Virginia Schutte

Virginia Schutte

@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Independent (freelance) #SciComm practitioner: storyteller, consultant, trainer. Specialties: social media, communications strategy, building community. Background: (marine) ecology PhD. Open to work. VirginiaSchutte.com

4.1K followers264 following2K posts

Virginia Schutte reposted

Micro SF/F by O. Westin
@microsff.com

The God of Bad Art gets offerings from all over the world, but in Their temple, They sometimes appear. "Why bad art?" I ask. "It is brave", the God replies. "To try and fail?" "No," the God chuckles. "Any creative work is a defiance of entropy, of Death itself. If you create, you do not fail."

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Evergreen reminder that Springer Nature was created from a merger in 2015 with 47% ownership by a private equity firm. Estimated worth then was €5B+. They went public in late 2024 and value dropped a lot after, so the owners are super motivated to increase valuation before they sell more shares

Dr Dan Shugar 🇨🇦@watershedlab.bsky.social

Fuck right off with this bullshit.

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Huh. A crossover from social media, maybe? The gurus sharing courses, worksheets, and free solutions on a post to get you into their sales pipeline set up automatic triggers- anyone who comments "learning" or whatever gets an auto-generated DM with the secret strategy to teach your kids to be great

Katie Mack@astrokatie.com

It’s so weird how many of the scammy AI e-mails end with something like: “One word back is enough: ‘details.’” As though the major barrier keeping people from taking up their amazing offer is the need to choose and type multiple words. (I suspect it’s just to make the response filter easier.)

Virginia Schutte reposted

HulloThere
@jethroreading32.bsky.social

Three years ago, my dad said that all fish are the same shape. Out of spite, I decided to draw all 478 families of bony fish listed in Nelson 2016. There's still some stuff I need to edit and some fish I want to redraw but, after 985 days, I finished my big dumb fish project last night.

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

It me- I'm on 2 sessions that I'll only get to do if 🧪 and #SciComm vote for them! 1. Your audience is escaping! Community-building with a cozy web social media strategy - short talk w data 2. LIFTing Scicomm Trainers - revise a promotion/career advancement doc www.asc-voting.org?category=Sho...

asc-voting.orgASC Science Talk '27 — Proposal VotingVote for the short talks, panels and workshops you want at Science Talk '27. Voting closes Fri, Oct 30 at 11:59 PM Pacific.
Association of Science Communicators@sciencetalkorg.bsky.social

Community voting is open, and we want to hear which sessions you’d like to attend. Browse the proposals, read more about the ones that catch your attention, and vote for your favorites. Vote now: www.asc-voting.org/?utm_source=...

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Fathomverse is an app/game where players ID animals from real underwater dives in mini games, which gives scientists a labeled image library that also helps them with auto-processing tools It's a game that's also a feedback loop of scientific understanding and efficiency. I love it!

Dr. Kakani Katija@kakanikatija.bsky.social

Alright ocean 🌊 lovers, I could really use your help right now. FathomVerse, a citizen science 🧪 app for discovering ocean life 🦑, has been nominated for the Anthem Impact Awards (Sustainability, Environment, Climate). Please vote and help us win! celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting...

us.list-manage.comYOU can amplify the voices that spark global changeJoin me in celebrating the impact of this Anthem Awards finalist.

Virginia Schutte reposted

Caræsten 🇵🇸
@cara.city

I know it’s sorta cheesy but someone posted this from Paris on Reddit and I felt this immediate rush of hope

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

I've resigned from my position with World Congress of Science and Factual Producers. I'm extremely proud of the work I did to create opportunities for folks in the digital community, first as Chair of the Digital Sub-Committee (2023-2024) and then as Co-Chair of the Editorial Committee (2025)

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

If you are looking for a digital impact producer, please get in touch- I would love to keep contributing to the factual film world I create and execute strategies that use digital tools to connect people w the ideas/issues in documentaries (whether distributed digitally or via linear programming)

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

150 people signed up for today's session + the one on Tuesday, when usually I get around 15-30 for one of these sessions. I'm excited to see how I can help, and very aware that this is a reflection of the current state of the job market. So, pumped and sad at the same time

Virginia Schutte@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Free career coaching! Subject: getting a job- #SciComm and/or 🧪 Thurs Oct 22, 2pm ET Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... Requested by someone who wants a scicomm job, but we'll talk about: - how to market yourself for any job - translatable skills and search strategies (bc it's chaos rn!)

