Dr. Mia de los Reyes
@MiaDoesAstro
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Astronomy professor at Amherst College. She/her/hers, Filipina-American, rock climber, aerialist, avid eater of baked goods. Views my own.
Palo Alto, CA
Joined January 2017
you ever meet someone at a similar career stage and immediately realize they're better than you in every conceivable way?.
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More life news! This summer I'll be starting as a @Stanford Science Fellow. and in fall 2023, I'm going to join @AmherstCollege as an assistant professor of astronomy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. This feels absolutely surreal.
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trying to teach my newest student about star formation, but we're having some difficulties with attention span
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it is apparently National Physics Day, so I'm gonna celebrate by submitting my PhD thesis.
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people KNEW. people at multiple institutions—at the very least, UCL, Fermilab, and Caltech (quelle surprise)—knew that man had a track record of problematic behavior, and yet he was allowed to stay in a position where he continued to harass someone.
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please tell me someone has written a fake marriage friends-to-lovers romance where two best friends decide to get married so a university will spousal hire them.
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successfully convinced a friend that JRR Tolkien's full name was Jolkien Rolkien Rolkien Tolkien.
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about to submit my first postdoc application, send good vibes pls.
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lmao @ Caltech Title IX reaching out to me now. like where have you been the last 5 years???? oh that's right, ignoring our concerns and offering no solutions when complaints have been made.
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We got engaged a few weeks ago! Here is an extremely belated picture to prove it, which is v nerdy for multiple reasons:. 1. my eyes are puffy from crying (lmao, yes I know, v cringe),.2. I was wearing my @astrobites sweater at the time, and. (prepare for nerdy scicomm ahead)
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omg @Stanford already starting with blatant union-busting rhetoric: "Stanford’s relationship with our graduate students is, first and foremost, an educational one.". babe no, grad students are *workers* whose labor props up the university, come on we've been through this.
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In undergrad, one of my professors told the class, "You are not any more or any less special than anyone else." I think about that a lot. I think it might have been the most important lesson I ever learned in college.
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tempted to start each chapter of my thesis with a dedication to a different person: "this chapter was written in spite of [name]".
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flight attendant: is there a doctor on the plane?. me: I mean, give me like 9 months, and also not that kind of doctor—. flight attendant: the pilots are debating the dominant channel of Type Ia supernovae in low-mass galaxies. me: well shit, let me know if they figure it out.
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This #InternationalWomenAndGirlsInScienceDay, I am reflecting on how women mentors are the reason I am about to graduate with a PhD in astrophysics. I nearly dropped the physics major, nearly didn't go into astro, nearly left grad school—but other women kept me going.
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it has been 0 days since I accidentally missed a meeting because I got the timezones wrong.
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hey why the fuck are we still letting known sexual harassers be on papers
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me during a social interaction: yes this is good and fun!.me 5min after a social interaction: hmm was I being kinda weird?.me, lying in bed later at night: I am an embarrassing sham of a human being.
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Maybe it's a bit premature to say this, but: I'm really happy in my new position! I'm literally feeling my joy in astronomy returning! It's striking—I'm so relieved to feel this joy again, but at the same time I think I'm just now realizing how acutely miserable I was at Caltech.
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@Caltech is followed by 100k people. But what most prospective grad students don't know is how absolutely toxic it is. Here are some tips and tricks that will change your life:.
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my dissertation is due on Monday, and I have a whole half chapter left to write!!!!!!!! brb gonna scream into the void.
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hot take that IMO should not be that hot: academic reviewers should always strive to be constructive! even if you don't agree with the paper, or think the authors missed something big or did something questionable! the point is to help make the paper better, not be a dick!.
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does anyone else get an extreme adrenaline rush from giving a talk? or is it just me who has to sip water for at least 5 minutes afterward so i can stop physically vibrating.
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casual reminder to everyone applying for stuff to check your spam filters!!!!!! signed, someone who is possibly disqualified from a national fellowship.
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ok so I slept on it and can now maybe articulate my personal opinions re: the Caltech Astro department in a more rational way. first, here are reasons to apply to Caltech Astro:.1. reputation.2. resources.
@Caltech is followed by 100k people. But what most prospective grad students don't know is how absolutely toxic it is. Here are some tips and tricks that will change your life:.
