Erin M. May, PhD

(nevermind, just saw she's the author of the article you're covering - makes sense why she's the expert I thought of for the topic!)

Yes, I'm too atmosphere focused for this. I recommend @jcbecker.bsky.social !

The Landscape of Undergraduate Astronomy and Astrophysics Degree Requirements In this document we summarize the results of a survey of undergraduate degree-granting programs conducted by the 2024-2025 American Astronomical Society Education Committee's Subcommittee on UndeRgrad...

Interesting paper on requirements for undergraduate astronomy degrees and how non-uniform they are, and how this impacts students with these degrees: arxiv.org/abs/2602.03959

Anyways, said toddler is coming along! (plus the spouse)

We're quite excited because the Denver zoo has 2 albino raccoons and she is OBSESSED with raccoons.

Anyone more familiar with Denver and have some good recommendations for activities for the two of them during the day?

Excited to see everyone at the Exoplanet Atmospheres conference in Denver! 🔭🪐🧪

I haven't been to an exoplanet conference since Exoplanets IV in Vegas nearly FOUR YEARS AGO.

Such is the life of toddler parenthood 🙃

GASP.
*supports immediately*

work with Adi! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I promise you'll love it 🫶

I’m hiring a postdoc to work with me at UMBC on AGN and galaxy mergers 💫

Details: apply.interfolio.com/180085

Please share & feel free to message me with any questions!

Thanks! Just a Spay, everything went well and she's acting like nothing happened (which is great when she's supposed to be on minimal activity 🙄)

So far she's had it on for almost 2 hours with no escapes, so fingers crossed 🤞

This was the only thing I could have delivered same day 😂 I have a few more options coming in the next couple days.

Anything with Velcro is out, she manages to get it undone in under 30 seconds. She had a cone from the vet with Velcro and a surgery suit I quickly went to Petco for that she escaped.

Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is laying on the ground with her head facing the camera. She's wearing an orange slice patterned donut collar and her pupils are extremely large because of the pain killers she's on.

Also:

Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is sitting on a windowsill next to closed window blinds. She is wearing a donut collar that looks like an orange slice

Penny, a long hair tortie kitten, is on the ground attacking her orange slice donut collar. She's on her back/side and her back feet are bent up, toes spread wide, attacking the collar. Her front paws are also bent to try to push the collar off

Penny was spayed today. Turns out she's a Houdini and this is the third collar or body suit we've had to try so far today.

She's extra helpful today 🙄

Growing up I always said I wanted to be an interior designer. Finally at a life stage where I can live out my dreams ❤️ (and have finally convinced my husband to just let me do what I want with decorating 😆)

In the foreground, a tortie kitten is sitting on wallpaper backing. In the background, a laser level and ladder are set up. Two panels of orange floral wallpaper are on the wall to coordinate with the light orange wall color and rust colored rug in the foreground.

Putting up wallpaper for the first time!!! My assistant is becoming a problem though 🐈‍⬛

The writers just googling "exoplanet in habitable zone" and this pops up as the first one found around a sun like star and they're like GREAT. PERFECTION. No more research needed.

the fact this isn't the first time this planet was used in SciFi either 🫠🫠

Just started watching Pluribus.

Kepler-22b?? REALLY.

it's not rocky!!!

Do other people's toddlers just walk around (loudly) belting their made up songs or is this a special behavior from mine? Do I have a future musical theater star on my hands?

Erin holding up a felt farmer with brown hair, a straw hat, a red checkered shirt, blue overalls, and tall brown boots. The felt farmer is next to her face to show the "resemblance". She is also wearing a colorful beaded necklace that the toddler demanded she wear as well

"MAMA! Dis is you"
-Toddler

Penny, a mostly black tortie kitten, is seen as a blur that has jumped onto the top of the christmas tree

Happy Holidays!
From our fuzzy menace, to yours.

Penny, a tortie kitten, is laying on Erin's lap looking at the camera with a thousand yard stare. Erin's hand is resting on her back to calm her.

Penny's second vet trip. She knows what she's in for this time and is not thrilled.

Penny, a tortie kitten, is seen waltzing through an open door.

Penny has learned to open doors, we're all doomed.

(Well, mostly it's the plants that are doomed)

Also, I'll admit to being a 4-er this year. But since I've not had one selected, that's just 1 new PI per cycle minus the cycle I was on maternity leave.

I need this on a sticker.

But in the style of "my dog is smarter than your honor roll student"

Like "my unique and highly trained brain is smarter than your AI"

I have a very highly educated guess as to who the 15er or one of the 8ers is. And I know they use LLMs.

It’s really demoralizing how many colleagues are using AI.

Your job is literally to use your brain- your extremely unique, highly trained brain 😭

Penny, a tortie kitten, is perched on Erin's shoulder and looking to the side. She's a bit nervous because she's at the vet.

Me and my shoulder cat waiting at the vet today.

(they think she's a couple weeks older than the original estimate, and currently she has double canines on both sides since the kitten ones haven't yet fallen out 🧛)

the view from erin's laptop camera shows Penny, a tortie kitten, sitting between erin and the laptop and looking downwards towards the bottom of the screen

the view from erin's laptop camera shows Penny, a tortie kitten, sitting between erin and the laptop and looking towards the side of the screen

Me trying to work today: