This week, I participated in a 4-day Dissertation Accelerator at the University of Kansas. I was able to: - Write over 3000 words (~ 13 pages) - Revise twice that amount - Format 3/5 chapters - Complete & revise drafts of all 5 chapters Feeling super prepared to defend my dissertation in April!!

Are you a graduate student nearing the end of your degree? All you have left to do is write the dissertation or thesis, and you're realizing that writing for 40 hours a week is impossible. I've put together a list of tasks necessary for writing, but doesn't necessarily require as much brain power.

Our annual fundraiser is officially open from Nov. 3–Dec. 3, 2025! These funds directly support our grad students and their amazing work in the lab, the community, and beyond! To support our students, find us at Launch KU or follow the link below! launchku.org/campaigns/20...

2025 KU Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Grad Student Fundraiser - LaunchKU

The Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Organization (EEB GSO) is seeking your generous support to help our student biologists pursue opportunities for professional development and eng...

launchku.org

The end of an era... we pulled everything from king's creek in Konza prairie, leaving no trace that AIMS ever happened. It took 8 people an entire day to clear the watershed. 1,601 days of data. 14 wells. 50 stics. And a scan and exo at the outlet. So long to this beautiful site, hello data!

One benefit of attending a conference at Konza Prairie: making a quick pit stop at our field site to do sensor maintenance! Had so much fun at Great Plains Limno and still feeling inspired by all the cool science.

Very grateful to have been able to do a 10k at my field site! I set a goal to do this race before leaving Kansas and I'm so proud of myself for completing it. Konza is one of my favorite places, and I've faced so many challenges here. It felt amazing to overcome one last challenge.

Hey folks! I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for my dissertation. I'm not defending this semester, but I'm getting close. What are some things that you found helpful or wish you would have done earlier on in preparing for your defense? For context, I'll be TAing until I'm done!

Scientists! @skypeascientist.bsky.social matches scientists with classrooms, libraries, & more for virtual Q&As! It's easy and fun! We are looking for 750 more volunteers by 8/15 If you're down to chat with 1-5 classrooms this semester, sign up here www.skypeascientist.com/sign-up.html

I'm going through my first peer review process after submitting my first paper. While the decision was "reject and resubmit," I was so pleasantly surprised by how kind, constructive, helpful, and specific the reviews were. Feeling a lot of gratitude and excitement to get this done.

Thanks to state legislation, state universities are compelling their employees to suppress their identities. Rather than prioritizing dignity, autonomy, and respect, Kansas leaders have demanded employees comply by erasing a piece of themselves. What message does this send to students?

KU staff, employees must remove gender pronouns from e-mail signatures by July 31

University of Kansas officials notified staff, employees and student employees Tuesday of a slew of changes meant to align with a recently adopted change passed by the Kansas Board of Regents.

kshb.com

What do you all do on sick days? Anyone else guilt themselves into being "productive?" Or any tips on how to actually be restful? I've been going back and forth between doom scrolling and trying to make a dent in my "to read" list of papers and neither feels great. #phdlife #migrainessuck

The National Science Foundation continues to be threatened with major cuts. The link below lists the Congresspeople who are on the frontlines of deciding these cuts this week and would be well worth a quick call today if they’re in your state to advocate for not cutting NSF’s budget.

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈@davidimiller.bsky.social · last yr.

And there's a 6% cut to NOAA's budget (we're still waiting to know that detail in the Senate version). House appropriations meets tomorrow and Thursday. So if you want to share your thoughts on the 23% cut to NSF, here's who to call: appropriations.house.gov/about/member...

Budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration could lead to the closure of 26 long-term ecological research, or LTER, facilities across the United States, including the @kbslter.bsky.social. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

Trump wants to cut research centers like the one in this PNW forest

Congress will take up Trump's proposed budget cuts, which target 26 long-term ecological research centers like the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon.

seattletimes.com

Curious about non-perennial stream biogeochemistry, BACI experiments, or what I’m working on next? After lots of coffee and an intense battle with Weebly, I made a website!: ecosarahflynn.weebly.com #FreshwaterScience #PhDLife #AcademicSky

Sarah Megan Flynn, PhD Candidate University of Kansas Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Kansas Geological Survey

I'm a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Kansas and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. My research focuses on aquatic...

ecosarahflynn.weebly.com

Wrapping up your PhD? I’m planning to hire a postdoc in the next few months (start date flexible). Will start formally advertising soon, but you heard it here first!! Possible research topics include - critical zone hydrology, agricultural water quality, SW-GW interactions. Reach out if interested!

