Joel Singley
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singleysci.bsky.social
Joel Singley
@singleysci.bsky.social
Critical zone scientist dabbling across disciplines and pondering pedagogy. Currently an Assistant Professor at a PUI. Former middle school teacher.

singleyscience.org
Looks like I’ll be following through on my pledge as an alum to ignore all donation requests since @cornelluniversity.bsky.social struck this deal.

#shameful
Cornell Reaches Deal With Trump Administration to Restore Research Funds
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
👇👇👇 Academic institution and scientific research under attack in Providence at Brown University.
My lab's been attacked by an anti-wind group and their lawyers. They threatened the science funding of my whole university, to shut me and my undergraduate research assistants up.

NYT just covered it. 1/n

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/c...
Law Firm Pressures Brown University to Erase Research on Anti-Wind Groups
www.nytimes.com
August 26, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Hey fellow alumni, it only takes a minute:

president@cornell.edu
(607) 255-5201
August 2, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
While everything in science is up in the air, we can (re)build a better community by changing tenure criteria.

scienceforeveryone.science/p/tenure-cri... 🧪
Tenure criteria are the levers to change culture
You want people to behave differently? Let's change the rewards and the costs.
scienceforeveryone.science
July 17, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Greta Thunberg on why it’s essential for climate activists to speak out on Gaza:

"The reason I am a climate activist is not because I want to protect trees. I'm a climate activist because I care about human, planetary well-being and those are extremely interlinked."
Greta Thunberg Speaks from Aid Ship Heading to Gaza Despite Israeli Threats: “My Moral Obligation”
As Gaza faces over three months of Israeli blockade, a group of 12 activists is sailing to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. The Madleen ship was launched by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and initia...
www.democracynow.org
June 4, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
You know what was an awesome abundance agenda?

The Green New Deal.
May 26, 2025 at 8:52 PM
The silence remains deafening.
Government overreach and political interference endanger all of academia and society, not just to singular, elite institutions.

While 600+ institutions publicly stand together, it's exceedingly disappointing that certain institutions *cough cough* have not signed on.

www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c...
A Call for Constructive Engagement | AAC&U
A Call for Constructive Engagement
www.aacu.org
May 16, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
"Women are PIs on 58% of the canceled grants, although they are PIs on only 34% of all active NSF grants.

Similarly, Blacks are PIs on 17% of the terminated grants, although they make only 4% of the total pool. Hispanic PIs and those with disabilities were twice as likely to lose a grant."
Another scoop from Jeff Mervis (@policyhound.bsky.social): NSF's ~1400 grant terminations have disproportionately affected PIs from groups underrepresented in science: women, racial & ethnic minorities, & those with disabilities. 1/3
www.science.org/content/arti...
Trump officials take steps toward a radically different NSF
Efforts to shrink staff, budget, and focus have alarmed members of Congress
www.science.org
May 13, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Today, House Republicans are unveiling their plan to increase energy bills and pollution for everyday Americans, just to give billionaires another tax break. A summary of their proposals. THREAD! 🧵
May 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
1. After getting some further insight into changes at NSF (thanks to those who reached out), I deleted a previous post where I tried to make sense of Cheatham's memo as reported in the Science story below.
NSF slashes number of ‘rotators’ and well-paid managers as part of restructuring
Smaller future budgets will require fewer people, NSF official tells staff
www.science.org
May 10, 2025 at 1:58 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
🧪 Ranking member Lofgren and 11 other House dems sent a fiery 7-page letter to acting NSF director today

"The cancelation of these awards suggests instead that NSF is willing to apply political censorship of awards under direction from President Trump and the DOGE teenagers"

Share widely #SaveNSF
democrats-science.house.gov
May 9, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
It's funny how some folks won't support industrial actions ("strikes") when their department/institution isn't being directly affected...but will be out the door, with placards and raised voices, when they feel their wellbeing is being immediately impacted.

Cross-sector solidarity means something.
May 8, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Government overreach and political interference endanger all of academia and society, not just to singular, elite institutions.

While 600+ institutions publicly stand together, it's exceedingly disappointing that certain institutions *cough cough* have not signed on.

www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c...
A Call for Constructive Engagement | AAC&U
A Call for Constructive Engagement
www.aacu.org
May 5, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
I think a lot about what Carl Sagan said in one of his final interviews.
May 4, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Powerful remarks from Justice KBJ last night. There was tremendous appreciation and gratitude in the room for her willingness to speak to this important issue so candidly and forcefully.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u...
Attacks on Judges Undermine Democracy, Warns Ketanji Brown Jackson
Speaking to a judicial conference, the Supreme Court justice said attacks were designed to intimidate and influence.
www.nytimes.com
May 2, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Trump proposes unprecedented budget cuts for US science in next fiscal year
NASA cut by 24%
NIH cut by 40%
EPA cut by 55%
NSF cut by 56%
Analysis from @maxkozlov.bsky.social @dangaristo.bsky.social @alexwitze.bsky.social and @nature.com team
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Trump proposes unprecedented budget cuts to US science
Huge reductions, if enacted, could have ‘catastrophic’ effects on US competitiveness and the scientific pipeline, critics say.
www.nature.com
May 2, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
My piece in @rollingstone.com 👇
COMMENTARY: What happens when there’s no AmeriCorps to help after the next disaster?

Trump and DOGE’s dismantling of AmeriCorps will hurt its workers and disaster relief efforts, and contribute to the disintegration of our democracy.
What We Lose When America Loses AmeriCorps
Trump and DOGE placed most of AmeriCorps’ employees on leave, gutting the agency that supports national and community service and disaster relief.
rollingstone.com
April 27, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Say it louder for the folks in the back.

NASA’s annual call for grant proposals is now 68 days late.
The canceled grands are shock and awe, but the real damage will come from the long-term (massive) reductions in funding to the entire US research ecosystem and the defunding of entire fields and initiatives for training, growing, and diversifying the research workforce.
April 24, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
It's really personal for him. The 2000 election was a major step on the path to getting us here.
Al gore is pissed off and I’m here for it
April 23, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
All these people who swore that they “will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic” aren’t doing a very good job.
April 21, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
“Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years. Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility. Those who will have to suffer the consequences will not forget this failure of conscience and responsibility.” — Pope Francis
April 21, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
The NYT wants you to think universities became dependent on government. This is false.

The government invested in the national research infrastructure by competitive grants to universities. The taxpayers built this. It got us to the moon. Won the Cold War. Created Silicon Valley. Made the McRib.
April 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
This statement from the NSF is insane.

Science is, in essence, designed to separate the true from the false.

Understanding how falsehoods spread is key to the scientific endeavor. It is not a violation of free speech to be proven wrong.
April 18, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Holy shit.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has halted the awarding of previously approved proposals to ensure compliance with presidential directives following the arrival of DOGE at the science funding agency.
NSF halts grant awards while staff do second review
Action comes after DOGE team arrives at science agency
www.science.org
April 17, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Reposted by Joel Singley
Pres. Trump just unilaterally implemented what will likely become the biggest tax hike on Americans since World War II. U.S. consumers in all 50 states will have to pay more for Trump’s national sales tax.
April 2, 2025 at 10:43 PM