Past Events

Creating Connections: An Introduction to the Alda Method

Jun 16, 2021, 3:00 – 5:00 PM

The Alda Center’s Creating Connections program is a two-hour live, online workshop designed to help scientists and researchers learn to engage and inspire diverse audiences through effective communication, with a particular focus on virtual interactions. Participants will learn how to balance being prepared with responding in the moment to address questions. The program emphasizes universal communication strategies, including avoiding jargon, and technical skills for creating engagement online, including camera angles and sound levels.

Storytelling Training Session

Mar 29, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

As part of the 2021 Society of Postdoctoral Scholars Popular Science Writing Competition, Stephen Wrentmore will provide a training session for participant to extract key storytelling elements from a published research paper to build a narrative compelling for a broader audience. Registration: Storytelling Training Session

The Science of Storytelling

Mar 22, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

This session is a dynamic and practical introduction to the science of storytelling, exploring techniques and approaches to engage and broaden the audience to your research and ideas. This session serves as the launch for the 2021 Society of Postdoctoral Scholars Popular Science Writing Competition in which postdocs are invited to transform a research paper into a popular science story worthy to share with the world.

Science, Humanity, Alan Alda, and the Quest for Story

Jan 26, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Drawing on his work in the humanities and graduate education and his experiences as a participant at a summer institute of the Alda Center for Communicating Science, Dr. Grubbs will provide a set of springboard thoughts on Alda’s book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? This 45-minute personal foreword to the book will help launch this semester’s journey into what Alda calls the "art and science of relating and communicating".

Kentucky Network for Innovation and Commercialization (KYNETIC): Virtual information session for postdocs

Jan 15, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

KYNETIC offers proof-of-concept and product development grants for all types of health-related ideas. Cycle 3 grants of up to $50,000 per project will be awarded to be used over 6 months. Projects are eligible for competitive renewal every 6 months, until a maximum of $200,000 per technology is reached. In addition, product development, commercialization, and entrepreneurship training is offered to all selected applicants. Faculty, staff, postdocs, and students are eligible to apply.

The Other Side of the Coin – A discussion of the administrative realities of obtaining Federal grant dollars

Dec 8, 2020, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Bring your questions about any part of the grant administrative lifecycle, from pre-award to close-out to this informal discussion with Sean Scott, former Research Administrator in the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, now Director of Research Operations in the College of Public Health at UK.

Training and Mentoring Plans

Nov 10, 2020, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

A structured discussion with Dr. Brett Spear to learn about mentoring and training plans which are a central component of any mentored fellowship for postdocs. Dr. Spear draws from his experience as principal investigator on an NIH-funded program that provides grant writing and student mentoring training for faculty at minority-serving institutions to share successful strategies to craft an effective mentoring and training plan.

Associate Dean for Research Panel Discussion

Oct 13, 2020, 4:00 – 5:00 PM

Informal discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Lorch, ADR for Arts & Science, Dr. Alan Daugherty, Senior ADR for Medicine, and Dr. John Balk, ADR for Engineering to learn about how they think about the research enterprise within their colleges and what their role is at the institutional level.

2020 SOPS Symposium: Postdoc Lightning Talk Competition

Sep 25, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Postdocs participate in the lightning talk competition for a chance to win cash prizes! Lightning talks are fast paced, single slide, 1 min (i.e. 60 sec) presentations intended to wow the audience. Winners are selected by audience members who will rate each talk as they present.

2020 SOPS Symposium: Science Communication - Increase the Impact of Your Work

Sep 24, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Dr. Alexandra Colon-Rodriguez, a fellow postdoc from the University of California Davis, discusses how science communication can increase the impact of your work.