict of interest" is vital to understanding why strict freedom of speech protections are among the most important limits placed on government.
March 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
The concept of "conflict of interest" is vital to understanding why strict freedom of speech protections are among the most important limits placed on government.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
Had fun at the Stand Up for Science event! Here's my sign (and me holding it backwards to be pro-pet food). Scientific advances dramatically alleviate the burden of disease/illness and has made many areas of life better and more equitable. We should keep that up. @standupforscience.bsky.social
March 7, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Had fun at the Stand Up for Science event! Here's my sign (and me holding it backwards to be pro-pet food). Scientific advances dramatically alleviate the burden of disease/illness and has made many areas of life better and more equitable. We should keep that up. @standupforscience.bsky.social
Today I attended the "Stand Up for Science" rally in Hartford. Pictured: cardboard sign with sections reading "Embrace a truth-seeking mindset | Strive for informed disagreement | DearNiece2024.com" and "Preserve public data | Fund research and education | Stand up for science | DearNephew2020.com"
March 8, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Today I attended the "Stand Up for Science" rally in Hartford. Pictured: cardboard sign with sections reading "Embrace a truth-seeking mindset | Strive for informed disagreement | DearNiece2024.com" and "Preserve public data | Fund research and education | Stand up for science | DearNephew2020.com"
Here is Alec from Technology Connections describing mass-market large language models as "the purest form of lazy anti-intellectualism." The analogy he draws between algorithmic curation and algorithmic text is imperfect but thought-provoking.
Surely this new video won't make me seem like a crank.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJp...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJp...
Algorithms are breaking how we think
YouTube video by Technology Connections
www.youtube.com
March 3, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Here is Alec from Technology Connections describing mass-market large language models as "the purest form of lazy anti-intellectualism." The analogy he draws between algorithmic curation and algorithmic text is imperfect but thought-provoking.
What I want for my birthday is to end Trumpist ideological interference in science, healthcare, and the basic nonpartisan functions of government (including, for example, the important work done at the FBI, the CDC, and the CFPB).
February 10, 2025 at 6:34 AM
What I want for my birthday is to end Trumpist ideological interference in science, healthcare, and the basic nonpartisan functions of government (including, for example, the important work done at the FBI, the CDC, and the CFPB).
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
6/8. In science, and in institutions of learning like colleges and universities, there is a shared understanding that edicts should not go unquestioned—that we all have a duty to systematically investigate the world around us and to interrogate claims about it. We do not simply obey.
February 8, 2025 at 8:42 PM
6/8. In science, and in institutions of learning like colleges and universities, there is a shared understanding that edicts should not go unquestioned—that we all have a duty to systematically investigate the world around us and to interrogate claims about it. We do not simply obey.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
1/8. This week I had a few different conversations with scholars who, in the face of the attacks on science and institutions of learning in the U.S., are wondering what to do. One suggestion I have is: keep doing your work. It matters in and of itself. Why do I say that? A few reasons.
February 8, 2025 at 8:42 PM
1/8. This week I had a few different conversations with scholars who, in the face of the attacks on science and institutions of learning in the U.S., are wondering what to do. One suggestion I have is: keep doing your work. It matters in and of itself. Why do I say that? A few reasons.
Reposted by Sara Emily Burke
Our very minimal obligation as researchers is to stick to the evidence and insist on the truth.
If a government says that "there are no trans kids" or "there's no prejudice against trans ppl", it's up to us to answer "No. You're either wrong or lying, and you're hurting ppl in the process".
If a government says that "there are no trans kids" or "there's no prejudice against trans ppl", it's up to us to answer "No. You're either wrong or lying, and you're hurting ppl in the process".
Science is political. It wouldn't necessarily have to be partisan.
But when one party is opposed to science-based policy, scientists have a choice between saying "you're right, thoughts and prayers are probably as effective as reducing carbon emissions" or saying "fuck that."
But when one party is opposed to science-based policy, scientists have a choice between saying "you're right, thoughts and prayers are probably as effective as reducing carbon emissions" or saying "fuck that."
February 2, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Our very minimal obligation as researchers is to stick to the evidence and insist on the truth.
If a government says that "there are no trans kids" or "there's no prejudice against trans ppl", it's up to us to answer "No. You're either wrong or lying, and you're hurting ppl in the process".
If a government says that "there are no trans kids" or "there's no prejudice against trans ppl", it's up to us to answer "No. You're either wrong or lying, and you're hurting ppl in the process".
According to some reports stemming from an internal CDC email, agency researchers have been ordered to change the text of manuscripts submitted for peer review to remove terms such as "gender" and "transgender."
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...
CDC removes gender, equity references in public health material
Large sets of data are being scrubbed of references to transgender and LGBTQ+ people, among others, which could compromise their use in research.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 2, 2025 at 8:36 PM
According to some reports stemming from an internal CDC email, agency researchers have been ordered to change the text of manuscripts submitted for peer review to remove terms such as "gender" and "transgender."
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...