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As promised, here are some sample questions to ask at the end of a PhD program interview:.- How do students get matched to advisors? Can students work with multiple advisors? Can students work with non-faculty (postdocs, staff scientists)?.
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the things I still love about astronomy are the things I love about people: that stars carry memories of past generations of stars. that when stars die, what they leave behind enriches future generations. that individual galaxies can interact with and influence other galaxies.
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hey do any astronomers have any stories about getting rejections (papers, proposals, etc.)? I am having a bad day and would love a reminder that failure is normal.
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me: how did you decide between job offers?.my advisor, with zero hesitation: pagan rituals.
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me: why did you use this IMF in your old paper?.my advisor: you know, Mia, if you ask about my life choices in the last decade, I would make a few changes.
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speaking it into existence: tomorrow, I will become a doctor of astronomy and Leni Robredo will become president of the Philippines!.
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My PhD defense will be next week, on Monday, May 9 at 2pm PT! If you would like to watch, wait, and/or commiserate, the first 20min will be open to the public—DM for the Zoom link
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Here are some interview tips for US-based astro grad programs! . (Source: my experience on grad interview committees at Caltech Astro a few years ago. Take with a grain of salt—all programs are different, and admissions committees change every year!) 🧵.
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Astronomy is done by humans and for humans. Astronomers who refuse to keep humanity at the core of their scientific practice—for example, astronomers who reward those who mistreat others—are badly misusing their privilege.
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1. Don't go to Caltech! Especially not the astronomy department.
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I really don't want to put a queerphobe's name in my thesis. NASA, please #renameJWST so I can finish my PhD!!!!.
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i'm beginning to suspect that i don't have what it takes to stay in astronomy.
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thread of the authors who have removed themselves from this paper, at least that I've heard about. we love to see it.
“Who would publish with exoplanet’s most notorious sexual harasser?” oh, look, it’s these people ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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what i mean by that is: i don't think i can keep studying galaxies when the world is literally on fire. i don't think i can stay in a field where harassers are given second chances, while so many talented and qualified white women and (especially!) people of color are forced out.
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I have no respect for people who are privileged enough to be astronomers and use it as an excuse to treat others badly.
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the way people are reacting more strongly to the scientific misconduct part than the sexual harasser part says a lot about our community's priorities.
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10 years ago, I gave my first astro research talk as a baby summer student at @stsci. Today, I gave a talk wearing the exact same outfit, because despite my best efforts I have not grown a single inch since then 😭
@MiaDoesAstro just gave a great talk about DIVE Survey, advocating for IFU surveys to connect resolved and integrated regime #northeast_dwarfs
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look i'm not asking for much, just for every single part of the academic job application process to not make me feel like the most unworthy piece of garbage in the world.
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it is world circus day! my thesis is making me feel like a piece of sentient garbage, so here is a picture of me doing something that makes me happy
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time for today's daily round of "why am I so unmotivated to do work?" .A: my bodily autonomy is under attack.B: I'm dealing with harassers with power in my field.C: I'm burned out from applying for jobs.D: I'm burned out from astronomy in general.vote now on your phones!.
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just thinking about this, and how I know far too many current grad students who (barring the slim chance they take a good hard look at their behavior and truly put in the work to change) absolutely should not be allowed to have power over future students.
This is a real stain on the @Harvard astronomy program too. Toxic professors don't come from nowhere. Grad programs (and undergrad programs) need to recognize and eliminate this behavior before abusers have any power over junior scientists.
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reading @Caltech's campus climate survey has convinced me, more than ever before, that I cannot in good conscience recommend this institution for anyone who is not a cis white man.
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you know, people told me that being a postdoc could be lonely, but I didn't really get it until now.
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I think this might be my last post on here, but at least I'll go out doing what I love: yelling into the void about how academic institutions need to change.
Astronomers call on the @IAU_org and other institutions to rename galaxies and facilities bearing the name of Ferdinand Magellan, a colonial explorer who enslaved and murdered Indigenous people. Read more in this Opinion by @MiaDoesAstro.
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I have avoided talking (and tweeting) about #JWSTlaunch for weeks to keep from jinxing it, so you're all welcome.
