Description. This workshop will prepare students to effectively present their research at an academic conference or other public forum.  While students are often expected to present research at academic conferences, this workshop also will prepare students for a successful thesis or dissertation defense.  Students will learn practical strategies for dealing with stage fright as well as the best strategies for communicating information during an oral presentation.   Finally, we will briefly discuss the differences between an oral presentation and a poster presentation. Students will learn practical strategies for creating and presenting scientific posters and  also how to handle the author session for discussing their poster during an academic conference.   

Learning Outcomes. As a result of this session, students will be able to: 

1. understand layout and design strategies for effective oral and poster presentations

2. gain basic strategies for dealing with stage fright

3. understand basic strategies for presenting statistical information (for the natural and social sciences)

4. learn strategies for successfully handling questions following an oral presentation.

Presenter(s). Mary Z. Ashlock, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Communication with the University of Louisville.  For over 28 years she has worked in both higher education and business specializing in leadership assessment and training; organizational communication, and public speaking.  During Dr. Ashlock’s time at the University of Louisville she has studied social constructions of stigmatizing discourse and tensions in family relationships around Type 2 diabetes diagnoses in Appalachian Kentucky; and the discourse of disability in communication education and narrative-based research for social change using qualitative methods.  Dr. Ashlock examined comparisons of speech anxiety in basic public speaking courses using quantitative methods and used qualitative methods in a case study involving an executive-level communication plan at a global organization.   Dr. Ashlock’s work has resulted in numerous regional and national conference presentations, book projects, and journal articles.  She regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate students in business and organizational communication courses.  

Please register for this event here.