The mission of the MechE Communication Lab is to empower students and postdocs to become confident and effective communicators.
By offering field-specific support in written, oral, and visual communication, we help members of the MechE community build the skills necessary to help spread knowledge, advocate for innovative research, and educate the public.
The MechE Communication Lab launched in early 2018, modeled after the successful Communication Labs throughout the School of Engineering (Biological Engineering, Nuclear Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Chemical Engineering) and at the Broad Institute. The MechE Communication Lab offers coaching and resources for engineers, by engineers. It uses a peer-coaching model, in which specially selected MechE graduate students and postdocs are trained to become exceptional communication coaches: the Communication Fellows. The Fellows work one-on-one with MechE clients, providing guidance for the effective creation of all forms of technical communication. These include, but are not limited to, scientific journal articles, conference presentations, course materials, lab reports, research posters, theses, and job applications.
We welcome collaborations and suggestions
The Communication Fellows and staff are partnering closely with MechE leadership and student groups to develop strategy on how best to support the MechE community in learning key writing, speaking, and visual design skills. The team looks forward to hearing from all MechE members on how to be most useful to the department. If you have a workshop idea or have a group of students who want support on a topic, please contact MechE Communication Lab manager Dr. Svetlana Boriskina.