Aparna Bamzai-Dodson

Witness in horror and then act in love.

If you don't do the first part, you get crazy, but also, if you ONLY do the first part, you get crazy.

Federal Science Workforce Declines Sharply Under Trump The last year was marked by turmoil at science agencies and the administration’s stated desire to shrink the federal workforce.

"Federal science agencies shed more jobs in the past year than they did over the last two decades of steady decline ... The number of federal employees in the physical sciences fell 12% from 2024 to 2025, compared to an 8% decline from 1998 to 2024." 🧪

USGS lost ~20%.

www.aip.org/fyi/federal-...

A map of Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas showing the North Central grassland ecoregions, including tall grass, northern mixed grass, central mixed grass, shortgrass, and sagebursh-grassland ecotone.

A new report led by CIRES scientists in the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC) synthesizes critical knowledge “needs” that can support grassland management goals in a changing climate.
pubs.usgs.gov/publication/...

In person only!! 😔

a woman in a floral dress says thank you to another woman ALT: a woman in a floral dress says thank you to another woman

I know it's a weird time to ask for syllabus suggestions, but I need to update my qualitative methods class. Please share your top recommendations for recent books that are based on: interview data, analysis of textual/media data, ethnographic methods so I have something to read this break!

Qualitative Literacy by Mario Small, Jessica Calarco - Paper Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.

I found this incredibly helpful and it has plenty of concrete examples to support the ideas presented - Qualitative Literacy: A Guide to Evaluating Ethnographic and Interview Research by Small and Calarco

www.ucpress.edu/books/qualit...

With conference presentations, webinars, and preprint servers, double blind often doesn’t accomplish its goals. I wish it could be opt out (same with reviewer anonymity). Had a reviewer self disclose once and it led to substantive dialogue and exchange that improved the manuscript.

Everyone getting excited about #AGU25??

To keep up with the madness, I've updated my AGU conference feeds! Collects posts from the official AGU account, + #AGU25 and #AGU2025 hashtags

AGU 2025 is chronological: bsky.app/profile/did:...

What's Hot AGU25 for algorithm sort: bsky.app/profile/did:...

Advertisement stating - Join AGU Science and Society at AGU25! Graphic includes a QR code and a URL: bit.ly/AGUSciSociety

So sad to not be able to attend #AGU25 #AGU2025 this year. The Science and Society Section has a great line up of sessions and events this year. Make sure to check them out if you’ll be there!

connect.agu.org/scienceandso...

It should be opt out available (as should reviewer anonymity).

An advertising graphic for the Public Service Viewpoint Survey. Two speech bubbles say "Federal workers'" and "opinions matter!". Learn more and take the survey at: ourpublicservice.org/PSVS

Federal workers - take @ourpublicservice.bsky.social's Public Service Viewpoint Survey. This is your chance to share honest feedback on your workplace and leaders, with strong privacy safeguards like FEVS. Your voice matters! app.sosha.ai/s/3OpzIxKg

James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.

“Anyone sincerely interested in understanding the imbalance in the representation of men and women in science must reasonably be prepared at least to consider the extent to which nature may figure, even with the clear evidence that nurture is strongly implicated.” 🤮

www.statnews.com/2025/11/07/j...

Pileated woodpecker?

Dismantling of US federal agencies will ‘destroy science’ From NASA to the National Institutes of Health, federal agencies conduct research that universities cannot. Agency scientists speak out about the irreplaceable facilities, institutional knowledge and ...

"Science is being destroyed across many agencies" say federal researchers.

For my latest @nature.com piece, I spoke to 19 different scientists across EPA, NOAA, NIH, NASA, and USGS to document how science is being dismantled across US federal agencies.

Timeline cleanse? Usually cute / nice / happy photos

bsky.app/profile/did:...

Shared understanding of how these processes and tools relate to one another supports clear communication, efficient coordination, and, ultimately, cross-jurisdictional collaboration in adaptation.

We demonstrate the similarities of different adaptation planning approaches, offer a generalized process for climate-informed resource-stewardship planning, and clarify how several tools relate to and enhance the process.

However, with the rapid proliferation of processes and tools has come confusion about how they relate to one another and whether or how they can be used in complementary ways.

Climate-change adaptation planning tools have proliferated in recent years, as have processes that integrate those tools into planning.

A generalized adaptation planning process depicting the stages at which various tools can be applied. For simplicity, recursive steps are not shown. SBDA = Scenario-Based Decision Analysis; SDM = Structured Decision Making; CCSP = Climate Change Scenario Planning; CCVA = climate change vulnerability assessment; RAD = Resist–Accept–Direct; RRT = Resistance–Resilience–Transformation.

Excited to share our new paper: Toward a shared vision for climate-informed resource stewardship - doi.org/10.1002/fee....

🌎 🧪 👩🏽‍🔬 #geosky

Trump officials shut off funding for climate adaptation centers A third of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers are expected to drastically wind down and possibly close after Sept. 30.

Despite broad political support, one third of the nation's Climate Adaptation Science Centers will wind down in coming days due to lack of funds.

The Northeast, South Central, and Pacific Islands will be left without actionable science on drought, floods, wildfire, sea level rise and other hazards.

More looming climate and weather science funding casualties Three of USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers threatened by lack of funding; threat of tropical impacts to the Southeast continues to grow

South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center announced yesterday they are 1 of 3 USGS regional centers that will have to sharply reduce ops on 10/1 due to lack of funding. More details on this - as well as details of increasing tropical threat to the SE US, here: tinyurl.com/36bc86mh

The Interior Department is taking steps to implement layoffs After a series of delays, DOI is preparing RIF lists as it looks to implement significant personnel cuts in the coming weeks.

Hugely concerning to see layoffs threatened since April may move ahead at Dept of the Interior. Our Climate Adaptation Science Center colleagues at USGS have already lost 30% of their team from retirements, buyouts and layoffs; DOI has lost 11% on average. Planned layoffs may double these losses.

Hope is not a strategy, no matter how much we want it to be.

Placing hope in some possible-but not guaranteed-good outcome that is still over a year away is folly. Show me a plan for now that is based on current risks. Then, show me contingency plans based on predictable bad things happening. 1/

The Practice and Assessment of Science: Five Foundational Flaws in the Department of Energy's 2025 Climate Report Adopted by the Executive Committee of the AMS Council on 27 August 2025

AMS released a statement on climate change today that points out five foundational flaws with the Department of Energy's 2025 climate report: www.ametsoc.org/ams/about-am...

America’s Forum for Wildlife · National Wildlife Federation The sound science and programs that protect our wildlife, air, and water are being quickly and drastically eliminated by the federal government, threatening the species and people we love. We will not...

Federal programs provide the science that safeguards ecosystems, economies, and communities. 🦅
At America’s Forum for Wildlife, explore how agencies like the Forest Service, NOAA, & USGS shape healthy futures for people & wildlife. #StandUpForWildlife

RSVP: ow.ly/nFw050WLkWU

a woman is laughing and saying `` i laugh to keep from crying '' . Alt: a woman is laughing and saying “I laugh to keep from crying”

As a colleague once told me - the smiles hold the screams inside.

Federal agencies hiding out in a bunker

A portrait of a man in glasses and a button up standing in front of an office building with a serious expression on his face.

“What’s happening in the United States is a degradation of democracy... There are attitudes, norms, and values that prevent corruption, and they’re fraying.”

english.elpais.com/usa/2025-07-...