How to Prepare for and Present a Seminar

How to Prepare for and Present a Seminar (Including a Research Proposal) Diran Apelian Alcoa-Howmet Professor of Engineering Director, Metal Processing Institute WPI, Worcester, MA Distinguished Visiting Professor Chemical Engineering and Materials Science - UC Davis

Some Advice…for professional life

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and Specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

Power of Effective Communications §Leadership § Inspire colleagues § Power of analysis and synthesis § Simplify complex issues … explain § Recognition within organization

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

REMEMBER…. • CONTENT • DESIGN • DELIVERY

GENERAL RULES 1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

GENERAL RULES 2. BE PREPARED - confidence - mechanical issues - notes/no notes?

GENERAL RULES 3. BE ON TIME - slides or no slides? - how many slides? - remember: Effective is the key word

GENERAL RULES 4. HAVE A MESSAGE HAVE A STORY TO TELL (make sure it is clear to you!)

PREMISE § Knowledge and know-how determine how well off societies are vis a vis to other societies § Education of engineers is critical to every nation to ensure the prosperity of their citizens § Standard of living hinges on our ability to educate a large number of sufficiently innovative engineers § Follow the Money ! R&D spending fuels innovation § Creation of wealth is related to a nation’s ability to make products that other nations want to purchase

GENERAL RULES 5. TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT YOU WILL DO DO IT TELL THEM WHAT YOU DID

GENERAL RULES 6. NO COMMERCIALIZATION & GIVE CREDITS - co-authors - sponsors - slides “borrowed” - data

GENERAL RULES 7. LESS IS MORE (BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY)

GENERAL RULES 8. NO JOKES - fine line between being entertaining and unprofessional USE PERSONAL STORIES THAT STRENGTHEN MESSAGE

GENERAL RULES 9. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE CONNECT WITH THEM

GENERAL RULES 10. BE EXCITED ABOUT THE SUBJECT; BE POSITIVE

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 1. DO NOT LOOK AT SLIDES/SCREEN LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE IMPORTANCE OF EYE CONTACT

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 2. ATTENTION SPAN OF AUDIENCE (1/3 rd RULE) DO NOT BARRAGE THEM WITH SLIDES

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 3. CLARITY - in writing - in graphs and tables - color scheme - sentences vs bullets - photos - margins - movies

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION STEAM ENGINE MACHINE TOOLS TEXTILE MACHINERY STEAMSHIP STEEL INDUSTRY RAILROADS COMMUNICATIONS TELEGRAPH ELECTRIC POWER CHEMICAL INDUSTRY WORLD POPULATION ESTIMATES 1700 650 MILLION 1800 900 MILLION 1900 1. 6 BILLION 1950 2. 5 BILLION

The End of the Cold War Era USA the only remaining superpower … Our Responsibilities ? Societal context?

RECYCLING/PACKAGING

Is there a correlation here. . . Or not!

INNOVATION IS KEY “Research is the transformation of money into knowledge; Innovation is the transformation of knowledge into MONEY” Geoffrey Nickelson, 3 M

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 4. REUSE OUTLINE

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and Specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and Specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and Specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 5. PURPOSEFUL AND APPROPRIATE REDUNDANCY

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 6. POSE QUESTIONS. . . AND THEN ANSWER

Successful Partnerships Between Academia and Industry CIEC- February 5, 2015 - Palm Springs CA Diran Apelian Distinguished Visiting Professor – UC Davis Alcoa-Howmet professor of Engineering Metal Processing Institute WPI, Worcester, MA USA 01609

WHAT are the two most important assets of a successful corporation? KNOWLEDGE PEOPLE

WHAT are the two most important products of a successful consortium? KNOWLEDGE PEOPLE

www. wpi. edu/+mpi

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 7. EQUATIONS VS. WORDS

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 8. HANDOUTS OR NO HANDOUTS?

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 9. CADENCE

SPECIFIC SKILL SETS 10. VOICE, TONALITY, LOUD ENOUGH?

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and Specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

Q & A: THIS IS WHEN YOU SHINE 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. UNDERSTAND THE Q DID EVERYONE HEAR IT? BE HONEST… NO YAWP! THINK OUT LOUD THANK PEOPLE FOR THE Q BUSINESS CARDS GET BACK TO THOSE WHO ASKED Q SEED QUESTIONS… SOMETIMES? DEBRIEF WITH YOURSELF HAVE FUN AND EXUDE ENTHUSIASM

OUTLINE 1. Power of communication 2. General and Specific rules in making a presentation 3. Q&A period 4. Research proposal

RESEARCH PROPOSALS

ANSWER THE 3 Q WHY? (scientific gaps in knowledge base) WHAT? (methodology, experimental, deliverables, timetable, etc. ) SO WHAT? (Impact!)