Julia

Julia stands in front of a group of students with an outcrop behind her. She is teaching them how to sketch and outcrop.

Julia speaks to a student one on one to discuss a section of their stratigraphic log. She uses her hands to describe sedimentary structures.

Best part of the job 🥰

I see what you mean but what about students who come in as MS and apply for GRFP to do a PhD. GRFP provides stability + independence that is hard to acquire elsewhere but necessary to survive for urm. +We know that % of MS degree is higher than %PhD degree for urm groups. This furthers that divide.

Please share with anyone who cares about NSF support for graduate students and take 30 seconds to sign and leave a comment.

The deadline for the 2025 Graduate Research Fellowship Program is about one month away and literally no one can apply. #NSFGRFP

jasonjwilliamsny.github.io/grfp2025/

Exact same situation. This morning we were full of inspiration and hope. The news ruined the day and was such a shock.

I’m devastated for my student and others like them who have been put in this horrible position. To be thrown away by the NSF with no warning is so harmful. We are actively watching the creation of exclusive practices to the most vulnerable. We have to protect our students.

I applied the 1st year the apply once rule was implemented. I chose to wait to ensure my one chance was my best. Not providing or communicating that choice is an abhorrent restriction of access. I am here because of that award and I am so disappointed that others like me won’t get that opportunity.

Waiting a year is an intentional and strategic choice. This offers more time to prepare and develop the best proposal possible. Taking this opportunity away in the final hour is a gut punch. They worked so hard and don’t even get to throw their hat in the ring. This is harm and generational impact.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

🧪The NSF has made changes to the GRFP solicitation and eligibility TODAY that may change your eligibility! PLEASE read through the solicitation if you were planning to apply and speak to your mentors about the merits of applying: www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

I can understand why NSF is limiting GRFP apps to undergrads and 1st year grad students .

What I can't why they didn't wait one cycle to implement after making the announcement.

But I do trust that the program officers are doing their best to keep science afloat under extraordinary conditions.

devastating

This means individuals in the following statuses at the time of application are eligible: Undergraduate in the final (senior) year of a bachelor’s degree program Bachelor’s degree-holder with NO enrollment in a graduate degree program (non-degree graduate coursework allowed) Individual enrolled in a joint bachelor’s-master’s degree program with at least three undergraduate years completed First-year graduate student in their first graduate degree program with less than one academic year completed in the degree program (according to institution’s academic calendar) Individuals enrolled in joint bachelor’s-master’s degree programs are considered graduate students. For GRFP, joint bachelor’s-master’s degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded. Not be a current NSF employee. Applications that do not meet eligibility requirements will be returned without review as being ineligible for a fellowship.

Announcing such a major change to NSF GRFP this late in the cycle is incredibly cruel. 2nd yr students (mine included) have been working so hard on their proposals despite ongoing uncertainty. They are driven and passionate about being outstanding scientists and helping those coming up behind them.

Nugget and Eli (puppy) sleep cuddle together after a bath.

Nugget and Eli on the grass and looking at the camera. Nugget is laying down with a ball and Eli is standing and walking toward the camera

Life has been really busy and fun recently! Primarily due to this little guy joining our family! A GSP puppy and older brother who now acts like a puppy again is so fun but also 🫠. On the positive side, I’ve been getting a lot of writing done during wfh and between potty training 😂

tomorrow is blocked off all day for writing though. looking forward to feeling productive in the ways that are acceptable to academia. 😜🙃

today was a lot of student centered work. it was necessary and yet super draining. Its hard to do this knowing:
1. a lot of this work is invisible
2. my time should be going to writing
3. these efforts are difficult to quantify as metrics yet they impact my evaluations

but this is my reality.

came back from a conference two days ago just to write and submit another abstract for a conference today 😂 some years theres just too many opportunities and too much I have to say! ⚒️🧪 don't forget to submit to Marine and River Dune Dynamics VIII! see you there! www.utwente.nl/en/et/marid26/

The Bedform Dynamics Research Group poses for a picture.

Julia Cisneros stands behind a podium introducing her talk at the conference.

Great time for the Bedform Dynamics Research Group at RCEM in Barcelona last week. Students presented (posters) and received great feedback and our UG Cora Jones won 3rd in best poster! Overall a great moment and confidence builder for everyone. 🧪⚒️

I’ve spent the past ~3 days diving really deep into a topic that I’ve been engaging with for a while on a surface level. I forget how uncomfortable and yet empowering it is to engulf yourself in new-to-you literature and theory. To jump in knowing very little and come up from air knowing more. 🥰⚒️🧪

Omg I’m so sorry Lis. He was such a good boy and it was a joy to watch his life through all the pictures you shared. Thanks for sharing him with us. I’m sending you tons of love and hugs ❤️❤️

Geoscience campers roleplay a volcano disaster response Ph.D. student Elizabeth Curtiss led a tabletop role-playing game where campers stepped into geoscience roles to work together on a simulated volcanic disaster. The activity gave students a hands-on lo...

very happy to share this video highlighting the Geosciences Camp @ VT and one of our awesome activities. Grateful to my team of graduate students, UG and grad volunteers, department and the College of Science for supporting this vision and seeing it come to life. ⚒️🧪 news.vt.edu/content/news...

Pics by Spencer Coppage (VT COS)

I promised you! Here’s a few from day 1 during our hurricane hazard mapping activity on the Drill Field at VT.

Elpidio (pictured last) made this activity. Campers mapped clues placed around the field representing different levels of destruction to unravel the hazard path. Mapping skills ✅

Group photo of campers, coordinators and volunteers. In this picture everyone is wearing a camp shirt. Camper shirts are maroon and coordinator/volunteer shirts are orange

Day 2 done! First Geosciences Camp at Virginia Tech is in the books. We learned a lot and already have ideas to make it better! (Professional pics coming soon!)

Julia poses in front of the check in table for the Geosciences Camp at VT

Day 1 let’s go!!!! #GCamp2025

I can’t speak for the students and I look forward to hearing their perspectives and thoughts on all aspects of this experience. But what I can say is I am so proud of what they have already accomplished. It has been healing to watch their journey. Stay tuned! (4/)

I wanted to share the positive outcomes of doing this type of work while also ensuring students were adequately supported. I wanted to create an empowering and intentional learning opportunity for students. (3/)

I credit a lot of skills, confidence, and understanding of the academic system to the lessons I learned when I made the camp with Aída. Running this new iteration of the camp is heavily informed by what I wish I had as a graduate student. (2/) www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The biggest difference for this camp is that I hired 4 graduate students to develop it alongside me. There are pros and cons to my new role as admin/mentor/supervisor for the camp, but watching these students learn and gain confidence as they have navigated this experience has been so fulfilling(1/)

I’d feel much better about my future tenure packet if these were the criteria. Staring down the funding landscape right now is 🤢

Tenure criteria are the levers to change culture You want people to behave differently? Let's change the rewards and the costs.

While everything in science is up in the air, we can (re)build a better community by changing tenure criteria.

scienceforeveryone.science/p/tenure-cri... 🧪

Absolutely! Running a camp is hard, period. But VT stepped up with 💵 so I could have grad students help and pay them! It’s bigger and better! I plan to write up a bit to reflect and share my experience too!