Rachel K
@xrkulik.bsky.social
health policy and political science PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, studying the politics of data in American institutions.
GEO steward. mixed race Chinese American. she/her
GEO steward. mixed race Chinese American. she/her
Pinned
Rachel K
@xrkulik.bsky.social
· Dec 6
3 years ago a now-advisor had to convince me I was asking a political science question in my public health PhD application; 1 year ago I first asked about joining the UM poli sci department; 2 months ago I passed the American politics prelim, and today I am finally, officially, a joint student!
why is writing a 200 word abstract so much harder than an 8000 word paper?
November 17, 2025 at 10:17 PM
why is writing a 200 word abstract so much harder than an 8000 word paper?
My friend/colleague on our shared phd stress:
“I have been watching some Indian movies this week … And I think the better plan would have been to marry a billionaire”
“I have been watching some Indian movies this week … And I think the better plan would have been to marry a billionaire”
November 14, 2025 at 10:16 PM
My friend/colleague on our shared phd stress:
“I have been watching some Indian movies this week … And I think the better plan would have been to marry a billionaire”
“I have been watching some Indian movies this week … And I think the better plan would have been to marry a billionaire”
"Well, it’s been fun, but I should probably get back to work, checking in on the updates to my most active pages (Transnational Kleptocracy and Vaccine Denial in the United States, Part 16, April 2025–Present)."
November 10, 2025 at 9:50 PM
"Well, it’s been fun, but I should probably get back to work, checking in on the updates to my most active pages (Transnational Kleptocracy and Vaccine Denial in the United States, Part 16, April 2025–Present)."
Not a particular fan of either of my Senators but they are both a “no” to reopen so yay I guess
November 10, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Not a particular fan of either of my Senators but they are both a “no” to reopen so yay I guess
Driving from college town (Urbana-Champaign) to college town (Ann Arbor) after a lovely friend visit during the first snow of the season, and finally listening to Sold A Story, about reading education and science and politics. Snow driving and leaving a friend, 0/10, podcast 10/10
November 9, 2025 at 11:52 PM
Driving from college town (Urbana-Champaign) to college town (Ann Arbor) after a lovely friend visit during the first snow of the season, and finally listening to Sold A Story, about reading education and science and politics. Snow driving and leaving a friend, 0/10, podcast 10/10
I can't believe ~40% of New Yorkers voted for Cuomo...
like is 2020 that far in the rearview?
like is 2020 that far in the rearview?
November 5, 2025 at 3:01 AM
I can't believe ~40% of New Yorkers voted for Cuomo...
like is 2020 that far in the rearview?
like is 2020 that far in the rearview?
Thinking a lot about gen AI while grading student work, and one of the slightly less consequential but very annoying effects of it is crafting. More and more crochet & cross stitch patterns are AI, eroding quality... new crafters are getting scammed esp since some are not that obvious!
November 1, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Thinking a lot about gen AI while grading student work, and one of the slightly less consequential but very annoying effects of it is crafting. More and more crochet & cross stitch patterns are AI, eroding quality... new crafters are getting scammed esp since some are not that obvious!
"nazi punks fuck off"
"shame"
"shame"
Video taken by Jay Shefsky at 12:20 p.m. after the crash happened, Oakton Street/Asbury Avenue in Evanston, IL
November 1, 2025 at 12:33 AM
"nazi punks fuck off"
"shame"
"shame"
donate to your local food bank
usually money is more cost effective than food
Ann Arbor friends: www.foodgatherers.org/get-involved...
(i am sad and livid about this entire horrific, preventable situation)
usually money is more cost effective than food
Ann Arbor friends: www.foodgatherers.org/get-involved...
(i am sad and livid about this entire horrific, preventable situation)
Donate Form | Food Gatherers
www.foodgatherers.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:51 PM
donate to your local food bank
usually money is more cost effective than food
Ann Arbor friends: www.foodgatherers.org/get-involved...
(i am sad and livid about this entire horrific, preventable situation)
usually money is more cost effective than food
Ann Arbor friends: www.foodgatherers.org/get-involved...
