Recent Posts

Social Media for Scientists: What, Why, and How

Recorded: Friday, September 27 Scientists are increasingly using social media as vehicles through which to communicate with other scientists and the public. Social media platforms also provide excellent opportunities to build professional networks, learn about opportunities, and develop a sense of…

All aboard the mentor-ship: making and using an Individual Development Plan

When: Tuesday, September 10, at 1 PM EDT | 10AM PDT Individual Development Plans (IDPs) are a tool to facilitate student-trainer relationships and help students and post-docs of all levels to evaluate their project and career progress and set goals for the future. Katie Murphy and Laura Klasek are…

How to be an effective mentor

Being an effective mentor involves making yourself available to support and advise someone when they need it, delivering that support in a way that makes sense to them, and always keeping that person's best interests in mind. In this webinar we discussed methods of mentorship and how to become a better…

Addressing fundamental questions in plant science through synthetic biology

About this seminar In this seminar, we examined the role that synthetic biology can play in answering fundamental questions in plant science. In studying plants for the past hundred years, we’ve learned a great deal about the mechanistic underpinnings of development and metabolism. However, the…

Data visualization: optimizing data exploration and illustrative storytelling

About this seminar The field of plant biology is undergoing a revolution due to the enormous amount of data that is being produced, either by high-throughput sequencing or non-destructive plant phenotyping platforms. Visualizing big-data is not an easy task but it helps with data interpretation, generation…

Maximizing the signal, decreasing the noise, Part 2: Skills for speaking and designing clearly

About this seminar In part 1 of the webinar, Professor Tobias Baskin introduced a philosophy for writing clearly based on recognizing that our words are read. In part 2, he extends that philosophy to speaking and designing. Your talk is listened to by an audience; your figures are looked at by readers;…

Preparing your research story for peer review and publication

About this seminar Considering how important writing is to a career in science, many scientists receive little forrmal training in the writing process. In this seminar, Mary shares tips to help overcome common writing problems, drawing on her 25 years of teaching about scientific writing. Speaker…

Intentionally Building and Cultivating a Diverse Team

About This Seminar Diversity in teams drives creativity and innovation, and it delivers better results. In this webinar, we explore the wide range of dimensions of diversity in the sciences and discuss how to be intentional when building and cultivating teams. We hear success stories from our panelists…

Maximizing the signal, decreasing the noise; Writing skills for communicating clearly

About this seminar This seminar introduces Professor Tobias Baskin’s writing philosophy in the form of a set of guidelines for writing clearly that is based on how people read. In writing, grammar is (mainly) fixed, but meanings (information, content) can go almost anywhere. Baskin’s guidelines…