Sarah Breen (they/them)
LightNews LightNews
banner
sarbreen.bsky.social
Sarah Breen (they/them)
@sarbreen.bsky.social
61 followers 79 following 20 posts
Non-binary 🏳️‍🌈 Irish 🇮🇪 academic living in the USA. Associate Professor & Associate Director Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma.
Posts Replies Media Videos
sarbreen.bsky.social
I’m cooking real meals 🍳 — not just dinner, but breakfast and lunch too. There’s more time to breathe.
But the quiet can be loud. I catch myself feeling guilty for not “making more progress,” whatever that means.
A white plate holding three small homemade flatbread pizzas on a textured gray placemat. One pizza is topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, and basil. The other two have tomato sauce, pepperoni, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, and basil.
June 6, 2025 at 12:02 AM
sarbreen.bsky.social
About a month out from the end of the semester, and I’m still figuring out how to be in summer mode.
The pace has slowed — which is good — but not always comfortable. I’ve been taking the girls 🐾 on longer morning walks, sometimes to the dog park.
Two black and tan dogs wearing harnesses are focused on a large tree in a wooded park. The larger dog has its front paws on the trunk, standing upright, while the smaller dog is mid-jump beside it, reaching up toward the tree. Tree roots spread across the dirt ground, and the background is filled with lush green trees in soft morning light.
June 6, 2025 at 12:02 AM
sarbreen.bsky.social
🌞 First week of the summer semester:

Finalized grades, prepped for lab skills testing at a local technical college.

Enjoyed a slower pace, more dog walks, healthier meals, and lunches with colleagues. Loving the fresh change!

#SummerSemester #WorkLifeBalance #HealthyLiving #AcademicLife
A person is walking two dogs on a concrete path through a grassy area. The dog on the left is larger and black with brown markings, wearing a harness. The dog on the right is smaller and black with white markings, also wearing a harness. The person’s hand holding the leashes and part of their leg are visible in the foreground. Trees and a wooden fence line the path in the background.
May 16, 2025 at 12:42 AM
sarbreen.bsky.social
At 5000m, crouched on sharp rock, calibrating a force plate with frozen hands—I learned how to adapt fast.

Science felt real, embodied, and shared.

We need more of that in engineering education.

#ExperientialLearning #HumanFirst #STEMOutside
A researcher kneels on rocky ground near a green tent in a high-altitude mountain setting, working with two others to set up scientific equipment on a metal plate. Snow-covered peaks and field gear are visible in the background.
May 11, 2025 at 5:28 PM
sarbreen.bsky.social
My wife just left for 6 weeks of archaeological field school.

It made me think of mine: trekking in Nepal, collecting biomechanics data at altitude.

When the field becomes the classroom, every step teaches something new. 🏔️📐

#FieldSchool #Biomechanics #STEM
A group of trekkers in heavy gear hike along a steep, rocky slope with snowy Himalayan mountains behind them. Some wear oxygen tanks or carry scientific equipment. Badges on their jackets identify them as part of a research expedition.
May 11, 2025 at 5:28 PM
sarbreen.bsky.social
Walked by the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Garden at #OU today. My wife first showed it to me while studying the geology of the 77 stones that make up the fountain.

No water flows now. Just this:
“The stone the builders once rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Made me pause.

#AcademicFreedom
A commemorative plaque honoring Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, set into a stone monument. At the bottom, it reads: “In Psalm 118, the psalmist speaks of how the stone that the builders once rejected becomes the cornerstone.” The Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Garden fountain, flowing with water. The stone structure is built from colorful rocks and fossils from Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Water bubbles up from the top, surrounded by a circular stone basin. The Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Garden fountain, flowing with water. The stone structure is built from colorful rocks and fossils from Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Water bubbles up from the top, surrounded by a circular stone basin.
May 8, 2025 at 5:24 PM
sarbreen.bsky.social
Rainy skies 🌧️ in Oklahoma this week—it’s starting to feel a bit like home in Ireland. 🇮🇪

Finals week energy + this weather = slow sips, quiet moments, and letting the to-do list breathe.

We’ll get there. One warm cup at a time.☕️

#FinalsWeek #RainyDays #AcademicLife
A rainy backyard scene viewed from under a covered patio. In the foreground, a person sits with crossed legs, holding a ceramic mug labeled “Clingman’s Dome Trail.” A black dog looks out toward the yard. The ground is wet, and the sky is overcast, creating a calm, quiet mood.
May 7, 2025 at 1:45 PM
sarbreen.bsky.social
Finals week is here and grading’s ✅. My summer goals? Reasonable work expectations, lots of dog walks, good food, and maybe a few bike rides. My dog (pictured) is already fully committed to the walks and resting. I’m hoping to follow her lead.

#AcademicLife #SelfCare #DogsOfBlueSky
A black and brown dog lies on a gray dog bed in front of a large window, resting its head on the windowsill and gazing outside. A bright pink spiky rubber ball sits on the windowsill. The blinds are partially open, revealing a view of a green lawn, sidewalk, and trimmed bushes outside.
May 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
sarbreen.bsky.social
Next week, my knowledge-absorbers will prepare visual rectangles:
🔘 Select shapes
🔘 Apply sticky symbols
🔘 Clarify observations (and confusion)
🔘 Practice vocalizing to unfamiliar lifeforms

Soon they will say:
“I have attempted science.”
Joy levels = high.

Inspired by @nathanwpyle.bsky.social
A four-panel comic by Nathan W. Pyle featuring two blue alien-like beings discussing a science poster. Panel 1: One being says, “I have attempted science.” The other replies, “Please explain.” Panel 2: The first being says, “I formed an idea and then discovered I was wrong,” pointing to a poster with diagrams. Panel 3: The second being looks at the poster and says, “There are numerous diagrams,” and the first adds, “I was wrong in numerous ways.” Panel 4: The first being declares, “I produced a detailed tribute to my wrongness,” to which the second responds, “That is science.” The poster behind them remains filled with rectangles, representing data and diagrams. The comic is signed “Nathan W Pyle.”
April 20, 2025 at 4:19 PM
sarbreen.bsky.social
Walking my 30.5lb and 72lb dogs on a dual leash: I’m the biomechanical pivot in a live-action physics demo. Mismatched stride lengths, mass, and impulse forces—yet somehow they balance out. (Big dogs pull harder, but less often: www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10...)

#biomechanics #dogwalkscience
View from above of a person walking two dogs on a sidewalk using a dual leash. One dog is significantly larger than the other, and both wear harnesses. The person’s colorful shirt, rainbow watch band, and hand holding the leash are visible in the foreground. The path curves ahead through a grassy neighborhood.
April 5, 2025 at 6:12 PM