Mackenzie Fiss-Nealley, PhD
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sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Mackenzie Fiss-Nealley, PhD
@sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
1K followers 670 following 71 posts
PhD studying organic matter dynamics in salt marshes | looking for jobs in Seattle, WA | she/her | RStats | biogeofeminist | hEDS | knitting
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sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
I finished knitting my first sweater a few days into 2025!! It’s as soft as a cloud and I wish I could wear it 24/7 🧶

Yarn: SW merino and suri, from Witchfire Fibers
Pattern: the Semper Sweater by the Knit Purl Girl
I’m taking a selfie in a restaurant’s bathroom, proudly wearing the green sweater I just knitted I’m standing in front of our Christmas tree wearing the green sweater I knitted
January 27, 2025 at 11:52 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
My neck doesn’t feel the same way today but we can’t all be pretzels
Sweet Potato, an orange shorthaired cat, asleep in my lap in an uncomfortable-looking position (but she seems very content)
January 2, 2025 at 3:39 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
I slept on the couch last night because who would dare to disturb these cuties
Two cats are on my lap while I lay on the couch
January 2, 2025 at 1:56 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Merry Cat-mas and happy holidays from our little family ❤️
Sweet Potato, an orange tabby, laying in a box below a decorated Christmas tree Marsha, a brown and gray tabby, looking at the camera in the foreground, with a out-of-focus Christmas tree in the background Sweet Potato, an orange tabby, laying in a paper bag while Christmas presents are being wrapped My husband and I are holding our two cats (who do not want to be held) in front of our Christmas tree
December 29, 2024 at 9:11 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
This is the book my Earth Systems Chemistry course used in undergrad! I still have it and reference it from time to time. These were the topics we covered - lots of emphasis on redox and acid-base reactions.
Principles of Environmental Geochemistry textbook by G. Nelson Eby A syllabus from the Earth Systems Chemistry course I took, including a list of topics covered
December 12, 2024 at 10:13 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Show me your pet and what they are named for #Caturday
Marsha, a gray and brown long-haired tabby sitting in the sunshine Marsha P. Johnson, a gay rights activist, who Marsha is named after Sweet Potato, an orange short-haired tabby, laying in a box with a toy mouse Sliced and whole sweet potatoes
November 23, 2024 at 10:55 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
And a #Caturday post for the kitties in question 🐱
Our orange tabby, Sweet Potato, sitting in the pot of our monstera Our two kitties, Marsha, a gray and brown long- haired tabby, and Sweet Potato, a short-haired orange tabby, curled up against one another on the couch Marsh and Sweet Potato looking up at the camera as they cuddle on the couch Marsha curled up between my legs as I knit
November 10, 2024 at 3:06 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
It’s been quite a month, but all major historical events aside, I defended my PhD AND got married! I’m slowly working on job applications, knitting my first sweater, and loving on our kitties 💗
Standing in front of a podium with the title slide of my PhD defense presentation behind me, titled “Characterizing carbon cycling in salt marshes: the sources and dates of natural and plastic-derived organic carbon.” My husband and I standing in front of a TV monitor that says “Congratulations, Dr. Fiss!” His shirt says “I survived my wife’s doctorate program.” An outdoor wedding ceremony set in early October in NC with beautiful fall colors and all of our friends and family present. We’re standing under a large oak tree with one of the branches serving as a natural arch. My husband and I standing in a field on the farm where we were married, with the train on my wedding dress in front of us.
November 10, 2024 at 2:41 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
You are able to change it a bit 😔
Screenshot that shows ways to change font style and sizes in the Bluesky app under Settings
October 19, 2024 at 6:20 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Thank you!!! ❤️
September 19, 2024 at 4:24 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
why yes, I am a stressed PhD student, and yes, I did throw a birthday party for my cats last night
A brown and black long-haired tabby sniffing a birthday cake made from wet food The same brown and black long-haired tabby sitting on a chair modeling her birthday bandana A woman laughing as she holds a short-haired orange tabby trying to escape from her polka-dotted birthday collar and matching birthday hat with a ‘1’ for her first birthday The same short-haired orange tabby peacefully asleep on a chair, having accepted her fate of wearing the birthday collar and hat
June 22, 2024 at 10:55 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
I’m really excited but equally nervous to be giving my first talk at OSM24 next week! (🫣🫣) Stop by room 217 in NOLACC on Friday morning (8:40) to hear about potential porewater-derived outwelling in the DOM pool of a tidal creek!
