Professor and Chair of Natural Sciences, Tusculum University. Geek at large. Open STEM education, the Appalachian Mountains, and (maybe) quizbowl.
Closing down iowadon.org
A year ago I set up my own Mastodon server at iowadon.org. Elon Musk had just bought Twitter and was quite obviously going to ruin it, Bluesky was still a very small beta test, and I thought hey, why not, I would enjoy the project and could try my hand at administrating a social media instance. So I dropped $15 for the domain name and $50 for a year of a cheap VPS and gave it a shot.
@Cyborgneticz The biggest question I’d have about a postdoc line (presumably at a large research university?) would be the measure of development they’d provide in preparing you for a faculty position. The postdoc I was on prepared me for research only. Ask me how much research I haven’t done on my teaching-centered faculty lines.
It’s terrible that physics and astronomy attract so many jerks.
@kate My week in my Global/Environmental class was teaching about the IPCC physical science reports about current climate change realities, and then putting students in position to represent parts of the world and their respective geopolitical realities.
It’s all more than a bit heavy right now. All of it.
@bonstewart I feel this. I feel it more than a bit.
love you. so grateful we found each other over there, once upon a time.
Tusculum student research, as reported by the Washington Post.
This is my department, and I’m so proud of these students. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/10/05/new-blue-crayfish-species-tennessee/
@Cyborgneticz Watkinsville, huh? You are probably one of the few people on the planet who knows the place I started my own teaching career, in Cochran.
@actualham I didn’t see this early enough to encourage you.
Sorry.
I was teaching math at a public high school on the west side of Manhattan on 9/11/01. Awful day to say the least.
But you know something? I'm embarrassed that I didn't know that today also marks the 50th anniversary of the US-backed coup that overthrew Salvador Allende in Chile. I don't remember a single significant note about that on this, "our day to remember", in the US news in 20 years at least. Wonder why.
A little perspective, maybe. Horrors aren't all local. Disasters and wars happen everywhere every day, and way too many people die who shouldn't have. Unfortunately, until human beings learn that being assholes to each other isn't the way for us to act, this won't stop. And we here in the US will keep patting ourselves on the back for our resilience while the rest of the world burns.
The clock is ticking.
@Cyborgneticz sounds like from your previous thread you do science REALLY WELL
History of science counts
Gratified that the West Virginia University story isn’t going away and is maintaining the attention of major media. https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-university-budget-cuts-languages-6ec04243d01e0c509b7979fb8904a4fd
@csoren1 @actualham Fun question: what “community” would this college serve?
(I’ll even be generous and avoid using language like “extract value from” or some junk. Just answer me the question about community.)
@bryanalexandee Grateful for your recent updates on climate pressures but was sad to read in your last update about the health issues plaguing your family.
All the best to all of you; may your time in need of a hospital be brief.
@heafnerj I struggled with the concept of making such pledges at a private, Christian college. I ultimately left before I had to put pen to paper.
The appearance of such chilling documents at a land grant R1 should disturb us.
I’ve read a lot of stuff about West Virginia University in the past several days. This piece from a former student, in my view, gets the tone most correct. https://slate.com/human-interest/2023/08/west-virginia-university-cuts-programs.html