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life hack! if you want to feel sad for no reason at all, strongly recommend getting only 3 hours of sleep and then coming home to a lonely apartment and thinking about how much you miss your family and friends.
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AFAIK, I'm the first Filipina astronomy prof in the US. so it feels very fitting that I'm giving my first conference talk as a prof (and my first as an invited speaker!) in 2 days at a national Filipino physics conference. maraming salamat @samahangpisika for the honor!.
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they get to continue to interact with students. they get hired. they get fellowships. and it's fine because "that's just how they are" or "they don't really understand social cues" or "but they're brilliant at research".
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i did a photoshoot. (ps i strongly recommend for all your aerial photography needs)
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I wrote a paper (with the help of @alexanderpji and the evan^2 team: @evannkirby & @EvanHazeNunez) about my favorite galaxy in the universe! . (yes, there is a galaxy there!). 📸: NASA/Wikimedia
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and the sad thing is that i'm not even shocked! this is par for the fucking course! i am being reminded, once again, of all the times i have tried to tell people in positions of power about harassers and bullies—and been ignored, over and over again.
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update: roomba was found with the remains of my sister's cello bow
in other news, my parents somehow lost their roomba?? how does one lose a roomba????.
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me: I feel like an impostor.me: but it's definitely not impostor syndrome.me: it's just that I'm not good at anything, and I've fooled people into hiring me, and soon they're going to realize I'm actually incompetent.me: but I don't have impostor syndrome.my therapist: . .
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I was not a fan of #DontLookUp for two reasons: (1) it never really acknowledges the *systemic* nature of the failure of capitalism, and (2) "we're all gonna die, and there's nothing we can do about it" is a boring and distasteful theme to me personally.
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I'm giving a talk this Thursday on cultural astronomy! I'm gonna talk about Magellan as a case study for colonialist narratives in Western astro—who gets erased from the narrative, and who gets honored? DM for the Zoom link (no registration required)!.
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look. if you've had good experiences in academia, that's actually really great! you didn't feel negative effects from some lack of privilege? you enjoyed your time at an institution? honestly that's dope and I'm so happy for you!. but also: not everyone has good experiences!!!.
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it's the grad students who said "oh it's just how they are." it's the advisor who didn't step in, even after being told. it's the collaborators who wrote rec letters. it's the title ix officers who did nothing. all these people who are perfectly nice and well-meaning, and yet.
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had a dream where one of the physics majors who was a jerk to me in undergrad showed up at my practice thesis defense and said "you used to want so badly to prove yourself. what happened?" and then i woke up. i kind of want to punch my subconscious in the face.
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maybe. there are bigger problems in academia than coming up with overgeneralized, absolute rules for email etiquette. .
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much of the US "leadership" in astronomy is actually a hegemony historically produced by and currently enforced by imperialism and colonialism, send tweet.
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ok hear me out: what if we all just go back to the old scientific names of the LMC and SMC (Nubecula Major and Nubecula Minor, respectively, or "the Nubeculae" for both)? . then we don't have to use the name of a murderous colonizer and slaver! ALSO these names are dope.
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Met a kindred spirit at the Miyazaki exhibit in LA today 👀
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FOUND THE OP from the ancient depths of tumblr, I dare you to read this without crying
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all these people who care about equity and inclusion. all these people who believe in doing the right thing. all these people who KNEW, and yet they did nothing.
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personally I think a more appropriate title would have been "Caltech was dragged kicking and screaming to make the tiniest of steps forward in confronting its racist past. Here's what happened" but otherwise I am v glad to see student activists featured here!!!.
NEW: Caltech confronted its racist past. Here’s what happened
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i am not comfortable sharing about my experiences with this publicly on twitter dot com, but suffice it to say that being on a grad admissions committee was one of the things that convinced me that my department was unlikely to improve on any meaningful timescale.
3) Serving on search committees is a waste of the student’s time, as it doesn’t usually lead to changing the decision process. It can actually lead to students feeling disillusioned and fatigued, with the effect that they stop resisting. Ultimately I think this is the point.
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thinking this morning about how many other grad students I know who have said variations of "well, that's just how they are" or "but I've never experienced them being like that, so it must not be real!". these are future professors, advisors, deans, department heads.
just thinking about this, and how I know far too many current grad students who (barring the slim chance they take a good hard look at their behavior and truly put in the work to change) absolutely should not be allowed to have power over future students.