us06web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Love to see it, hate that it's a thing

Sara Sneath@sarasneath.bsky.social

"It may be a club none of its members actually want to be in, but the growing number of people in the US affected by extreme weather disasters are starting to organize into a political force." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

theguardian.comUS extreme weather survivors are a growing group – now they want to be a political forceAt a gathering in Texas, near where floods killed 136 people last year, survivors are united on the need for urgent action

Virginia Schutte reposted

Nnedi Okorafor, PhD
@nnedi.bsky.social

This owl was getting banded and tagged by the Rocky Point Bird Observatory. For the owl’s safety, he/she was wrapped up. These photos…🤣🦉. So cute.

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/vgws...

Virginia Schutte@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Just added another session next Tuesday, Oct 27 at 2pm ET. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... And 48 people are already signed up for Thursday! This is going to be fun

us06web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Just added another session next Tuesday, Oct 27 at 2pm ET. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... And 48 people are already signed up for Thursday! This is going to be fun

us06web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Virginia Schutte@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Free career coaching! Subject: getting a job- #SciComm and/or 🧪 Thurs Oct 22, 2pm ET Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... Requested by someone who wants a scicomm job, but we'll talk about: - how to market yourself for any job - translatable skills and search strategies (bc it's chaos rn!)

us06web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Virginia Schutte reposted

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Free career coaching! Subject: getting a job- #SciComm and/or 🧪 Thurs Oct 22, 2pm ET Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... Requested by someone who wants a scicomm job, but we'll talk about: - how to market yourself for any job - translatable skills and search strategies (bc it's chaos rn!)

us06web.zoom.usWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SciComm Office Hours: getting a job. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

A few ppl have dropped and we have slots open for this free, virtual coaching series starting tomorrow! We want to support faculty/staff/etc doing #SciComm research, teaching, and enabling in higher ed. Our series is NSF-funded as part of a larger study: how can we nudge academic culture?

Virginia Schutte@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Looking for life sciences 🧪 faculty/staff/trainers who want science communication to be more valued w/in academia We built an NSF-funded coaching program to help you w/ #SciComm in job & award apps, promotion materials, curriculum proposals, etc. We want to help you get more respect, credit, & pay

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

If tomorrow's series doesn't suit your schedule, then you can indicate which other dates work best for you when you submit our interest form bsky.app/profile/vgws...

Virginia Schutte@vgwschutte.bsky.social

We're offering 3 versions- you choose one, all free: - In-person workshops at EEBC meetings over the next 2 years - Online workshops Nov 17, 2026 and Feb 10, May 4, and Jun 23, 2027 - A cohort-based coaching program, run weekly Oct 20-Nov 10, 2026; and Jan 13-Feb 3, Apr 6-27, and May 26-Jun 16, 2027

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

If you can't make this meeting, just contact me to request a day/time of your choice, or to schedule for a different topic All are welcome! I do these open discussions bc it lets me give customized time just as I would during a private call, but without charging my private client coaching rates

Virginia Schutte reposted

Joseph Rezek
@rezekjoe.bsky.social

My heart breaks for mathematicians whose lives and careers are being destroyed by AI — and especially this PhD student, who doesn’t even know he is a poet

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Thought the pic was pizza at first

Alexa Robles-Gil@alexaroblesgil.bsky.social

Scientists have long wanted to understand the neural basis for camouflage in cephalopods. How does the cuttlefish, which studies suggest is colorblind, take in the visual world and project it on its skin in as little as a second? My latest for the NYT: www.nytimes.com/2026/10/12/s... #marinelife

nytimes.comHow Do Cuttlefish Hide? Scientists Search for the Secret to Camouflage. (Gift Article)Cephalopods are masters of camouflage. Scientists want to decipher how the process works in the brain.

Virginia Schutte reposted

ashley fairbanks
@ziibiing.com

fun fact: in 1992, berkley replaced columbus day with Indigenous Peoples day. then no other city or state did until 2014,when i was a policy aide for Alondra Cano and some friends and i convinced her to pass the resolution in Minneapolis. i got to write it and plan the celebration.

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

I got to design an exhibit/education plan earlier this year for the Ute Indian Museum in Colorado. I was nervous to wander the museum- how could it be anything but horrible to know the details of how the Ute have been treated? But the museum ended with this exact message ⬇️ and...