(i am sad and livid about this entire horrific, preventable situation)
uchicago, with all of its many many flaws, continues to shape the kind of research questions I ask and the kind of scholar I am, so this is pretty bleak
www.chronicle.com/article/rese...
www.chronicle.com/article/rese...
Research Is the U. of Chicago’s Lifeblood. Its Board Is Killing It.
A great university could be reduced to a shell of its former self.
www.chronicle.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:08 PM
uchicago, with all of its many many flaws, continues to shape the kind of research questions I ask and the kind of scholar I am, so this is pretty bleak
www.chronicle.com/article/rese...
www.chronicle.com/article/rese...
Reposted by Rachel K
Again, I can't stress this enough: Democratic elected officials are not constantly talking about climate change and trans rights.
They are constantly talking about "kitchen table issues."
Centrist pundits: Do a single fucking content analysis of their campaign speeches and materials, I beg you!
They are constantly talking about "kitchen table issues."
Centrist pundits: Do a single fucking content analysis of their campaign speeches and materials, I beg you!
October 28, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Again, I can't stress this enough: Democratic elected officials are not constantly talking about climate change and trans rights.
They are constantly talking about "kitchen table issues."
Centrist pundits: Do a single fucking content analysis of their campaign speeches and materials, I beg you!
They are constantly talking about "kitchen table issues."
Centrist pundits: Do a single fucking content analysis of their campaign speeches and materials, I beg you!
The entire mini season is brilliant, but this podcast episode about Hardin is one of the best I’ve listened to. I learned so much
(Yes, the tragedy of the commons author an environmentalist of the ecofascist variety who supported abortion for eugenics reasons)
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
(Yes, the tragedy of the commons author an environmentalist of the ecofascist variety who supported abortion for eugenics reasons)
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
The Green Lifeboat: Garrett Hardin’s Tragic Environmentalism
Podcast Episode · Cited Podcast · 10/22/2025 · 1h 12m
podcasts.apple.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:58 AM
The entire mini season is brilliant, but this podcast episode about Hardin is one of the best I’ve listened to. I learned so much
(Yes, the tragedy of the commons author an environmentalist of the ecofascist variety who supported abortion for eugenics reasons)
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
(Yes, the tragedy of the commons author an environmentalist of the ecofascist variety who supported abortion for eugenics reasons)
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...
reminder to self- the week an assignment is due when you double your office hours, also build in a 15 minute break so you *don't* have twelve 15 minute meetings back to back. (I am TIRED, and grateful for the meeting that took 10 mins so I can catch my breath)
October 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
reminder to self- the week an assignment is due when you double your office hours, also build in a 15 minute break so you *don't* have twelve 15 minute meetings back to back. (I am TIRED, and grateful for the meeting that took 10 mins so I can catch my breath)
the cruel thing about academia is the lack of geographical stability (your friends move away and then you move away) but I am visiting @sarahelazab.bsky.social (with her fancy new TT job) soon and I can't wait
October 20, 2025 at 9:58 PM
the cruel thing about academia is the lack of geographical stability (your friends move away and then you move away) but I am visiting @sarahelazab.bsky.social (with her fancy new TT job) soon and I can't wait
i hate it here
www.reddit.com/r/publicheal...
www.reddit.com/r/publicheal...
From the publichealth community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the publichealth community
www.reddit.com
October 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
i hate it here
www.reddit.com/r/publicheal...
www.reddit.com/r/publicheal...
I've been thinking about this article for *days* and still can't quite put my finger on what's bugging me about it
ourworldindata.org/does-the-new...
ourworldindata.org/does-the-new...
