Sam Hirst

I’m thrilled to share that I have officially passed my PhD qualifying exam and have advanced to PhD candidacy! I’m incredibly grateful for the guidance, support, and encouragement I’ve received from professors, mentors, and peers along my academic journey.

@paulbfrandsen Thanks Paul! Never would have happened without all your help and support! Might need to change my handle back to Hirsticane now 😅

Check out this extensive work on red diamond rattlesnake genomics by @SamRHirst (aka, "the Hirsticane"!)

Excited to share my first, first-author paper exploring genomics and venom variation of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake across the Baja California region. academic.oup.com/gbe/advance-ar… @GenomeBiolEvol @ReptileRhett @CamVanHorn @RamsesRosales11 @marcabeer @SSSTING_Lab @paulbfrandsen

@FLDEPNews Thanks for the update, Florida Department of Environmental Destruction!

Thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis’ commitment to conservation, Florida has set the standard for environmental stewardship through record investments.

@FLDEPNews How much space, water, and other resources are needed to create this? How much natural habitat and native plants and animals will be destroyed? Please include that info in your proposal.

This golf course would ensure that locals & visitors alike have access to a popular outdoor sport & provide accessibility for all. Here is our proposal.

@FLDEPNews By “overwhelming interest”, do you mean over “overwhelming indignation”?

Due to the overwhelming interest with the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative, DEP is looking for new venues to accommodate the public. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. Public input is vital to DEP decision-making. To gather feedback on your favorite state parks, we’ve launched a dedicated webpage for more suggestions: survey.alchemer.com/s3/7983173/Gre…. New meeting dates will be announced soon, with meetings expected the week of Sept. 2, 2024.

@FLDEPNews Because I can play pickleball at any of the other pickleball courts scattered EVERYWHERE around the state! Honeymoon island, a state park, has absolutely no need for that whatsoever.

Pickleball continues to be the fastest growing sport in the U.S., so why not add it to one of our most visited parks? The area near the South Beach Access at Honeymoon Island State Park is already modified and can be easily converted to pickleball courts.

There is A LOT of confusion out there about the 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative & our efforts to increase public access, recreation & lodging throughout @FLStateParks. We love #TheRealFlorida as much as you do, so we want to clear some things up…🧵

@FLDEPNews @FLStateParks @GovRonDeSantis Florida is a very special state home to some of the most incredible biodiversity in the country - but it’s quickly being destroyed by greed and corruption. This is just another example of that fact. Stop destroying this state.

I deeply appreciate all those who are helping me in my academic pursuits. Without the assistance and encouragement of so many around me, I don't know where I would be!

This fellowship will provide me with valuable time and resources to devote to my research, but more importantly, it will enable me to focus on actively serving and providing educational resources to those that graciously allow me to research in their communities.

I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected to receive the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship! (nsfgrfp.org)

I'm excited to present my research on rattlesnake venom evolution from my first year as a graduate student in the "Pathogens and Natural Toxins e-Conference". The talk is titled “Neutral or not: identifying drivers of venom evolution”sciforum.net/paper/view/127…

@paulbfrandsen @GigaByteJournal @BYU @thednazoo @natebedelman @UtahDWR Very cool! Can’t wait to read it.

Our paper describing the chromosome-length mule deer genome assembly is up online @GigaByteJournal. Led by @BYU grad/undergrad students and faculty members and in collaboration with @thednazoo and @natebedelman. Funded by @UtahDWR doi.org/10.46471/gigab…

@paulbfrandsen @maddyygraceb Thanks so much Paul! I appreciate your advice and help through everything. Come hang out in Tampa some time

It’s graduation day, but without the usual crowds. At least spring in Provo is looking 😍 from my office window. Congrats to all graduating cougs, especially those who’ve worked in the lab the last few years @maddyygraceb @Hirsticane and others not on Twitter!

@paulbfrandsen Maybe let’s just plan on doing our biweekly meetings up here instead.

Good start to the week. #pow

@paulbfrandsen Nothing hits harder than Peruvian. Missing my ikon pass today.

Don’t mind me. I’m just sitting here drooling over all of the ski resort webcams. 🏂

@paulbfrandsen You got this Paul!

I think I'm burned out