Jeffrey Heilveil (he/him)

I have seen a lot of cursed stuff in my time in academia but this is among the *most* cursed.
Grammarly is generating miniature LLMs based on academic work so that users can have their writing ‘reviewed’ by experts like David Abulafia, who died less than two months ago.

Did I wake up in time to see the lunar eclipse? Yes.
Did we go from 100% clear skies at 830pm to 100% cloudy by 6am? Also yes.

Looks amazing!!

A cooling rack with apricot & ginger and prune & walnut filled Hamentaschen. These triangular pastry-cookies are a traditional part of Purim celebrations.

Happy Friday! Baking done, getting the packages ready to send.

Share it widely.

I was also more willing to "trial run" a new-to-me author by purchase, rather than library, when it was a $6 gamble.

You've got this!!

When I moved to my postdoc at North Dakota State University, I had to take all my DNA extractions from my dissertation. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the new lab for 2 weeks, but since it was -40 out, I just put them in the yard behind the garage.

Crackdown Writing through history and heartbreak.

“Minnesotans’ relentlessness offers a blueprint for how to react when ICE inevitably arrives to stir up trouble where there was none; how to look violence dead in the eye and say not in my town; how to provide aid laterally when you know those at the top won’t be passing any down.”

My latest—

For a quick break I like sedecordle.com

My grads students last year started playing stardew valley as a collective, which was interesting. I think, in part, because in lab meeting they need to report weekly on one thing they did for their mental health, so to snark they picked a game as a group.

There's nothing wrong with stepping back from an environment that's overwhelming. Finishing books/dissertations is hard enough w/out easy distractions.

Keep well. We will still be here if you later choose to come back.

I'd hesitate to suggest games because I like ones that suck you in & eat time

it’s pretty insane to think about how the dumbest most violent pieces of shit in the country have been given the message that they can kill with impunity if they join this one government agency

I created an undergrad non-major gen ed around Biology in the News to use current events to talk about science communication and basic biology. It worked surprisingly well.

I know I'm a noob at the whole glasses thing, but what sadist decided to use tiny screws that you can only see while wearing glasses to hold your glasses together, so that when they fall out it's a tragic comedy to fix them?

Make sure you talk to their current students.
Find out about their advising style and honestly reflect on your needs. If you are highly independent a more hands-off advisor may he good, but if you like regular guidance, it'll be a horrid experience.

Its important to celebrate the good things when they happen. Congrats!!

I think the reason I get frustrated when students don't read the syllabus is that just updating one from the last offering takes 3 to 4 hours of my time, usually done when I should be relaxing on break.

Then there's the whole being a proactive part of your own education thing too.

My wife does beautiful calligraphy. I love micrography Judaica and recommend it.

Back to ctenophores as the sister group - and a great example of collaborative science making better science. 🧪

If we want things to change, then way more straight cis white men on here are going to need to get very, very loud about the role that misogyny and homophobia are playing in all this

BIG FIGHT AT POLAND’S WROCLAW ZOO!!!

As someone who was in a leadership industry role 'twixt postdoc and professorhood, I have a unique perspective on how absolutely unnecessary and ridiculous most of the paperwork in academia is.

I am pleased to announce that I have commandeered my neighbor's home. This home will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, to ensure it is used to benefit my neighbor and me! Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Me regarding my students during the 2020-2021 AY.

Democrats need to grow a f*cking spine.

No more strongly worded letters. It’s time to draft articles of impeachment.

Impeach. Convict. Remove.

Tonight, the President of the United States has launched an unconstitutional war of aggression, dooming another generation to spill their blood for oil, and lay waste to a sovereign nation.

I demand that Congress exercise its power, halt this conflict, and impeach this war criminal president.

Thank you!!

A double braided challah (egg braid) with a large 3-strand bottom braid and a thinner 3-strand top braid, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Happy first Friday!

Jan 1, July 4, they are roughly equivalent, right?

I only access my school email through the web app so I don't read it unless I intend to. That helped quite a bit.

Enjoy the week off!