SciCom

Learning how to communicate science

student presenting in front of an audience

SciCom is a CSE initiative aimed at promoting the clear and informative communication of science to the public.

SciCom originated through an interaction with the Alan Alda Center of Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. This connection resulted in the creation of science communication workshops for CSE graduate and undergraduate students, a number of outreach activities, as well as the establishment of the Three Minute Thesis (3MT^©) competition for research graduate students.

Continued interaction with the Alda Center also contributed to the development of the medical communication programming in the new TCU School of Medicine.

Science Communication Workshops

SciCom offers a series of science communication workshops for CSE each fall and spring semester. The workshops are designed to help students improve their oral communication skills so as to be better prepare for their next science conference presentation as well as for their next job interview. The workshops are highly interactive and uses improv techniques to help students present their research more clearly and vividly.

Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT®)

SciCom arranges the College of Science & Engineering 3MT competition each fall semester.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, which challenges research graduate students to present a compelling oration on their thesis/dissertation topic and its significance in just three minutes while using language appropriate for a “non-specialist” audience.

Student Research Symposium

SciCom interacts with the annual Michael and Sally McCracken Student Research Symposium to promote student science communication. Each year an award is given to the student presentation which most clearly presents the associated research to a lay audience.

Science Meets Art

SciCom collaborates with the TCU School of Art to bring student artwork to the annual Student Research Symposium. Other collaborations include providing other connections between science, technology and the arts.

Outreach Activities

SciCom works with CSE faculty and students to connect them with possible outreach activities to communicate about their science. Activities include interactions with local K-12 schools, museums, performing arts, radio and television.