Luis Santiago-Rosario, Ph. D.

Diego and I posing next to each other after his defense in the LSU herbarium.

Diego in front of a slide that says “Plant evolution in the Andes is more complex than current phylogenomic models can explain” with lots of pretty plant photos around the text.

A celebration in Diego’s honor in the LSU herbarium.

Diego, family, me and other close friends celebrate at dinner.

I’m so proud of my grad student @evoyeyo.bsky.social for defending his @lsubiosci.bsky.social PhD thesis on macroevolution of #Brachyotum and the broader Andean flora today. Felicidades, Dr. Paredes-Burneo!! ⛰️🧬🌻🥳👨🏽‍🎓🇵🇪

Luis giving his talk

Wonderful talk by @saltyecoevo.bsky.social about his exciting work on chemical ecology and urban biodiversity patterns across the Americas #DataObservatory #UMayor

Fully funded PhD in #Ecophysiology at UBC in Vancouver! 🍁 Possible topics include leaf physiology, thermal ecology, microclimates, scaling, tree physiology, forest ecology, and more. Start Sept 2026/Jan 2027. michaletzlab.org
Please share!
#PlantEcoPhys #Ecology #Botany #PhDposition #GradSchool

I got a really good one at Home Depot that I left in Puerto Rico for fieldwork. Light and very easy to use.

Salty suitors: High larval sodium intake reduces adult lifespan and influences reproductive behaviour in a lepidopteran herbivore - Journal Highlight - Royal Entomological Society First published: 19 July 2025. Sodium is a crucial element for animal physiology, yet its effects on behavior and lifespan remain understudied, especially in insect herbivores. The amount of sodium a ...

Hey All!!! Take a look at this awesome highlight on our recent paper on sodium and its influence on butterfly behavior published in @royentsoc.bsky.social Ecological Entomology!

www.royensoc.co.uk/news/salty-s...

Insightful talk by @saltyecoevo.bsky.social on the ecological stoichiometry of mistletoe #Botany2025

If need be I could say a couple of words haha

This is a great opportunity! The PI is great! Apply Apply!!!

explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/53...

Grateful for the journey with Chlosyne lacinia, a butterfly that’s taught me so much about nutrient ecology. Our latest paper shows how sodium limits larval development + survival and adult mate choice! Check it out: resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....

📣 The Mendes Lab is recruiting PhD students in statistical phylogenetics! Interested, or know someone who might be? Details here 👉 tinyurl.com/542wyfb9 — please share!

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
🧪

This is amazing!!!! I think this should be Kyle’s and my motto! Haha

16 States Sue Trump Over $1.4 Billion in Science Cuts

NYT story on today’s lawsuit:

“[NSF] has worked to broaden participation of women and minorities in science and technology since at least 1980, upon direction from Congress. [Per] the lawsuit, that directive has been substantively amended only to also explicitly include people with disabilities.”

🚨 A new rule would let career scientists like NSF/NIH program officers be replaced by political appointees

Already 14,000+ public comments, deadline is Friday

📣 Comments can be short. Courts consider them—and scientists with NSF/NIH experience are especially impactful

Speak up! shorturl.at/WKuBj

The bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico!!! We have three that have a permanent community of bioluminescent diatoms. It is such a wonderful thing to see

The US NSF decimation is overwhelming. And certainly things change rapidly + and -.

But…

For those among us consoling ourselves that we can *at least* spend the next 3.5 years writing up already-collected data…

With academic page charges at min $1.5K each…

The news is out! The CapituLab is moving to Clemson University this fall 🌻 We are excited to get there and get started!

library(tidyplots) study |> tidyplot(x = treatment, y = score) |> add_data_points() |> add_mean_bar(alpha = 0.4) |> add_sem_errorbar() |> rename_x_axis_labels(new_names = c( "A" = "$IFN*gamma$", "B" = "$TNF*alpha$", "C" = "$H[2]*O$", "D" = "$C[8]*H[10]*N[4]*O[2]$"))

This how you can use plotmath expressions for special characters in #tidyplots 🔥

Just surround your string by "$" characters.

Plotmath syntax: stat.ethz.ch/R-manual/R-d...

#rstats #dataviz #phd

🧪 Tip: You have the right to contest a grant termination, even though NSF says you don't. 🧵

On Friday, NSF terminated 402 grants (per Musk's DOGE).

The notification letters had one of the most egregious violations of fed regulations I've seen so far in these cases:

"not subject to appeal"

Join us July 27th the day before #Botany2025 for a free phylogenetic biogeography workshop in RevBayes!

Taught by @landismj.bsky.social +Sarah Swiston (WUSTL), Felipe Zapata (UCLA), and myself, with surprise guests!

Details: www.botanyconference.org/workshops/wo...

I’ll see you there!!!

I’ll be there!!!

Hi Folks! Myself and the Barberan Lab at U of A are still looking for a PhD student to work on an NSF funded project exploring effects of fire and invasion on soil microbes. We are looking for someone to start in Fall! SOON! Email me if you are interested! PLS Repost!

@EsaSeeds

NSF halts grant awards while staff do second review Action comes after DOGE team arrives at science agency

🧪

www.science.org/content/arti...

Very cool!!!

A promotional graphic for Botany 2025, taking place in Palm Springs, California, from July 26-30. The top features a circular logo with an illustration of a desert landscape, palm trees, and flowers. Below the logo, bold purple and white text announces "REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!" with a reminder that "Early Registration ends April 30th." The background showcases a stunning desert scene with bright yellow wildflowers and rugged mountains under a partly cloudy sky. Logos of affiliated botanical organizations are displayed at the bottom.

🌴 #Botany2025 Registration is OPEN! 🌵

Join us in Palm Springs, July 26-30!

Deadlines:
• Early Registration – April 30
• Abstracts – April 14
• Sectional Awards – TOMORROW
• Hardship & Pro Travel Awards – April 15

Info: www.botanyconference.org
Register: www.botanyconference.org/registration...

ELAC2025 Te invitamos a ser parte de una experiencia única, un espacio dedicado a reflexionar sobre la historia, los retos actuales y los horizontes futuros de la Ecología en América Latina. El propósito de es...

¿Te interesa formar parte de un espacio de encuentro para ecólogos latinoamericanos? Únete a la conversación sobre los retos y desafíos de la ecología en la región.

📅 Regístrate aquí 👉 sites.google.com/view/elac202...

#EcologíaLatinoamericana #ColoquioEcología #CienciaLatAm

GUBIC: The global urban biological invasions compendium for plants By integrating multiple data sources, we compiled a Global Urban Biological Invasions Compendium (GUBIC) for vascular plants representing 553 urban centres from 61 countries across every continent ex....

The global urban non-native flora is out! Seven years of work with amazing colleagues. GUBIC includes >8K species for 550 cities across the globe. bit.ly/3Fbj1wI. And the data available here zenodo.org/records/1455.... @djli.bsky.social @flamontano.bsky.social @smartenwinter.bsky.social

48 Scientific Societies Representing Almost 100,000 Scientists Ask Congress to Protect the Future of Science 48 scientific societies representing almost 100,000 scientists signed on to a letter asking Congress to protect the future of science

Forty-seven scientific societies have signed a letter organized by the @ucsusa.bsky.social urging Congress to protect federally funded research and federal scientists:

www.ucsusa.org/about/news/s...

We are experiencing an assault on science unparalleled by anything I’ve seen in my life. It’s not one issue or another anymore, the entire institution is under attack by the most powerful individuals in the country.

This Friday, where will you be?

standupforscience2025.org