CPCD-WR-07 - Public Speaking & Science Communication Series

Course Description

The Public Speaking and Science Communication Series contains four workshops designed to enhance your communication skills. These workshops are free for all graduate students to attend. We will be offering a $50 scholarship (credited to your student account*) to the first 50 students who register and attend two of the workshops below, or a $100 scholarship if you attend all four! Please read the workshop descriptions, choose which of the four you would like to attend, add them to your cart, and then check out! Participants are expected to attend and engage in the workshop but are not required to prepare any materials in advance.

Students who participate will also have the option of getting free lunch at Holloway Commons after the events. 

*Your UNH student account is accessible through webcat and is where your student fees, tuition, and other charges are processed. Any credit to your account will be automatically applied to any outstanding balance you owe. If you do not owe anything, you can receive the credited amount by requesting a refund online.

Workshop #1: Understanding the structure and importance of effective communication
Location: MUB 338/340 & Zoom 
Date: October 8th
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM 
Description: In this workshop, you will: 
· Learn about the role of communication in making a broader impact 
· Develop a mindset that will help you translate your work to different audiences 
· Learn how to structure your communication to maximize its effectiveness 

Workshop #2: Identifying Your Audience and Crafting Your Message
Location: MUB 338/340 & Zoom
Date: October 15th
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM 
Description: In this workshop, you will learn how to: 
· Identify stakeholders and their expectations 
· Develop a plan of action for articulating the value of your work 
· Explain what you do and why it matters 

Workshop #3: Crafting Impactful posters and slides 
Location: Zoom only (the link will be shared with those who register before the event)
Date: November 7th
Time: 11:00 AM- 12:00 PM
Description: Almost anyone who’s wandered the poster hall at an academic conference or squinted at complex figures in a presentation has thought it: There has to be a better way. From overly long titles, tiny text, and swarms of logos to bad font choices, color schemes, and blurry images – it’s easy to leave viewers confused by your poster’s message. In this session, Zen Faulkes, who’s written the Better Posters blog and Better Posters book, will share tips on creating and delivering conference posters that deliver maximum impact for your research. Faulkes, a biologist and instructor at McMaster University, will also review and workshop finished or in-progress posters submitted to participants. 

Workshop #4: Public speaking with Aimee B
Location: MUB room 338/340 & Zoom 
Date: November 15th
Time: 11:00 AM- 12:15 PM
Description: In this workshop, we will cover the following topics:  
1. Anxiety/stage fright: How to manage your nerves when you present in front of an audience of any size.  
2. Pronunciation/enunciation—Presenting publicly drives people to speed up their talk, and they tend to be less enunciated. You’ll learn about techniques to help with that. 
3. Breathing—Stage fright often leads to talking faster, which can cause you to quickly run out of breath. You will learn about key breathing techniques.