PDS: Communicating Science to Diverse Audiences - Distilling your Message for the Real World

Professor Scott Shell (UCSB, Chemical Engineering), with workshop facilitators from BASF Monday, April 23, 2018 12:20-1:50pm, Loma Pelona Center 1100 *RSVP Required:* https://forms-csep.cnsi.ucsb.edu/forms/PDS/Registration.php *Pizza lunch provided* The ultimate impact of our scientific work, beyond our immediate research environment, is highly influenced by our ability to communicate its findings and significance to non-expert audiences. Both in academia and industry, conveying complex ideas to diverse and often mixed audiences –of scientists, students, administrators, managers, and business teams, for example –is critical to the progress of new discoveries and to organizational productivity. In this interactive workshop co-led by BASF, we will discuss concrete ways to connect with audiences of varied backgrounds and to translate research for them. We will use case studies and video clips to illustrate effective strategies for identifying bridging points, distilling out unnecessary detail, explaining through metaphors, and engaging through emotion. Representatives from BASF will highlight a variety of real-world examples of communication challenges and opportunities from their own experiences in industrial R&D. Participants will also be able to engage in small group exercises, led by the BASF reps,  to workshop their own short research pitches tailored to non-expert groups.