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and also, yeah, i simply don't think i'll be successful enough in my postdoc applications to get a position that would allow me to be happy. is this logical? maybe not! my institution has definitely screwed up my self-worth and my perception of what it means to be "good enough".
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every fucking day i wake up furious that this person is still in astronomy—with a prestigious fellowship, even—when so many talented people get pushed out or forced to struggle desperately to stay in the field. and it's not just the fellowship's fault, is the thing.
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someone asked me today if, despite everything they read about in my tweets, there's anything that I still love about astronomy. didn't realize my twitter was that depressing, sorry y'all.
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culture and climate among our fellows, now and in the future, and continue to increase diversity, equity, and inclusive cultures in the greater field of astronomy." . I mean ok but you decided to give a harasser a fellowship anyway!.
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surprisingly, my major feeling re: #Astro2020 is. hope? so, so much warmth and love for all the folks (especially junior folks!) who are working to make our field better. many of y'all are my friends and collaborators, and I am just so lucky to know you.
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abortion rights are human rights. trans rights are human rights.
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exactly this. abusers know exactly where the line is. they stop just short of obviously-reportable behaviors, so they never have to face consequences.
@AstroJoeC @UniLeiden Seeing him at ESO having a sort of phase transition, when a young woman was entering the room was really disturbing. He was behaving weirdly with young women even in front of others, but he seemed to know exactly where the limits were. Apparently, it went worse.
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idk I just really feel like the universe is trying to tell me something
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i would v much like if people just stopped offering unsolicited advice. please just. commiserate with me??? and i promise i will tell you if i am actively looking for advice!.
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in horrible news, I just learned that I have had an active email account at my new institution for over a month, and there are already hundreds of unread emails waiting for me.
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reading grad apps and thinking we should just give some of y'all PhDs already.
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the PhD admissions process is often frustratingly opaque! so in the interest of transparency, here's the rubric I developed when I served on US astro PhD admissions committees at two different institutions:
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Not only do I complain about institutional problems, I also do 🌟science🌟 Here's a video of me making weird facial expressions while explaining my most recent paper (with Evan Kirby, @alexanderpji, and @EvanHazeNunez). Thanks to Frank @AAS_Office for the nice chat!.
Mia de los Reyes @MiaDoesAstro (@caltech) chats about the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy in this latest AAS Journal Author Series video: #Astronomy #ExploreAstronomy
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tired: "Dear members of the search committee, I am excited to apply for X postdoc position at Y University". wired: "Dear members of the search committee, I am a fan-ganese of manganese and you can be too! in this essay, I will—".
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usually people do this measurement by looking at the colors of stars, but this is super hard when the galaxy is ancient! it's like looking at 2 bananas and trying to tell how ripe they are: pretty easy when they're still fresh, way harder when they're both super old
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I remember this post, about how even when humans are long gone, if other beings find the things we left behind and wonder what we were like, the robots can say "when they made us, they called us spirit. curiosity. perseverance. they must have thought that was important.".
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day 3 of tweeting insults @elonmusk until I get kicked off this website: Elon Musk is about as useful as a croissant dildo. doesn't get the job done and makes a huge mess.
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this thesis brought to you by (checks notes) spite, sleep-deprivation, and a whole lotta boba.
it is apparently National Physics Day, so I'm gonna celebrate by submitting my PhD thesis.
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@ astrotwitter: starting a campaign to rename LMC/SMC (and other things in astronomy named after Magellan)—let me know if you want to be looped in.
@rareflwr41 @davidwhogg @astroriley @katestoreyfish I'm going to draft some text and start contacting IAU folks if anyone wants to help.
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it's almost like. there's a pattern of (Caltech) professors prioritizing their research above the consent of Indigenous communities. hmmmmmmmm.
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It is a tremendous privilege to get to do astronomy research. There are so many people who could be amazing at this job but just haven't had the right resources. There are so many people who already *are* amazing at this job but who have actively been pushed out of the field.
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1. if you want to learn astronomy from good teachers. Caltech Astro requires 7 core courses, and maybe 1 of them will be well-taught… if you’re lucky. nearly all Caltech profs are, at best, indifferent teachers. most astronomy you actually learn will be self-taught.
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