October 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
I've been thinking about this article for *days* and still can't quite put my finger on what's bugging me about it
ourworldindata.org/does-the-new...
ourworldindata.org/does-the-new...
that moment when a British newspaper has front page coverage of the biggest day of protest* since the Earth Day protests of 1970 but the biggest US Newspaper does not
*let's not fight about counting methodology; the fact that towns in the middle of nowhere had protests is politically important
*let's not fight about counting methodology; the fact that towns in the middle of nowhere had protests is politically important
October 19, 2025 at 5:18 AM
that moment when a British newspaper has front page coverage of the biggest day of protest* since the Earth Day protests of 1970 but the biggest US Newspaper does not
*let's not fight about counting methodology; the fact that towns in the middle of nowhere had protests is politically important
*let's not fight about counting methodology; the fact that towns in the middle of nowhere had protests is politically important
I didn't catch a picture of it, but I think my favorite sign of the day was "the wrong ICE is melting and the wrong Amazon is burning"
October 18, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I didn't catch a picture of it, but I think my favorite sign of the day was "the wrong ICE is melting and the wrong Amazon is burning"
Counting Like A State, The Politics of Failed Policies, and Hacking the Electorate are all in my office, but I’m writing the first pass of my diss intro and what other social science books about data should I own? (I realize this is a niche question…)
October 18, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Counting Like A State, The Politics of Failed Policies, and Hacking the Electorate are all in my office, but I’m writing the first pass of my diss intro and what other social science books about data should I own? (I realize this is a niche question…)
today in public health and the federal government, 2025
"It doesn't get more tinfoil hat."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to investigate *chemtrails,* according to an internal memo @stephaniearmour.bsky.social obtained.
A department spokeswoman notably did not deny it.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is preparing to investigate *chemtrails,* according to an internal memo @stephaniearmour.bsky.social obtained.
A department spokeswoman notably did not deny it.
kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Chemtrail? New Conspiracy Theory Takes Wing at Kennedy's HHS - KFF Health News
The idea that airplane vapors are toxic to people or that there are ongoing efforts to intentionally change the climate made the social media rounds. Now, it has found advocates at the Department of Health and Human Services.
kffhealthnews.org
October 17, 2025 at 4:18 AM
today in public health and the federal government, 2025
Grading student writing always takes longer than I expect, especially now that I kinda have to click through citations to make sure they’re not hallucinated. I should definitely apply the old coding rule “how long you think it’ll take” * 3
October 16, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Grading student writing always takes longer than I expect, especially now that I kinda have to click through citations to make sure they’re not hallucinated. I should definitely apply the old coding rule “how long you think it’ll take” * 3
NHANES was not on my bingo card of data to go (except, I suppose, the square that said "all public health data")
Ugh... This study has existed for decades, providing valuable health data for all sorts of topics and publications. This is just more awful news. 🛟😷 Sociology medsky
CDC team running top survey on health and nutrition is laid off
NHANES has collected data on eating patterns, diabetes, and other common diseases for decades. The CDC team that runs it has been fired.
www.statnews.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:27 AM
NHANES was not on my bingo card of data to go (except, I suppose, the square that said "all public health data")
I picked up my dissertation today for the first time since I defended my prospectus in August and wrote like 800 words, but more importantly felt pretty relaxed about it (managing to more or less ignore the ever present dread of studying health and politics right now…)
Now dinner and Discworld!
Now dinner and Discworld!
October 15, 2025 at 12:09 AM
I picked up my dissertation today for the first time since I defended my prospectus in August and wrote like 800 words, but more importantly felt pretty relaxed about it (managing to more or less ignore the ever present dread of studying health and politics right now…)
Now dinner and Discworld!
Now dinner and Discworld!
Reposted by Rachel K
During a military-style raid on a building in Chicago’s South Shore, one resident heard a knock on his door.
It wasn’t the feds — it was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for help.
He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Neighbor shielded 7-year-old during South Shore federal raid: ‘I didn’t want them to take her’
During the Sept. 30 raid one tenant protected a terrified girl and her mom. Remnants at the complex, including a detailed map of all the units, offer clues to what authorities may have known before th...
chicago.suntimes.com
October 10, 2025 at 7:33 PM
During a military-style raid on a building in Chicago’s South Shore, one resident heard a knock on his door.
It wasn’t the feds — it was a mom and her 7-year-old daughter, pleading for help.
He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
He let them hide in his unit for the next 3 days.
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Bleak
There’s a lot in here that deserves a pull quote, but this is the most egregious. I need people to recognize the gravity of the situation here in Chicago;
October 8, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Bleak