Communication Training

We offer an annual science communication workshop, developed by Professor Glen Nowak (Director of the Center for Health Risk and Communication and former Director of Media Relations at the CDC), in partnership with the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. These sessions provide students with essential training in science communications targeting popular media and decision-making audiences. Topics will rotate among three following themes:

  • Communication with decision-makers, policy-makers, and stakeholders 
  • Communication with news journalists
  • Communication with the public (blogs, science writing, community panels, social media, etc.)

Each workshop involves instruction from expert Grady College faculty member(s) and active learning exercises (e.g. preparing a message map, filming a mock interview, conducting a phone interview) followed by proficiency assessment and individual feedback.

September 2018

Workshop: “Communicating Science with Policy-Makers”

Led by Professors Glen Nowak, Ph.D. and Joseph Watson, J.D. from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, this workshop increased participants’ knowledge and understanding of communication considerations and challenges associated with infectious, vaccine-preventable, and emerging diseases, disease control, and climate change. It also provided hands-on exercises that helped increased students’ awareness of the policymaker communication landscape, including challenges and opportunities.

September 2019

Workshop: “Communicating Science to the Media and Journalists”

Led by Professors Glen Nowak, Ph.D. and Sabriya Rice, M.A. from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, this workshop focused on identifying characteristics and elements of the news media environment that affect news stories vs. interviews, as well as approaches to creating or crafting key messages when reactively or proactively engaging with a journalist on a science-related news story. Students participated in a hands-on small group exercise where they workshopped research being conducted by their peers, and then engaged in mock interviews led by students from Grady.