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Brown University graduate student Torrey Truszkowski has conducted extensive research on the sensory processes of the brain. However, when it came to writing about her research for non-expert audiences, the PhD candidate in neuroscience, whose research has garnered a National Institutes of Health award, needed some help.<\/p>\n
\u201cMainly because I didn\u2019t have confidence in my ability to do so,\u201d explained Truszkowski of her motivation for attending Metcalf Institute\u2019s science communication workshop<\/a> in Providence in July 2016. \u201cI figured it would be a good way to get an introduction to how people write about science for a general audience.\u201d<\/p>\n The interactive workshop, supported by Rhode Island NSF EPSoR<\/a>, helped participants build confidence in writing for a wide variety of influential audiences, from journalists to potential funders.<\/p>\n \u201cI found the workshop super helpful,\u201d said Truszkowski, who used her new skills to draft an article about the effects of musical training on the brain. \u201cBefore the workshop, I wouldn\u2019t have been able to come up with a pitch or idea of what to write about\u201d she said. \u201cThe workshop helped me figure out which idea would be a workable topic for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Truszkowski is among a growing number of scientists nationwide who recognize the need to improve their written and verbal communication skills to secure funding, advance their research, and engage new audiences, especially at a time when science funding is on the chopping block.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be able to tell [people] that their taxpayer money is being well spent and that you\u2019re doing something that helps society in some way,\u201d said Truszkowski. \u201cIt\u2019s not a skill that you will necessarily pick up by osmosis in graduate school, it\u2019s a skill you have to actually spend time learning.\u201d<\/p>\n Truszkowski learned that lesson all too well in 2015 when she had the opportunity to talk to Congressional staffers<\/a> about the importance of scientific research as a delegate for the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology<\/a> (ASBMB). \u201cI felt like I was able to say something about why they should care about research,\u201d said Truszkowski. \u201cBut I also felt I probably could have done it better if I had more experience with science communication.\u201d<\/p>\n Her experience in science communication, especially verbal, has grown tremendously over the past two years. Truszkowski now hosts Nerd Nite Rhode Island<\/a>, a monthly event held in more than 100 cities worldwide during which speakers give short informative, fun presentations across disciplines. She\u2019s been a speaker at Brown University\u2019s Research Matters<\/a>, an event featuring live talks by outstanding graduate students, and has taught and mentored a science communication course for ASBMB. Truszkowski also shares her research on her blog<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n