I commented. You should too!

Jon Freeman@freemanjb.bsky.social · last yr.

🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday 📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj

Congratulations to everyone who ran the SFS 5k fun run this morning! #SFS2025

So excited to see some familiar faces at our special session tomorrow! It'll be a good one, pop by! @connorbrown.bsky.social @vanessa-gc.bsky.social #SFS2025

Really looking forward to #SFS2025! Helping out with the Mentor Mixer with @crsmith.bsky.social was such a fun way to give back and grow our community. Can’t wait to keep "expanding horizons."

Congratulations Dr. Pruitt!!!

Abagael Pruitt@abagaelpruitt.bsky.social · last yr.

I passed! I’m so grateful for all the support :) Dr. Pruitt sounds pretty cool!

I passed! I’m so grateful for all the support :) Dr. Pruitt sounds pretty cool!

Final reminder with #SFS abstracts due Sunday, Feb 2, to submit to this session if you're planning to present on non-perennial stream systems! and if you haven't yet - please fill out our final survey on non-perennial stream research! tinyurl.com/6b87ytxn

Sarah Flynn@ecosarahflynn.bsky.social · 2y ago

Fellow nonperennial stream enthusiasts and researchers! We are excited to announce that we are hosting a special session at SFS 2025 “From the mountains to the seas: Expanding the sciences of non-perennial streams."

~Deadline Extended!!~ Abstracts are now due February 2nd! We're excited to see everyone in PR!

Sarah Flynn@ecosarahflynn.bsky.social · 2y ago

Fellow nonperennial stream enthusiasts and researchers! We are excited to announce that we are hosting a special session at SFS 2025 “From the mountains to the seas: Expanding the sciences of non-perennial streams."

Reminder! If you haven't submitted an abstract for SFS 2025 and are interested in presenting about non-perennial streams come and join this DOPE special session!!!

Sarah Flynn@ecosarahflynn.bsky.social · 2y ago

Fellow nonperennial stream enthusiasts and researchers! We are excited to announce that we are hosting a special session at SFS 2025 “From the mountains to the seas: Expanding the sciences of non-perennial streams."

And! If this session is of interest to you, please take this very relevant survey to further or knowledge of nonperennial stream research: tinyurl.com/6b87ytxn

Fellow nonperennial stream enthusiasts and researchers! We are excited to announce that we are hosting a special session at SFS 2025 “From the mountains to the seas: Expanding the sciences of non-perennial streams."

The main advantage of a custom feed is that it gathers all posts on a given topic--in this case, rivers--in one place, instead of having them scattered along your timeline. It can work without hashtags. Thanks to custom feeds it's easier to stay up to date on a topic & join conversations!

Giacomo Parrinello@parriblue.bsky.social · 2y ago

🌊 River people: a #rivers feed is up and running! bsky.app/profile/did:... It draws on a "River people" list that combines +++starting packs on rivers but filters only posts with "rivers" or "#rivers" in the text. In other words: posts from many river communities all in one place! Thx for sharing

Good to see this publication from the @British Ecological Society on how to support transgender ecologists - more to come in our webinar tomorrow with @iaglr.bsky.social and Scas.

British Ecological Society@britishecologicalsociety.org · 2y ago

As ecologists we celebrate diversity, both of the natural world and of the people in this field. This Transgender Awareness Week, @rowankuminski.bsky.social co-chair of EDGE Network shares 5 small steps you can make to support transgender ecologists www.britishecologicalsociety.org/five-steps-t...

I just created a starter pack for folks who study nonperennial streams! All career stages and disciplines welcome. go.bsky.app/PoUMyq1

Said so long to my favorite field site! Had about 25 STICs, 7 piezometers and stilling wells, and one high frequency water chemistry sensor paired with soil moisture content in a nonperennial watershed in the Flint Hills of Kansas.