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nativesedhead.bsky.social
Wai Allen, PhD
@nativesedhead.bsky.social
110 followers 120 following 16 posts
Diné | Field Geologist | Sedimentologist | Assistant Professor
#Firstgen #NativeinSTEM #IndigiGeoData #BasinAnalysis #Tectonics
Opinions are my own
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nativesedhead.bsky.social
Wai Allen, PhD @nativesedhead.bsky.social · Jan 29
Well I think its safe to say starting a new TT position this month isnt the best experience. I now carry around extra documentation incase ICE stops me in phx and Im waiting to learn more about what NSF is doing with the CoPe program. I saw Rising Voices disappear from UCAR/NCAR last week
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
samlmontano.bsky.social
This is good reporting on the disaster in Alaska if you're looking for a reliable summary.

This is a bigger disaster than I think most are realizing. 1500 people have been displaced by the flooding with an exceptionally complicated response and recovery.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5kz...
Rescue crews airlift hundreds out of rural Alaskan villages after powerful storm
YouTube video by PBS NewsHour
www.youtube.com
October 17, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
riotousmuse.bsky.social
This Indigenous Peoples Day please speak up: another typhoon sweeping away homes of Alaska's Natives, who, during settlement (statehood: 1948) were forced to end ways of life (like my Grandma's) involving mobility across regions & stuck them in flood-prone/unstable villages with housing deficits.
WESTERN ALASKA DISASTER RELIEF WAYS YOU CAN HELP: ONLINE FUNDRAISER - DONATE TO SUPPORT Join us in supporting relief efforts. Scan the QR code to donate online. All funds raised will go directly to assisting communities. PURCHASE ITEMS - AMAZON WISHLIST Purchase items of immediate need to go directly to the Bethel Community Services Foundation to be distributed to villages most affected. DONATION DRIVE AT AFN CONVENTION Accepting items of immediate need including: Cases of water, nonperishable foods, diapers, wipes, toilet paper, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies, phone chargers, blankets, sleeping bags, cots, flashlights, and hand wipes. DENA'INA CENTER, ROOM 6 (2ND FLOOR) Friday, October 17 | 1-5PM Saturday, October 18 | 8AM-2PM
October 14, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
mwhitehorse.bsky.social
www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/asu-pol...

At the university where I work.
ASU police allegedly helped the feds detain a university employee
The ASU chapter of the National Lawyers Guild blasted the arrest of the unnamed employee, who was later released.
www.phoenixnewtimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
alaskawx.bsky.social
Hardly surprising, but terminating funding to support Alaska Native programs and services is a real gut-punch nonetheless. #UAF #AlaskaSky #UA
Sept. 11, 2025 Dear UAF staff and faculty members, Yesterday, UAF received notice that the U.S. Department of Education is terminating current and future funding for the Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions program, among others. This decision is likely to result in the loss of several grants under what is commonly known as Title III. It is also likely to limit the availability of future funding to support UAF’s mission to serve Alaska Native students and the people of Alaska. Here’s what we currently know: This is not happening immediately. The federal government is allowing up to a year to close out the programs funded by the grants. UAF has multiple grants that fall under this category, most within the College of Indigenous Studies and the UAF Community and Technical College. Title III doesn’t directly fund student aid at UAF, but rather funds degree programs and student support services like advising and recruiting. The loss of these funds would be substantial—currently around $2.9 million yearly—but we are still analyzing what the full effects may be. More than 20% of UAF’s students are Indigenous, or about 1,450 students each year, on average. Title III grants support important workforce development and student success initiatives for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at locations throughout Alaska. The loss of this grant funding will have a substantial and negative impact on a large number of Alaskans, including our Alaska Native students. Because we just received news of this decision, I don’t have a lot of details to share. But please know that the UAF and UA system leadership team are gathering as much information as we can to find a path forward as we attempt to mitigate the impacts, both current and future, from this proposed action.
September 12, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
theoreticalfun.bsky.social
I got to share a bit about Indigenous values in chemistry on this pod! Thanks @nature for the feature and joining some an amazing list of ChangeMakers!
August 13, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
1nativesoilnerd.bsky.social
New article led by Tara McAllister & co-authored by Lelani Walker, @niiyokamigaabaw.bsky.social, myself, Bradley Moggridge, Serena Naepi, Brittany Kamai and @napaaqtuk.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Decolonize scientific institutions, don’t just diversify them
Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science.
www.nature.com
August 8, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
profcgarza.bsky.social
Deadline for the GeoFutures program has been extended to 07-11-25. The program provides travel & mentoring support for geoscience undergrads attending the 2025 SACNAS conference. @accessiblegeo.bsky.social @agu.org @official-bweems.bsky.social @sacnas.bsky.social environment.uw.edu/about/inclus...
NSF Geo-Futures Program
Geo-Futures is a conference-based program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that engages with, and provides educational resources for, students interested in pursuing a career in the geo...
environment.uw.edu
July 2, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
weatherwest.bsky.social
For perspective: a recent study suggested that economic savings from just a *single* well-predicted hurricane, thanks to NOAA research advancements, are on order of *$5 billion.* That exceeds NOAA's *entire proposed annual operating budget.* So much for government efficiency.
July 1, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
insidehighered.com
Tribal Colleges Worry for Their Survival After Proposed Cut

Department of the Interior proposed reducing funding for tribal colleges by more than $100 million. Some tribal college leaders fear their institutions wouldn’t survive it. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/4lyfmJl
Tribal Colleges Worry for Their Survival After Proposed Cut
Department of the Interior proposed reducing funding for tribal colleges by more than $100 million. Some tribal college leaders fear their institutions wouldn’t survive it.
bit.ly
June 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
kellylynnedang.bsky.social
Wrote this piece for Harpers Bazaar about the life, legacy, and hate-induced murder of Jonathan Joss through the eyes of being a Two-Spirit Native person this Pride.

