Effectively communicating science to the media, and through them to the public, isn't easy. Most of us make all sorts of mistakes, and learn slowly because we don't do this on a daily basis. Wouldn't it be good to learn from someone who has been part of this process innumerable times? Here's your chance.
Well-known author, journalist, and blogger Jennifer Ouellette has a long history of talking to all sorts of scientists about their work and communicating it to the public. She will provide a brief introduction about key things to do and not do, along with some illustrative anecdotes, to be followed by an open discussion. Bring your questions. This opportunity is sponsored by the Graduate Women in Physics group.
More information about Jennifer is provided below.
http://www.jenniferouellette-writes.com/
Jennifer Ouellette is the author of four popular science books for the general public: the forthcoming Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self (2013); The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse (2010); The Physics of the Buffyverse (2007); and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics (2006). She also edited The Best Online Science Writing 2012 (Scientific American Books, 2012).
Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Discover, Slate, Salon, Mental Floss, Nature, Physics Today, Symmetry, Physics World, and New Scientist, among other venues. She maintains a blog called Cocktail Party Physics at Scientific American and covers space science for Discovery News. She is also a contributor to Download the Universe, a site devoted to reviewing the brave new world of science-related e-books.
From November 2008 to October 2010, she was the founding director of the Science and Entertainment Exchange, a Los Angeles-based initiative of the National Academy of Sciences aimed at fostering creative collaborations between scientists and entertainment industry professionals. Ouellette holds a black belt in jujitsu, and lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, Caltech physicist Sean (M.) Carroll.
