A Blog Around The Clock

Got an e-mail from AAAS and will try to go if at all possible:

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and North Carolina State University, will be holding a one-day workshop "Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers" on Thursday, April 3, 2008. We aim to extend an invitation to the faculty scientists, engineers, and Ph.D. students at your institution who would like to attend this workshop, in order to learn more about communicating science to news media and the general public. Please feel free to forward this invitation to faculty scientists and engineers at your institution.

The AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology has partnered with NSF to provide resources for scientists and engineers, both online and through in-person workshops, to help researchers communicate more broadly with the public.

Although traditional scientific training typically does not prepare scientists and engineers to be effective communicators outside of academia, NSF and other funding agencies are increasingly encouraging researchers to extend beyond peer-reviewed publishing and communicate their results directly to the greater public. Further, scientists and engineers who foster information-sharing and respect between science and the public are essential for the public communication of and engagement with science.

There is no registration fee for science and engineering faculty and Ph.D. students to attend this workshop; however, space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Please register by Wednesday, March 26, 2008. A registration form is enclosed. You can register by sending the requested information by email to tlohwate@aaas.org or by faxing or mailing the registration as indicated on the form.

The workshop will be held in the Walnut Room at the Talley Student Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. A map and directions can be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/student_center/driving_directions.html. We expect that both those who are interested in science communication and those who are already familiar with ways to communicate science broadly will find "Communicating Science: Tools for Scientists and Engineers" useful and informative.

Here is the program, see you there:

8:30 - 9:00 am Breakfast
9:00 - 9:30 am Welcome and Introduction
9:30 - 9:45 am Who is "General Public?": Defining Audience
9:45 - 10:30 am Practice Research Messages and Public Talks
10:30 - 10:45 am Break
10:45 - 11:30 am Media Panel
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Enhancing Your Message: Gestures and Language
12:00 - 1:00 pm Lunch - provided
1:00 - 2:30 pm Practice Interviews
2:30 - 2:45 pm Break
2:45 - 3:30 pm Public Outreach Panel
3:30 - 4:00 pm Conclusion and Materials Review