Our Communication Lab teams are always thinking about new communication skills and scenarios that we can help to demystify and support. Find some of our latest resources below:
Blog posts
Quick tips on handy skills and first-hand reflections about communication experiences, from Communication Fellows and community members
- Questions to Bring to Your Faculty Interview, by Marina Dang (NSE Comm Lab), January 2021
Despite the pandemic, many institutions are moving forward with their faculty hiring, and selected candidates are now preparing for their interviews in earnest. If you’re one of those candidates, congratulations on making it to the next round!
- Giving a Normal (Well, Gaussian) Conference Presentation, by Patrick White (NSE Comm Lab), November 2020
“While I’d love for every conference presentation I give to be the highlight of the conference, I should be honest with myself: most attendees won’t remember any details from my talk.”
- How to Communicate in Grad School, by Mazdak Abulnaga and Deanna Montgomery (EECS Comm Lab), October 2020
In grad school, communication is as important to everyday life as it is to career development.
- Social Media for Scientists: Build Your Brand, by Ignacio Arzuaga-Garcia, Figures by Chad Loh (CEE Comm Lab), October 2020
To build up a personal brand and have a presence on social media is becoming a must for people interested in developing a career in academia. It helps researchers stand out and increase the visibility of their work.
- How to Ask for Letters of Recommendation, by Julie Logan and Marina Dang (NSE Comm Lab), October 2020
Asking for a letter can be an intimidating prospect so we checked in with five NSE professors to learn directly from them what they would consider best practices.
- How to work a virtual career fair, by Prerna Bhargava (BE Comm Lab), September 2020
Career Fairs are hard. But what about virtual career fairs? Check out our tips for virtual career fair success here!
- The do’s and don’ts of writing review articles, by Caleb Perez (BE Comm Lab), September 2020
Reviews are an important part of the scientific process. And a good way to use your time if you can’t be at the bench. Read our do’s and don’ts for writing a review, here!
- Manuscript Writing 101: Before You Write, by Stephanie Kong (ChemE Comm Lab), September 2020
The most challenging part of writing happens before you put pen to paper. Developing your story’s framework and identifying your audience informs your scientific approach and guides your writing.
- Paper got accepted? Do the work to increase visibility!, by Prerna Bhargava (BE Comm Lab), August 2020
You did a lot of work to get your paper accepted. Now do a little bit more to make sure people know about your paper! Learn some ways that people share their work with the world!
- Editing Checklist, by Prerna Bhargava (BE Comm Lab), August 2020
Working on writing a long document. Use our editing checklist when you think you are done to make sure you don’t miss any details!
- Why You Should Be a Professor and How to Become One: Four-part blog series by Mazdak Abulnaga, Samiya Alkhairy, Deanna Montgomery, & Mohamed I. Ibrahim (EECS Comm Lab), June 2020
Takeaways and strategies from four days of faculty panels and application workshops: 1) Rewards and stresses of the job – 2) Getting a faculty job – 3) Getting through the junior faculty years – 4) Preparing your own faculty application
- Not a Mere Formality – Get the Most out of Your Departmental Poster Presentation, by Crystal Owens (MechE Comm Lab), June 2020
“As one of the organizers of MERE 2019, I had a bird’s-eye view of the poster presentation, the audience, the judging, and our goals.”
- TOC Figures & Graphical Abstracts: More Than Just a Thumbnail, by Andrea Lehn (MechE Comm Lab), May 2020
“Whether you are new to TOC figures or not, here are some tips for generating TOC graphics to entice and inform!”
- Spotlight on Emails and Interviewing, by Prerna Bhargava, feat. Sarah Schwartz & Josh Peters (BE Comm Lab), May 2020
Comm Fellows reflect on the importance of effective emails and share tips for interviewing others.
- Responsible Science Communication in the Age of COVID-19: Blog post series by Sarah Schwartz, Eugenia Inda, & Craig McLean (BE, EECS, & CEE Comm Labs, respectively), April – June 2020
“As scientists and science communicators, we have a duty to clearly and responsibly communicate reliable information about COVID-19 to the general public. Our work has the potential to change people’s understanding, which can change their behavior—which can change the course of the pandemic.” – Eugenia Inda
- Tips for Remote Teamwork, by Ian Andrews (BE Comm Lab), April 2020
“It can be difficult to work in teams. Remote teamwork can be even harder. Here are some tips to help you work in a team remotely and have difficult conversations if needed.”
New & updated CommKit articles
Discipline-specific how-to’s and annotated examples, covering both technical and professional communication. For a full directory of all of our CommKit articles, click here.
- Research Qualifying Examination (RQE), by Mazdak Abulnaga and Rohan Chitnis (EECS Comm Lab), Winter 2021
- Grant Application, by Samiya Alkhairy and Eugenia Inda (EECS Comm Lab), Fall 2020
- Virtual Presentations, by Charlie Hirst (NSE Comm Lab), Summer 2020
- Cover Letters, by Patrick White & Robbie Stewart (NSE Comm Lab), Summer 2020
- CV / Resume, by Robbie Stewart & Patrick White (NSE Comm Lab), Summer 2020
- Figure Design, by Marina Dang, Xinyao “Anna” Liang, & Steve Jepeal (NSE Comm Lab), Spring 2020