Dani Arias-Rotondo
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dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Dani Arias-Rotondo
@dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.2K following 120 posts
she/ella 🇦🇷 || asst. prof. at Kalamazoo College || coordination chemistry + photophysics || cat & reptile lady, bookworm, slow runner
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dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Happy #TortieTuesday! Remember to eat your food like you mean it. Your forehead deserves food, too.
A close up of a young red-footed tortoise in his enclosure. There is lettuce and butternut squash in front of him, and there’s squash smeared on his face.
January 21, 2025 at 7:09 PM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Happy #TortieTuesday! I dropped the ball before but I’m hoping to stick to it now.
May you have something today that brings you as much joy as Tortie gets from squash.
A 2-year old red footed tortoise inside his enclosure. He is standing in front of a dish with cooked butternut squash and his face is covered with squash.
January 14, 2025 at 2:13 PM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
The DAR Lab started the year at the I-APS (Inter-American Photochemical Society) meeting in Florida. Caden, Alex, Max, and Will presented posters on their research, and I gave a talk.
We got lots of great suggestions for future work, and have some collaborations cooking. A successful meeting!
Caden Frost ’26 and Alex Perry ’25 smile for the camera in front of their research poster, titled “Toward the synthesis of manganese (II) coordination complexes with tridentate imine ligands”. The contents of the poster are blurred. An action shot of Dani (Dr. DAR)’s talk: she stands in front of a screen where a slide with an overview of the DAR Lab’s work is projected. There are several crystal structures on the slide. Dani is talking and gesturing. Max Rhames ’25 and Dr. DAR smile for the camera in front of Max’s research poster, titled “A low spin manganese (II) complex with an emissive charge-transfer excited state”. The contents of the poster are blurred. Will Tocco ’26 and Dr. DAR smile for the camera in front of Will’s research poster, titled “Synthesis of photoactive complexes of manganese (II) with NHC
January 12, 2025 at 7:23 PM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
I missed #TortieTuesday this week, but better late than never?
Tortie doesn’t care for raw squash, but lightly boiled gourd is his jam.
A red footed tortoise inside his enclosure. He’s in front of a dish full of cooked butternut squash, taking a big bite.
December 6, 2024 at 7:29 PM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
I’m considering having #TortieTuesday. Thoughts?

This is from the time my students taught me about .5 pictures.
A 0.5x picture of a red-footed tortoise walking on grass on a sunny day.
November 27, 2024 at 2:55 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Left my @ambeed.bsky.social bag on the floor, Bandit took over. She hasn’t moved in 20 minutes.
A tuxedo cat sitting on top of a reusable bag with the AmBeed logo. The bag is on a hardwood floor.
November 26, 2024 at 3:12 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
They’ve made swag about this, but it’s the first I hear about a song!
My hand holding a white coffee mug. There’s red text on the mug that says “yes, there really is a Kalamazoo!” The text is trademarked.
November 20, 2024 at 11:16 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Twist my arm…
A red footed tortoise eating grass outside.
November 20, 2024 at 2:59 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
When I’m not working (😬 don’t ask), I enjoy reading, working on puzzles, running, and cross-stitching. I also spend too much time on social media.
I have a cat named Bandit and a tortoise named Tortie. And a very supportive husband. 4/n
A tuxedo cat sleeping on my extended legs, which are covered by a red and white fleece blanket with footballs. A red footed tortoise with cooked squash smeared over half its face.
November 20, 2024 at 2:55 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
My students (aka the DARlings) and I study photoactive first-row transition metal complexes. We learn together, support each other, and have as much fun as possible.
Students (in lab and class) are the best part of my job. 3/n
Dani and 6 of her students pose for a picture outdoors on campus. It’s a sunny day. Everyone is wearing a lab coat and safety goggles. They’ve opened part of their lab coat (like superman) to reveal a pink shirt that says “inorganic the best organic”. They’re looking up at the sky, looking heroic.
November 20, 2024 at 2:46 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
LMAO. I’ve never called out on my shit so kindly.
Bippy, an orange squishmallow whose white belly has an orange K (the Kalamazoo College logo), sits on the passenger seat of a car surrounded by single-serving bags of cheez-its and animal crackers. A nalgene bottle covered in stickers is nearby.
November 19, 2024 at 2:32 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Great time at the Ohio* Inorganic Weekend poster session. I’m pretty sure we were the only PUI people there 🤯
From the DAR Lab: Max, Alex, and Hannah. From the Vollbrecht Lab: Justin. They did a great job!

*hosted at Wayne State U, in MI
Dani holds up Bippy, an orange squishmallow that has an orange K in its white belly. Next to her stand Max, Justin, Alex, and Hannah.
November 16, 2024 at 3:53 AM
dr-dani-ar.bsky.social
Happy holidays from our lab to yours!

These are most of the wonderful people I got to work with this year. I am so proud of all of them. ❤️💚
A holiday card: there's a light green/off-white background that looks like paper, and it says "happy holidays" in red, in a font that looks handwritten. There are mistletoe leaves and berries. At the bottom of the card it says "the DAR lab". In the center of the card there's a group picture: 9 college students wearing santa hats, antlers, tinsel, etc. and Dani, holding bippy, an orange squishmallow stuffed toy with an orange K on its white belly.
November 27, 2023 at 3:37 AM