AJ Lauer
LightNews LightNews
banner
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
AJ Lauer
@ayjaylauer.bsky.social
700 followers 780 following 160 posts
Author, speaker, nerdy about leadership in STEM & HPC
Owner Thriving Ibis Leadership Solutions: thrivingibis.com

Formerly NCAR, CO School of Mines, Miami Dade College, UIUC

My Monster Mungo: https://www.amazon.com/My-Monster-Mungo-Imposter-Syndrome/dp/B0
Posts Replies Media Videos
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
The kids moved a pumpkin into the backyard because they were worried about the squirrels not having enough to eat.
..this little guy looked quite happy about their gift today 😂
A brown squirrel is biting into an orange pumpkin. The pumpkin is sitting at the edge of a patio in a yard that is covered in yellow Aspen leaves.
November 15, 2025 at 2:12 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Making sure this hits the #WomenInTech feed.
ayjaylauer.bsky.social AJ Lauer @ayjaylauer.bsky.social · 3d
I'm happy to be offering FREE 30 minute coaching sessions at #SC25.

Having a career dilemma? Leadership challenge? Conflict at work? Existential drama?

I'll be a sounding board to process through whatever you have going on!

DM for the reg link - I'll see you in St. Louis!

#HPC #Supercomputing
A yellow background with Dr. AJ Lauer, a white woman with brown hair who stands confidently. The text reads "Dr. AJ Lauer in MGM's Meet Me In St. Louis @ SC25. Schedule your FREE 30 minute coaching session at the conference"
November 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
I'm happy to be offering FREE 30 minute coaching sessions at #SC25.

Having a career dilemma? Leadership challenge? Conflict at work? Existential drama?

I'll be a sounding board to process through whatever you have going on!

DM for the reg link - I'll see you in St. Louis!

#HPC #Supercomputing
A yellow background with Dr. AJ Lauer, a white woman with brown hair who stands confidently. The text reads "Dr. AJ Lauer in MGM's Meet Me In St. Louis @ SC25. Schedule your FREE 30 minute coaching session at the conference"
November 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Aurora above Boulder, CO right now!

#spaceweather #auroraborealis #northernlights #nature
Bright red and green aurora above city lights Bright red and green aurora above city lights Bright red and green aurora above city lights
November 12, 2025 at 2:22 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
I've literally been training to be able to walk all the steps #SC25 will require. Since my ankle surgery I've maxed out at 6000 steps in a day, and at SC I typically average 12k-15k.
Really thankful there's a shuttle to/from my hotel.
#HPC #conference #STL
a woman in a blue skirt and white jacket is walking through the woods carrying a yellow bag .
Alt: a woman in a blue skirt and white jacket is walking through the woods carrying a yellow bag .
media.tenor.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:01 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Have decided to turn this $8 thrift store suit jacket into a vest with a peplum.
The destruction phase is fun so far!

#sewing #upcycling #fashion #madetomeasure
A gray men's suit jacket hangs on a dress form. The suits arms have been cut off and the Jacket is cropped! This is a back view of the jacket. Tailors marks are visible on the shoulders. The jacket is inside out on the dress form, with the lining pulled up around the collar. The jackets interfacing and shoulder pads are visible. It's a mess!
November 6, 2025 at 9:41 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Yes we did!!
November 6, 2025 at 12:11 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
One of my favorite things about parenting is the random little stuff the kids leave around the house ❤️

#parenting #love #art #graffiti #lovenotes #kids
A child has drawn a lopsided heart in a steamy mirror. Inside the heart they wrote "love"
November 5, 2025 at 11:17 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Finished the Prince Sidon costume just in time! Happy kid, though he only wore the shark hat for about a block 🤷‍♀️
An older kid actually knew who he was! Very satisfying. 😄

#Halloween #sewsky #Zelda #trickortreat #cosplay #parenthood #sff
🧵
November 1, 2025 at 2:04 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Looking forward to offering FREE 30 minute coaching sessions at #sc25! Got leadership questions? Conflict at work? Career uncertainty? Let's talk it through.
DM me for the reg link!
#hpc #womenintech @womeninhpc.org
October 30, 2025 at 7:57 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Just finished The Glass Slide World by @carrievaughnco.bsky.social . Highly recommend! The series has an enchanting combination of science, magic, and unique characters that is just delightful. I can't wait for the next book!
#amreading #books #sff
October 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
It's been a busy few days in Illinois! 4 Imposter Monster workshops and one book signing. I had a great time connecting with UIUC faculty, staff, and students and it was lovely to be back on campus.
#speaking #academicsky #booksky #entrepreneur #uiuc #Illinois #sapros #studentaffairs
Dr. AJ Lauer, a white woman with brown hair, sits in a bookstore. Her book, My Monster Mungo, is visible to her right side. A selfie of AJ Lauer smiling while a group of about 40 people engage in discussion behind her.
October 25, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by AJ Lauer
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Looking forward to visiting UIUC next week!
Facilitating 4 workshops and hosting a book signing at The Literary 😄
chambanatoday.com/news/298892-...
#Illinois #author #UIUC #Illini #impostersyndrome
Author AJ Lauer to speak in Champaign about imposter syndrome - Chambana Today
STEM leadership expert and author of My Monster Mungo to host book event at The Literary on Oct. 23.
chambanatoday.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:35 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Positive side effect of broken ankle recovery: found change! Today I found 8 cents walking to my car after an appointment. The other day I found a dime.
Watching where I was going paid off heh
#brightside #money #humor
A white person's left hand holding a nickel and three pennies. In the background is blurred Grey concrete.
October 14, 2025 at 9:08 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Looking forward to visiting UIUC next week!
Facilitating 4 workshops and hosting a book signing at The Literary 😄
chambanatoday.com/news/298892-...
#Illinois #author #UIUC #Illini #impostersyndrome
Author AJ Lauer to speak in Champaign about imposter syndrome - Chambana Today
STEM leadership expert and author of My Monster Mungo to host book event at The Literary on Oct. 23.
chambanatoday.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:35 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Halloween costume sewing day 1.. good progress on Prince Sidon's jacket.
We've got some legit Zelda cosplay happening this year!
Epaulettes on an 8 yo amuse me.

#sewing #parenthood #motherhood #videogames
Prince sidon, a humanoid hammerhead shark in a red jacket and carrying a trident. Why does he have a feather on his head? We will never know A child wearing a white shirt and red jacket. The jacket has yellow and blue epaulettes. His face is hidden by a red heart A child's back. He is wearing a red jacket with blue and yellow "scales" showing under the hem.
October 11, 2025 at 9:45 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
This homemade pistachio paste is quite a bit of work to make but y'all.. it's SO good!
For real though it took an hour to peel the pistachios after blanching. 😅
www.seriouseats.com/homemade-pis...
@seriouseatsbot.bsky.social
#Food #baking #homemade
A glass Tupperware full of bright green pistachio paste sits on the edge of a brown quartz counter top
October 5, 2025 at 2:11 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
RIP Jane Goodall
You taught us all so much about humanity.
October 2, 2025 at 12:41 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
3 months after breaking my ankle and subsequent surgery... I just went for my first walk without a brace or crutches or a scooter or a cast or a boot!!
And I wore different shoes than the poor destroyed tennis shoes I've been wearing since the break!
a woman is walking down a sidewalk wearing white pants and a pink shirt .
Alt: a woman is walking down a sidewalk wearing white pants and a pink shirt .
media.tenor.com
September 27, 2025 at 7:38 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Featuring an exceptionally cute photo from SC21, the last time we were in St. Louis!

#SC25 #HPC @womeninhpc.org
September 23, 2025 at 9:37 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
What’s your #1 survival tip for scientific conference season? 👀

Mine: update LinkedIn, sponsor others, and do something fun off-site

Read more about why these 3 strategies work on the Thriving Ibis blog: www.thrivingibis.com/post/3-must-...

#AcademicSky #WomenInSTEM #WomenInTech #WomenInScience
3 Conference Preparation Tips for Science and Tech Events
In addition to making last-minute updates to your talk 👀 Update your LinkedIn profile before you go!Make it easy for new connections to find and follow your work.Make sure everything is current. Doubl...
www.thrivingibis.com
September 23, 2025 at 9:36 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
"the scientific system was never designed for equity. For people whose privilege stems from geography, institutional reputation and inherited networks, the system works perfectly the way it is."

Perfectly= expansion for privileged researchers, extraction from historically excluded ones.
Yup.
natureportfolio.nature.com Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · Sep 21
“Many scholars from historically overexploited countries (often referred to as the global south) expected that exposing the problem would trigger change. Four years on, I see it clearly: the scientific system was never designed for equity,” writes Dolors Armenteras in Nature. #Academicsky 🧪
Equity in science is a beautiful lie — and I’m done pretending
Science isn’t really moving towards equity; institutions are just perfecting the appearance of equity. We need to build an alternative system.
go.nature.com
September 21, 2025 at 11:38 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Today's completed sewing project: reusable snack bags.
A friend had made us some truly lovely ones with zippers, and the kids lost all but 2 😖
These just fold over to close (like the sandwich bags) and were a snap to make. We'll see how they hold up!
Five cloth snack bags sit on a gray cutting mat. Three have a cute house pattern on the outside and green on the inside, two have airplanes on the outside and the same green inside.
September 21, 2025 at 11:10 PM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Are you in the gender minority in STEM and wondering how the heck you're going to move your career forward? Perhaps revenge procrastinating by scrolling the #WomenInSTEM or #WomenInTech feeds trying to get some inspo to get back to work on Monday? 🧵
September 20, 2025 at 3:18 AM
ayjaylauer.bsky.social
Had a pretty magical night at my signing at the @boulderbookstore.bsky.social last night!
Thank you to the Bookstore and everyone who attended ☺️

#booksky #author #event #boulder
AJ Lauer smiles next to her book My Monster Mungo, with many books behind her A crowd in chairs in a bookstore watch as AJ Lauer speaks at the front of the room
September 18, 2025 at 7:06 PM