Sarah Hird, PhD
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sarahhird.bsky.social
Sarah Hird, PhD
@sarahhird.bsky.social
3.2K followers 2.5K following 490 posts
Associate Professor at University of Connecticut studying evolution & bird microbiomes. More importantly: I’m an aspiring anti-racist, raging feminist & trying to ACT NOW on the climate crisis. Please read The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg et al.
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sarahhird.bsky.social
You were right! Double clicking on the header brought up the years. Phew. Thanks.
I can now apply to be an election poll worker (although if I need help filling out the application form - maybe it isn’t the job for me?)!
Screenshot of form that now shows calendar years only and up/down arrows allow you to scroll through12 years at a time.
December 6, 2025 at 11:57 AM
sarahhird.bsky.social
You’re telling me the only way to enter my birthday on this form is to push that up arrow…….(quick calculation, carry the one)……513 times? Excellent design, Microsoft. Bravo. 👍
Screenshot of Microsoft form asking for a birthday with a calendar open on today’s date with one up and one down arrow for changing the date. Backward one month at a time. And no, you cannot enter text in the text box.
December 6, 2025 at 2:24 AM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Science question: does your lab have a MinION sequencer and does it work well? Worth the money? (thanks for any opinions!)
Screenshot of webpage for MinION sequencer that shows the palm sized device open (where the flow cell goes, I think)
December 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
BECAUSE OF SOCIETY.
Man says “Liz it’s ok to be a human woman!” And Liz says “not it’s not! It’s the worst, because of society!”
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Every single person on campus today:
November 21, 2025 at 6:37 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
I mean. C’mon.
Lego minifigs of Sir Isaac Newton, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, and George Washington Carver.
November 6, 2025 at 3:47 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
For some (like 👉 this guy 👈) this is Drop Everything Important.

www.target.com/p/lego-ideas...
The evolution of STEM Lego set. Lego set on sale from $79.99 to $45.99. Sale ends Friday
November 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
The horns I’ve had for a while but there’s something new in my zoom meetings….
Picture of me with large cattle horns coming out from my head (because of art work on the wall behind me). There is also a sign that says “zero family leave is cruel”.
November 5, 2025 at 3:08 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
I would like to know more about the little icon here…
Map of university of Connecticut and address with an exploding atomic bomb as the icon
October 31, 2025 at 11:53 AM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Saw this book from the breakfast table and it’s haunting me. What do people do all day? What do people DO all day?? What kind of a question is that.

On closer inspection: maybe I need a vacation.
Book cover of Richard Scarry’s childrens book What do people do all day?
October 29, 2025 at 12:12 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
My kids have decided these are The Bottom Tier from the downtown trick or treating yesterday. Kind of feel bad for them. All they ever wanted is to make a child happy…
Photo of Dots, lemon tootsie rolls, rainbow twizzlers and some yellow ball candy.
October 26, 2025 at 4:23 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
My understanding is that bargaining units/unions had to negotiate to be included and the AAUP did not. (I don’t have any specifics on it though.)

www.ctpaidleave.org/how-ct-paid-...
Screenshot from ctpaidleave.org that says “If you are an employee of the State of Connecticut who is in a position that is covered by a collective bargaining agreements, you are not covered under CT Paid Leave unless your bargaining unit collectively bargains to be included. This means you do not contribute to the program, and you are not eligible for benefits.”
October 23, 2025 at 8:01 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
The People’s Inflatable Army is here.
Inflatable frog and T. rex in the march in providence. And a unicorn?
October 18, 2025 at 5:51 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
#NoKings in Providence, RI.
Picture of no kings protest people.
October 18, 2025 at 5:34 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Aaaaamazinggggg. ❤️🧡💛💚#leafpeepin
Beautiful red, orange and green fall tree on UConn’s campus.
October 9, 2025 at 10:45 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Sounds like this beauty I saw the other day….
Red vine going up the side of a tree with pale green lichens on it as well.
October 8, 2025 at 10:51 AM
sarahhird.bsky.social
I have questions.
Picture of a UConn Dining Services Italian Combo sandwich with a warning: “Contains Alcohol”
October 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Connecticut is just…so…BEAUTIFUL in the fall.

It’s ridiculous (& poorly captured on old cell phones).
Fall colors on lots of trees looking down a road with a barn in the background. Beautiful. A tree the changes from bright orange at the top to dark green at the bottom. Beautiful. A yellow and green tree with a brick building in the background. Beautiful. View looking up into a tree with lots of dark red leaves and a green bush beneath. Beautiful.
October 7, 2025 at 12:40 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
LOOK. WHAT. I. GOT. FOR. ONE. DOLLAR.
Three book boxes set of Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark
October 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Is “one Treehouse of Horror episode every night for the month of October” a fun family activity or is it the worst idea anyone’s ever had? Only time will tell… #spookyseason
Scene from a recent treehouse of horror where the Simpsons characters are creepily drawn and have solid black eyes.
October 1, 2025 at 1:07 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
What. A. Show off.
Same tree as quote post with brighter red orange yellow and green leaves.
September 26, 2025 at 1:02 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Cool. Cool cool cool.
#nutmegsky #AcademicSky
Front page of UConns daily newspaper, the daily campus, with headline “right wing media group submits FOIA requests to UConn, state colleges”
September 19, 2025 at 11:53 AM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Looking at my inbox like
The drowning / high five meme where the first panel of the hand of the drowning person reaching out of the water labeled “academics”, the second panel with a hand coming in labeled “admin” and the third panel with the helping hand high giving the drowning hand labeled “more work”. The fourth panel is the hand going under the water.
September 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
“LOOKIT THAT TREE” season feels extra soul replenishing this year.
A beautiful tree with leaves ranging from red to green.
September 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM
sarahhird.bsky.social
Adobe Acrobat Reader telling me “This appears to be a long document. Save time by reading a summary.” with not 1, not 2, but 3 buttons to their AI tools. I’m…offended? Yeah, yep, that’s the right word. “Save time by reading less! Save time by learning less! Save time by thinking less!!”
Adobe acrobat zoomed in at the top of a document to show their notification “this appears to be a long document. Save time by reading a summary.” Adobe acrobat zoomed in to show (1) rainbow colored “Ask AI Assistant” button, (2) “View Summary” button and (3) on the right toolbar a purple document emoji with a star that leads to their ai summary.
September 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM