Dr Craig R McClain

One of my favorite cities in the world...but I am also port aficionado. Setting on the river banks with a glass of port and watching the world go by
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Great documentary with amazing imagery, story telling, and sound science. Go watch now.

I like both versions! Although the left photo is giving off some ancient alien history channel meme vibes. But I'm down for that.

The word is distinguished....more distinguished...always distinguished.

bart simpson is wearing a purple bow tie and a blue jacket ALT: bart simpson is wearing a purple bow tie and a blue jacket

But you are still dapper!

Congratulations Dr. Taylor! Although I was confused for a second because I was like @drmtaylor.bsky.social got another Ph.D.

I would love to see this.

There was a memo that all white males could stop at noon.

So is anybody else’s retirement plan to just work until noon of the day of their funeral or is that just me?

Remembering that time I saw Carrot Top. I don’t care what you think it was funny and I like prop comedy.

Too poor to science: how wealth determines who succeeds in STEM

Thought-provoking read, especially in these times of questioning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
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Flattered to be recognized in the Nature Daily Briefing.

Thank you for the kind words.

Just so you know, sea spiders have multiple leg segments. Eight including two tibias and not counting the claws. #marinelife Illustration from Child in 1998, the father of Pycnogonids!

I want to thank everyone for the positive response on my latest paper. I had to put myself in a vunerable place to write and come to terms with the limitations my own career. I'm glad to see it register and speak for others.

I'm glad. I wrote it for people like us.

Marine ecologist @drcraigmc.bsky.social decries the invisible costs — such as unpaid internships, self-funded conferences and underpaid graduate jobs — that exclude many people from careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Please wait...

rhettrautsaw.app/shiny/Biolog...

"Many talented scientists, disillusioned by constant financial insecurity, leave academia altogether, resulting in a significant brain drain that deprives the field of diverse perspectives and innovation."

@drcraigmc.bsky.social‬ nails why I'm no longer a working scientist: doi.org/10.1371/jour...

🧪"The myth of meritocracy in science collapses under the financial sacrifices expected at every career stage...the hidden costs of ‘doing science’ are profound. These burdens disproportionately exclude those without generational wealth, compounded by race and gender." dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...

Thank you for this. Over the years, a lot of colleagues told me of stories similar to mine. I thought it was important to give us all a voice.

An important read at any time, but especially now.

#firstgen

"The institutionalized belief that being paid poorly is an acceptable part of career progression… does not align with the financial realities faced by many… The cumulative financial strain of an academic STEM career often requires years, if not decades, for recovery." Important pice from Craig.

Show me your budget and I'll tell you what your values are

journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

I am flattered it is registering with people. Thank you for recommending it.

We’re losing brilliant scientists to debt, burnout, and economic instability. If STEM is serious about diversity and innovation, we need to fund the people doing the work—not just the work itself. Read the paper. Share it. Demand more. #AcademicTwitter #DEI

Raising stipends. Funding paid internships. Supporting housing. Waiving fees. Promoting open science. Change isn’t impossible—it’s a matter of priority. My new paper lays out systemic solutions to financial inequity in STEM. #HigherEdReform

Academia normalizes poverty as a “rite of passage.” It’s not character-building—it’s exclusionary. We need to reject this culture, fund our people, and prioritize equity at every career stage. #AcademicEquity #STEMReform

Faculty roles don’t guarantee financial stability. Many must fund their own research, go unpaid in the summer, or take on extra service work to survive. Financial precarity doesn’t end at tenure—it compounds. #STEM #AcademicLife

Postdocs are often paid below living wage, moved across the country without support, and lack job security. It's not just unsustainable—it’s unjust. We’re bleeding talent at the exact moment researchers should be thriving. #AcademicBlueSky #STEMcareers