That’s why University of Iowa Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development has teamed up with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the UI Graduate College to host two Communicating Science workshops Sept. 23 to assist its faculty and graduate students in crafting their research narratives.
“As with the visit by Melissa Marshall two years ago and our summer Communicating Ideas workshops, this event is part of our ongoing effort to help researchers cultivate the communication skills to effectively connect with and educate the public about the value of research and scholarship,” said Dan Reed, UI Vice President for Research and Economic Development.
AAAS Communicating Science workshops, developed by the Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology, are designed to address the needs of scientists and engineers to communicate scientific or technical information in a variety of public and professional interactions. The workshop will focus on science communication fundamentals and attendee exercises including:
- considering, understanding, and connecting with specific audiences
- identifying individual strategic communications goals
- developing targeted research engagement strategies for specific audiences
- handling interaction with audiences, including soliciting and answering questions
- message development
- using PowerPoint slides and other visuals to communicate science effectively
- using social media and creating an effective online presence
The three-hour workshop for faculty is limited to 50 participants who have been nominated by their deans. Contact Leslie Weatherhead for more information.
A second workshop tailored for UI graduate students will be offered from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sept. 23. Go here to register by Sept. 7. Contact Joe Cannella for more information on the graduate student workshop.
The Office of Research and Economic Development provides resources and support to researchers and scholars at the University of Iowa and to businesses across Iowa with the goal of forging new frontiers of discovery and innovation and promoting a culture of creativity that benefits the campus, the state, and the world. More at http://research.uiowa.edu, and on Twitter: @DaretoDiscover.