Archive for the “Professional Development” Category

Professional Development Committee Presents:

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR PRESENTATION

Who: Dr. Jean-luc Doumont
When: 4:00 – 5:30 PM, Monday, September 14, 2009
Where: Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) Room 1128

Synopsis:
Strong oral presentation skills are a key to success for engineers, scientists, and other professionals, yet many speakers are at a loss to tackle the task. Systematic as they otherwise can be in their work, they go at it intuitively, sometimes haphazardly, with much good will but seldom good results. Based on Dr. Doumont’s book Trees, maps, and theorem about “effective communication for rational minds,” this lecture proposes a systematic way to prepare and deliver presentations. Among others, it covers structure, slides, and delivery, as well as stage fright.

About the speaker:
Dr. Doumont is an engineer from the Louvain School of Engineering and PhD in applied physics from Stanford University, Jean-luc Doumont now devotes his time and energy to training engineers, scientists, business people, and other rational minds in effective communication, pedagogy, statistical thinking, and related themes.

Articulate, entertaining, and thought-provoking, Dr. Doumont is a popular invited speaker worldwide, in particular at international scientific conferences, research laboratories, and top-ranked universities. For additional information, visit www.principiae.be

Food and drink will be provided!

The Career Fair Committee is seeking volunteers to help with the 5th Annual GT Biotechnology Career Fair, www.careerfair.bme.gatech.edu, on September 17 and the days surrounding the fair.  Volunteering for Biotech Career Fair events allows students to get to know how the career fair is being set up and organized.  It also allows students gain experience and perspective from the host stand point.  We will need 6 volunteers Wednesday (Sep. 16) late afternoon (4pm) and 2 that evening (6-8pm) many more all day on Thursday (Sep. 17) from 8AM – 6 PM, as well as a few on Friday morning (10-12am).  Traditionally, we have volunteers sign up for 1 or 2-hour time blocks – if you can stay longer that’s fine too.  If you are interested in volunteering to help with the career fair, please email Stacie Chvatal at stacie.chvatal@bme.gatech.edu.  Please indicate ALL time(s) you would be able to help and the total number of hours you would like to volunteer.   We will send you an email letting you know what time you have been signed up for based on the information you sent us.  Detailed information can be found below:

Volunteer jobs:
Wednesday, Sep. 16:
4 pm: (6 needed) set up tables and chairs for the fair
4:45-7 pm: (2 needed, each for 1-1.5 hr) help with info sessions – this includes set up and clean up of a snack area and clean up of classrooms (if needed) as well as monitoring of the snack area.

Thursday, Sep. 17:
8-9 AM: (2 needed)  Booth set up – set up table, chairs, tablecloths, moving company materials to tables
8-9 AM: (1 needed) Registration set up – gather items needed for registration table
8:30 AM-1 PM: (5 needed, 1 hr shift each) Parking Deck attendant – direct company reps from parking deck over to the M-building where fair will be held.
9 AM – 1 PM: (8 needed, 1 hr shift each) Package curbside valets – pick up packages from company reps near the M-building and take them over to the career fair
9 AM – 1 PM: (8 needed, 1 hr each) Package M-building valets – pick up packages from curbside valets at the entrance to the M-building and take them to the appropriate tables.
9 AM – 1 PM: (4 needed, 1 hr each) Company registration – sit at the registration table to welcome company reps as they arrive and direct them to their table
10:45-12: (1 needed) help with info session – this includes set up and clean up of a snack area and clean up of classrooms (if needed) as well as monitoring of the snack area.
11 AM – 1 PM: (3 needed, 1 hr each) Lunch escort – escort company reps to the lunch which will be held in a nearby building
1-5 PM: (4 needed, 1 hr each) Student Registration – sit at the table and make sure people sign in / swipe buzz cards
5-6 PM: (6 needed) Clean-up – remove tablecloths, break down tables, chairs, etc.

Friday, Sep. 18:
9:45-12: (2 needed, each for 1-1.5 hr) help with info sessions – this includes set up and clean up of a snack area and clean up of classrooms (if needed) as well as monitoring of the snack area.

Also, please note that if you want a volunteer name tag with your name printed
on it, you must email me by Friday 9/11/09 at 9 AM.

All times will be assigned on a first come, first served basis after scheduling for
maximum coverage of time slots.

Thank you,
Stacie Chvatal
stacie.chvatal@bme.gatech.edu

These courses will be offered in fall semester 2009.

8721 Academic Writing for Graduate Students (1 credit)

Through examination of writing samples, practice, and working in small groups,
students learn techniques for enhancing proposal, thesis, and dissertation
preparation as well as methods for evaluating writing as future instructors and
thesis directors. This course is designed for students who are already writing
and communicating fluently in English but who would like to work on specific
strategies for written and oral academic communication (e.g., proposals, theses,
dissertations, oral defenses, refereed publications, committee meetings, and
other professional communication scenarios). NOTE: THIS CLASS IS INTENDED ONLY
FOR FLUENT SPEAKERS AND WRITERS OF ENGLISH. A SHORT WRITING SAMPLE WILL BE
REQUESTED.

8801 Special Topics: Methods of Academic Presentation (1 credit)

Communication of concepts and ideas is an important element of working in the
academic and corporate communities. While oral presentation is a prevalent
format for communication, especially in the scientific fields, written
communication is usually the focus of graduate communication courses. With such
a focus on written discourse, most graduate students never consider the absolute
importance of being good oral communicators.

This course will help students better understand the conventions of academic and
professional oral discourse. After building a better foundational understanding
of this type of discourse, students will develop strategies for designing and
delivering oral presentations. Students are encouraged to use current research
as a basis for their work in this course. Students will be expected to
participate as critical audience members, offering feedback to peers.
Additionally, students will have an opportunity to engage in self-assessment by
reviewing recordings of their presentations. NOTE: THIS CLASS IS INTENDED ONLY
FOR FLUENT SPEAKERS AND WRITERS OF ENGLISH. A SHORT WRITING SAMPLE WILL BE
REQUESTED.

Thanks,

Karen Head, Ph.D.
Graduate Communications Coordinator,
The Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
and Special Advisor to the Writing & Communication Program,
School of Literature, Communication and Culture
The Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA 30332-0165
404-385-7357 (CETL) or 404-385-2225 (LCC)