Title slide of my talk called “An oxidative mystery: Investigating molecular trends suggesting porewater outwelling in salt marsh creek dissolved organic matter through ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry” by Mackenzie Fiss, PhD candidate in Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern University
February 17, 2024 at 4:31 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Officially finished the very (VERY) last lab work of my PhD!!! I will never touch an EA-IRMS again 😂
Photo of a girl standing next to instruments in a lab
January 27, 2024 at 9:54 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Marsha also wants the week after Thanksgiving to be over already, but she says we can get through it together.
A long-haired black and brown tabby is laying with one paw curled over her nose and face, while the others are stretched out. Her pink nose is visible and it is adorable.
November 28, 2023 at 5:19 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
The Thanksgiving mlem tradition continues
A full Thanksgiving plate, with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, creamed pearl onions, turkey and gravy, curried fruit, stuffing, and a roll. Carving a turkey with a black lab licking his lips in the background.
November 24, 2023 at 1:44 AM
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Marsha wishes everyone the most snuggly of Fridays
A Maine Coon-tabby cat asleep on my lap with her paw below mine, almost holding hands. A Maine Coon-tabby mix asleep in between my legs with one paw outstretched.
November 11, 2023 at 3:47 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Marsha wishes everyone a happy Friday ☺️🐱
A beautiful tabby-Maine Coon cat leans over her scratching tree and looks down at the camera, right before she jumped down onto me
November 4, 2023 at 3:36 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Enjoyed a short writing break and the sunny weather today 🌞
It’s a beautiful day and I’m knitting a green ribbed hat sitting on my balcony overlooking downtown Seattle.
October 18, 2023 at 10:19 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
Eclipse eclipse!!!
A picture of a partial solar eclipse
October 14, 2023 at 5:06 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
It’s okay I get monocultures of diatoms 😂🧪
A bottle-grown monoculture of the diatom, Leptocylindrus hargravesii A monoculture of another diatom, illuminated and with a ruler held next to it for size estimations
October 6, 2023 at 9:21 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
I will only respond to ‘curator of the mlems’ from now on
A black lab with his tongue out is in the background of a photo with a thanksgiving turkey in focus in the foreground A cat with her tongue out stares longingly at my cheese stick
October 3, 2023 at 3:43 AM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
it was a full September and I’m feeling thankful for lots right now 🥰
A six paneled photo showing (left to right, rows top to bottom) knitting a scarf with a cat on my lap, sourdough sandwich bread, a closeup of a tabby cat, a selfie of me wearing wearing the scarf I’ve been working on, a selfie with my friend Paige as we leave Portland, OR to drive to Colorado, and my husband proudly holding the birthday cake he made me - text added to photo that says “a September full of bread, kitty, knitting, birthday fun, and friends”
October 2, 2023 at 7:39 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
I’m so excited!!! I can’t wait to talk to the student I’m matched with about my journey in science and bond over things we have in common like our love for oceans and crafting!! #STEMforAll #STEMPenPals
A screenshot of an email from Letters to a Pre-Scientist saying “Dear Mackenzie, Great news! You've been matched with a pen pal through Letters to a Pre-Scientist!”
September 30, 2023 at 2:57 AM
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Hi! I’m Mackenzie and am in the last year of my PhD at Northeastern studying organic matter dynamics in salt marshes and interactions with microbes through high-res mass spec, omics, and long-term decomposition experiments. I love mud, baking bread, and knitting with my cat Marsha (Marsh-a).
A girl knee deep in mud in a salt marsh holding her arms up and looking happy as a clam Knitting a teal scarf with my cat Marsha on my lap, who’s a beautiful, long-haired tabby.
September 26, 2023 at 6:11 PM
sacrebluecarbon.bsky.social
I hereby quit all Mondays
A girl laying on the floor with a scrunched up face with her cat
September 11, 2023 at 8:55 PM