The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University is dedicated to helping scientists more effectively communicate with the public, funding organizations, policymakers and fellow scientists.

This year we are fortunate to be hosting the Alda Center for a 90 minute interactive plenary session on the first evening of the conference. The goal of the “Distilling Your Message” workshop will be to help participants learn how to communicate more effectively about science with people outside the field of developmental biology, including the general public, policy makers, the media, students, potential employers or funders, and prospective collaborators in other disciplines. Through discussion and practice, we will focus on fundamental skills -- knowing your audience, connecting with your audience, and speaking clearly and conversationally about your work and why it matters.

The session will consist of an interactive presentation and discussion on translating technical material using examples and analogies to illuminate unfamiliar concepts to your target audience. The plenary will also address problems and solutions in both public interactions and peer-to-peer communication. Session participants will have the opportunity to practice clarity in speaking to non-scientists about their work through active exercises including improvisation.

Visit the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science for more workshop information.