I hope you take a read. For Him. For all of us. 🪶
We All Need to Be Talking About the Murder of Jonathan Joss This Pride and Beyond
The actor, who was Comanche and White Mountain Apache, was shot in a targeted hate crime while protecting his husband.
www.harpersbazaar.com
June 18, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
katydiddance.bsky.social
Please know Trevor Project has 3 ways to access help when needed. Also, Make a donation, if you can.

www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
June 18, 2025 at 4:25 PM
nativesedhead.bsky.social
Ugh more disappointment
June 9, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
USGS, which operates the Landsat satellites, just announced that Landsat 7 was officially decommissioned today. Landsat 8 and 9 continue operations.
www.usgs.gov/news/nationa...
End of an Era: Landsat 7 Decommissioned After 25 Years of Earth Observation
After 25 years of capturing Earth's changing landscape, the Landsat 7 satellite received its final transmission from the U.S. Geological Survey and was officially decommissioned June 4, closing a rema...
www.usgs.gov
June 4, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
altnps.bsky.social
Today the Supreme Court cleared the way for the federal government to transfer thousands of acres of national forestland including a Native American sacred site, to Resolution Copper a mining company owned by Rio Tinto and BHP. The land holds deep spiritual significance for the Western Apache tribe.
May 27, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
decolonizemyself.bsky.social
Indigenous leaders call on new Pope to return thousands of artifacts | CBC News
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) is calling for the Vatican to return sacred First Nation artifacts that were taken from Indigenous communities during the residential school era.
www.cbc.ca
May 17, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
nbcnews.com
More than a hundred libraries on federally recognized tribal lands across the country were notified that their congressionally appropriated grant had been terminated midcycle.

Those communities are at risk of losing their local libraries and the history they hold.
Tribal communities risk losing local libraries and the history they hold amid DOGE cuts
Federally recognized tribes say the Trump administration cut the grant money they use to sustain the local libraries that serve as anchors in their most rural communities.
nbcnews.to
May 11, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
napaaqtuk.bsky.social
Laughing bc otherwise I will cry 🙃 guess I'll hold off on submitting that NSF grant I was working on
jacquelyngill.bsky.social Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · May 9
This is an absolute disaster. If we don't stop this, they will turn NSF into a pawn of the Trump administration. There will be no research on climate, biodiversity, or anything that isn't eugenics or AI or how to more efficiently destroy the planet for profit.

This cannot be allowed to happen.
Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions
Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund
www.science.org
May 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
margaretfraiser.bsky.social
NSF’s entire Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EDU/EES), which “aims to provide opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to actively participate and excel in STEM disciplines” and some of it congressionally mandated, was just notified they will be RIFed. www.nsf.gov/edu/ees/about
About EES
The NSF Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM (EES) aims to provide opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds, especially those historically underrepresented in science and engineering.
www.nsf.gov
May 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
debhaalandnm.bsky.social
The crisis of missing and Murdered Indigenous People is urgent and ongoing. Today is about more than remembrance. It's a call for justice. We are always working to get answers, action, and accountability. #MMIP
May 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
drblackdeer.bsky.social
today is the National Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. I created this mini guide as a resource to increase awareness, share education, and provide links to resources to get involved.
#MMIW #MMIR #NoMoreStolenRelatives
May 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
jevinwest.bsky.social
It's official. 15% ICR on NSF grants.

My favorite line: "Reducing administrative burdens for awardee institutions."

Say the opposite of what is true... the communication strategy of our time: www.nsf.gov/policies/doc...
Policy Notice: Implementation of Standard 15% Indirect Cost Rate
www.nsf.gov
May 2, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
joncooper-us.bsky.social
At RFK Jr’s direction, HHS plans to cut the National Suicide Hotline’s program for LGBTQ youth. In February, the program received an average of 2,100 contacts per day.
HHS plans to cut the national suicide hotline’s program for LGBTQ youth
In February, the program received an average of 2,100 contacts per day.
www.motherjones.com
April 22, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
A colleague at Stanford’s business school used The Stanford Daily to argue—poorly—against DEI. The piece was riddled with historical errors and left one searching for fact, so I broke my public writing hiatus to respond.

I hope you’ll read and share the piece.

stanforddaily.com/2025/04/22/w...
What DEI threatens isn’t merit. It’s monopoly.
Political science professor Hakeem Jefferson argues for DEI's importance to de-monopolizing universities.
stanforddaily.com
April 23, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
eos.org
On Friday, the NSF announced the cancellation of awards that aren’t aligned with the agency’s mission, “including but not limited to those on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and misinformation/disinformation.”

eos.org/research-and...
NSF Cancels Hundreds of DEI and Disinformation Grants - Eos
The National Science Foundation has cancelled hundreds of grants to researchers working on projects related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as misinformation and disinformation.
eos.org
April 21, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Reposted by Wai Allen, PhD
tornatrix.bsky.social
Happening NOW
50501colorado.bsky.social 50501 Colorado @50501colorado.bsky.social · Apr 21
DOGE arrived at NOAA this morning. There was no notice. Joe Neguse is on his way, and Attorney General Phil Weisner will be arriving soon. If there is any way you can attend the Peaceful Protest, please turn out ASAP.

325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
April 21, 2025 at 5:41 PM