Join communication specialists from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science for an immersive, virtual workshop designed to empower faculty members and researchers with the art of responsive listening and empathic communication. In this interactive session, participants will delve into the transformative world of communication techniques that foster trust and ignite meaningful engagement within the realm of science.
In this hour-long session, participants will:
- Discover the power of the Alda Method: Explore how the Alda Method, developed by acclaimed actor Alan Alda, serves as a cornerstone for proficient science communication.
- Craft messages that resonate: Identify strategies to create meaningful messages that remain with your audience long after delivery.
- Decode the jargon puzzle: Learn when to employ specialized terminology and when to use plain language, ensuring your message strikes the perfect balance.
- Master three-step message development: Implement a streamlined three-step process to curate impactful messages.
- Create a dynamic presence, on and offline: Learn the art of projecting your enthusiasm, knowledge, and charisma.
This session in our Strategic Communications series is hosted by BU Public Relations and the Office of Research.
About the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
Actor, author, and activist Alan Alda’s lifelong passion for science spurred him to host the PBS show “Scientific American Frontiers.” On the show, he used his theater experience to build relationships with scientists. In talking to him, they explained their work in ways that Alan and the show’s viewers could understand. By building personal connections, Alan got scientists out of lecture mode and into conversation. Alan wondered why scientists had a hard time talking to non-experts about their research. He thought exposing them to improvisation might help.
In 2009, Stony Brook University opened the Center for Communicating Science, a collaboration between Alan, Stony Brook, and Stony Brook’s School of Communication and Journalism, with Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Using applied improvisational exercises and communication strategies helped scientists share their work and its impact. Over more than a decade, faculty have traveled to 40 states and eight other countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Israel, and Scotland. Clients come from nonprofit organizations, government agencies, industry, and many of the world’s leading research universities.