BehemothhhOct 7, 2023
Timnit Gebru (she/her).

Wow it gets better.

“she was forced to leave Temple University for neighbouring UPenn after a dispute with her boss, who then attempted to have her deported.”

& Penn

“They issued an ultimatum, if she wanted to continue working with mRNA she would lose her prestigious faculty position, & face a…pay cut.”

”…that same week, I had just been diagnosed with cancer…I was facing 2 operations, & my husband, who had gone back to Hungary to pick up his green card…got stranded…”

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mrna-coronavirus-vaccine-pfizer-biontech

How mRNA went from a scientific backwater to a pandemic crusher

For decades, Katalin Karikó's work into mRNA therapeutics was overlooked by her colleagues. Now it's at the heart of the two leading coronavirus vaccines

WIRED UK
Oct 3, 2023 at 2:43pmWeb
Show threadDanaBlankenhornOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru I will admit that this is sort of a mild version of the story.
https://www.danablankenhorn.com/2023/10/sciencing-is-hard.html
Show threadFeralRobotsOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru
my brother has had a like/hate relationship with Gates Found for years. He resents the way they parachute in to enforce their priorities with a checkbook; but he's also taken their grant money & benefited from their focus on governance (which he's good at).
...I think of that as I think about Gates being super excited about mRNA once he saw it could do something cool, & guessing they'd've been on Penn's side in this, expecting her to divert into 'more promising' areas.
Show threadGordon J HoltslanderOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru As one who worked in academia , this behaviour could have come from almost any university.
Show threadGordon J HoltslanderOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru worked at a U where senior admins pursued an elaborate misinformation effort to cut program & staff funding to support a dishonest effort. Took 2 years, 100’s of support positions cut, teaching and research harmed. Senior admin had effectively placed themselves beyond criticism and evaluation.
Show threadGordon J HoltslanderOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru The senior admins would not tolerate the "peer review" demanded of every academic , nor the evaluation of responsibilities and performance demanded from every support staff.
Show threadDave SpectorOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru A grown up org would have issued a congratulatory press release wrapped in a sincere apology for their past behavior and lack of foresight.
Show threadJose A. Ramirez-LatorreOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru
Penn is now taking credit for her research . Such hypocrisy !
Show threadKate Nyhan is changing serversOct 3, 2023

@timnitGebru

Another heart-breaking story from Temple:

https://fobaziettarh.com/2021/04/14/for-my-friend-latanya-in-memoriam/

https://www.inquirer.com/news/temple-university-librarian-sick-leave-policy-cancer-20210804.html

For my friend, Latanya- in memoriam

This is a story about my friend and mentor Latanya Jenkins. Now Temple Libraries has an absolutely barbaric medical absences policy. If you are absent more than 3 days within a 6 month period, you …

WTF is a Radical Librarian, Anyway?
Show threadSophie SchmiegOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru heck even there you leave out the even worse part, where UPenn tells her she wasn't faculty material, *after* she showed that mRNA was viable as a vaccination method.
Show threadGabriel NOct 3, 2023
@timnitGebru I read this and compare it to all the interviews done by this and other magazines to techbros.
The people that is doing really important work are invisible and unrecognized for decades if at all.
Something is wrong with this picture.
Show threadJ.H.NoyesOct 4, 2023
@timnitGebru
Her work was threat to established markets. You know how dirty the pharmaceutical industry can be.
@shonin
Show threadcostrikeOct 7, 2023
@timnitGebru I've yet to see the name of "her boss." It should be on billboards.
Show threadDianora (Diane Bruce)Oct 7, 2023
@timnitGebru Yes it's a sad story. Amazing.