This post is unavailable.
Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

... after saying "we are still here", the rest of the museum was an invitation for visitors to know and understand modern Ute tribes. Details about ceremonies, how to join festivals, etc. The end destination for the museum's story was joy. The Ute Indian Museum is one of my favorite museums ❤️

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Can't recommend Elevation Science Institute enough! - Sites are accessible - The guys who run it have extensive emergency/medical experience, hire diverse staff, etc - Most productive vert sites in the country - Regularly advancing science - Digging on many many real bones absolutely guaranteed

Rosemary Mosco@rosemarymosco.com

Fossil nerds/paleontologists: A friend has a cool kid in the US looking for a fossil adventure for his make a wish trip after cancer treatment. Any suggestions for a place to travel and see or dig up fossils?

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

I get asked a lot abut podcasts, specifically video. YouTube is the biggest podcasting platform and you should have your (#SciComm) show on it, but being on YT is all about discovery Spotify plays another episode of the podcast you just listened to after the current episode ends. Meanwhile...

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

...YouTube suggests something else you might like based on what you just listened to + their algorithm, which is very often from a different podcast, show, etc. Discovery happens on YouTube, specifically, even if a user behaves the same (listens to podcasts in the same way) across platforms

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

Don't waste budget on fancy imagery: transcripts or cover art or waveforms are all standard practice, or you could literally put up a split screen of the people who are talking to one another. Many people play from YouTube but they're folding laundry, cooking, etc.- listening, not watching

Virginia Schutte reposted

cara giaimo
@cjgiaimo.bsky.social

i was fortunate enough to profile Margaret Hamilton in 2019. A really kind and curious person. This was my favorite story she told me:

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

19 people I follow also follow Dietram Scheufele (@ dietram bsky social). So I want to share this news again, because we all need to know But we also *really* need to talk about enabling and safety: we'll have to protect ourselves and our community members since universities are choosing not to

Terry McGlynn@hormiga.bsky.social

19 people who follow my account also follow this guy's account. I am assuming at least half of y'all aren't aware of this egregious case of misconduct. Please take a moment to learn about your colleagues who are unsafe for trainees. captimes.com/news/educati...

captimes.comUW-Madison students, records detail investigation of professorDietram Scheufele resigned after investigators determined he had sexual relationships with two students and engaged in unwelcome sexual conduct with one.
View full thread
Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

I can try and make sure others in #SciComm know about all this, but I'm unfortunately not in a position to bestow or take away privileges or prestige. And phew do these folks have them! bsky.app/profile/jona...

Jonathan Jarry@jonathanjarry.bsky.social

This is *the* textbook on science communication. Look whose name is on the cover. Look who one of the contributors is. These are important people! These accusations do not invalidate the content of this book; but it's a reminder that you can be skilled at what you do and act immorally.

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

If you are like me: tell people in your networks. Unfollow. Apply the pressure you can. If you are closer to the source: what are *you* going to do to keep our community safe? No more on our watch.

Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

19 people I follow also follow Dietram Scheufele (@ dietram bsky social). So I want to share this news again, because we all need to know But we also *really* need to talk about enabling and safety: we'll have to protect ourselves and our community members since universities are choosing not to

Terry McGlynn@hormiga.bsky.social

19 people who follow my account also follow this guy's account. I am assuming at least half of y'all aren't aware of this egregious case of misconduct. Please take a moment to learn about your colleagues who are unsafe for trainees. captimes.com/news/educati...

captimes.comUW-Madison students, records detail investigation of professorDietram Scheufele resigned after investigators determined he had sexual relationships with two students and engaged in unwelcome sexual conduct with one.
View full thread
Virginia Schutte
@vgwschutte.bsky.social

19 people I follow also follow Dietram Scheufele (@ dietram bsky social). So I want to share this news again, because we all need to know But we also *really* need to talk about enabling and safety: we'll have to protect ourselves and our community members since universities are choosing not to

Terry McGlynn@hormiga.bsky.social

19 people who follow my account also follow this guy's account. I am assuming at least half of y'all aren't aware of this egregious case of misconduct. Please take a moment to learn about your colleagues who are unsafe for trainees. captimes.com/news/educati...

captimes.comUW-Madison students, records detail investigation of professorDietram Scheufele resigned after investigators determined he had sexual relationships with two students and engaged in unwelcome sexual conduct with one.