The Mentoring and Communication Series is co-sponsored by The Graduate School and the Office of Postdoctoral Services.
Tues Sept 24, 10 am – 12 pm
WHAT: Improving Spoken English with Scott Morgan
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79BW7XrDNt022Gy
Back by popular demand! Noted speaker Scott Morgan returns to Duke to present one of his most requested workshops, Improving Spoken English. This workshop is essential for non-native English speakers! The 2-hour workshop will give attendees new insight into how we communicate in the often-confusing English language.
This workshop is open to all members of the Duke community (postdocs, graduate/undergraduate students, faculty, staff).
Speaker: Scott Morgan has been teaching leadership and communication skills for over 30 years. His clients include nearly all the institutes at the National Institutes of Health and dozens of universities: Harvard Medical School, UC Berkeley, UNC Chapel Hill, Cornell, Maryland, Ohio State, Duke, NC State, NYU, and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Corporate clients include GE Appliances, Mandiant Cybersecurity, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Infosys, International Paper, Merck, Celgene, Tanium, and Northrop Grumman. With 30 years of broadcast experience, Scott teaches media and communication strategy to many think tanks and research organizations around the globe with clients from Central Asia, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and South Africa. He is a Senior Mentor at the Leadership Academy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and holds a master’s degree in psychology from Columbia University. He authored the book ‘Speaking about Science’, published by Cambridge University Press.
Thurs Sept 26, 11 am – 12:30 pm
WHAT: Speaking about Science with Scott Morgan
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_837m0exHFEDpvTM
In evaluations, postdocs and graduate students say that this Scott Morgan workshop is one of the most useful they have attended! This interactive seminar addresses the main issues of good scientific presentations. The core of the workshop is a 7-step preparation process that will help you deliver a clear and engaging talk for a variety of audiences. Topics include:
- Identifying the theme and focus,
- How to create effective visual aids, and
- How to begin and end a talk.
Speaker: Scott Morgan has been teaching leadership and communication skills for over 30 years. His clients include nearly all the institutes at the National Institutes of Health and dozens of universities: Harvard Medical School, UC Berkeley, UNC Chapel Hill, Cornell, Maryland, Ohio State, Duke, NC State, NYU, and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Corporate clients include GE Appliances, Mandiant Cybersecurity, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Infosys, International Paper, Merck, Celgene, Tanium, and Northrop Grumman. With 30 years of broadcast experience, Scott teaches media and communication strategy to many think tanks and research organizations around the globe with clients from Central Asia, Japan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and South Africa. He is a Senior Mentor at the Leadership Academy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and holds a master’s degree in psychology from Columbia University. He authored the book ‘Speaking about Science’, published by Cambridge University Press.
Tues Oct 1, 3-4:30 pm
WHAT: Communicating Your Strengths: A CliftonStrengths Workshop
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2lVQnkacRIL6WJo
How do you describe your five greatest strengths? How can you leverage this information to communicate your capabilities to colleagues and potential employers? Using the CliftonStrengths assessment, this workshop will help you explore a new way to talk about your skills. We will investigate strategies for communicating your strengths to others, the challenges that your strengths might pose for you, and ways you can use information about your strengths to thrive in a team setting. Our facilitator is Melissa Bostrom PhD, Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Professional Development.
The online CliftonStrengths assessment is offered free to all registered participants in this limited-enrollment workshop open exclusively to Graduate School students and postdocs. If you have not yet taken the assessment, please request your code by Weds Sept 25.
Weds Oct 9, 1-2 pm
WHAT: Creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that Works for You
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bfnyrjEt4U6CpOS
Are you looking for a structured way to assess your skills and interests and make a plan to strategically grow as a professional? You will find that structure in the Individual Development Plan (IDP) process. Whether you are required to create an individual development plan or you are simply looking for a structured approach to your professional development, you will find support through this workshop. Our goals:
- Understand the value of goal-setting through the IDP process
- Use the SMART goals framework to support goal-setting
- Identify tools and resources that can support the IDP process
- Plan for effective conversations with mentors about your goals
Speaker: Vanessa Doriott Anderson, PhD’12 (Romance Studies) is Assistant Dean for Academic and Career Development at UNC-Chapel Hill. Dr. Doriott Anderson was previously Senior Director of Professional Development Programming and Director of Teaching and Communications Programs at NC State. Prior to her academic administration career, she taught French for three years at a liberal arts college in rural Iowa as a tenure-track assistant professor.
Thurs Oct 10, Thurs Oct 17, Thurs Oct 24, from 11 am – 12 pm
WHAT: Research Communication Series: The Art of Research Communication
Sure, your research on fill-in-the-blank is fascinating and important, but in order to help the public understand why it matters (and why they should support it!), you need to be able to communicate what you do in ways that are clear and engaging. In this 3-part series, noted Research Communication expert Jory Weintraub, PhD, will teach you how to communicate your research effectively, no matter what field you are in.
The workshops will be participatory and include interactive exercises to provide opportunities to practice your research communication skills, so please have your audio and video enabled. For maximum benefit, participants are encouraged to attend all events in the series.
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Session 1: Research Communication Fundamentals
When: Thurs Oct 10, 11 am – 12 pm
Register for Session 1: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3pGuXUe2MONMlYW
This activity-based session will introduce the fundamentals of research communication, including concepts such as:
- Your message: What is it, why does it matter, and how do you craft it?
- Your audience: Why is it so important to “know your audience”, and how do you frame your message for your them?
- Avoiding jargon and other essential skills for engaging your audience and communicating clearly
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Session 2: Communicating Your Research Through Storytelling
When: Thurs Oct 17, 11 am – 12 pm
Register for Session 2: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ThVAV5VLbW3F5A
Research demonstrates that people learn new information more effectively, understand it better and remember it longer when it is delivered in the form of a story. In this session, we’ll dig more deeply into this and discuss the elements of great storytelling. You will then be introduced to a fun and simple method for telling the story of your research in three sentences, and get the opportunity to try it yourself (and receive facilitatory and peer feedback).
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Session 3: Engaging the Public in Your Research Through Outreach
When: Thurs Oct 24, 11 am – 12 pm
Register for Session 3: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0lfmzY00xFOdhpY
Once you’ve learned the fundamentals of research communication and how to tell the story of your work, it’s time to apply these skills by engaging the public through outreach. This session will introduce and explore strategies for doing this, and participants will develop their own outreach plan.
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Speaker: Jory Weintraub, PhD, is the Director of Science Engagement at North Carolina State University. From 2015-2022 he was the Science Communication Director with the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in science communication at Duke. He received a PhD in Immunology, did a postdoc in STEM education, and has spent the last 25 years doing, teaching and coaching science communication and science outreach.
Thurs Nov 7, 11 am – 12:15 pm
WHAT: Salary Negotiation: Dos and Don’ts
REGISTER: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9shjMSOWfxwJHLw
Do you struggle with how and when to ask for a salary increase? Do you worry about the response of your PI or HR rep? This Zoom session will help set you up for success by exploring when to ask, how to prepare, and what to include in the conversation. After we investigate the foundation and structure of the request, we’ll practice having the actual conversation!
Speaker: Melissa Segal, LCSW, is CEO of InterHuman Solutions and an experienced facilitator and manager with strong skills in leadership development, strategic planning, program implementation, and organizational culture. She specializes in restorative practices, conflict work, and getting clients to “yes.” She is also a former Duke business manager who has handled negotiation processes for faculty, trainees, and professional staff, and has advised both current team members and potential hires on how to advocate for their needs.
