Chalk Talks are a key component of faculty interviews and other informal presentations. But what does a Chalk Talk look like? We’ve curated some examples for you.
![Instagram for Researchers: A Breakdown of Content Types and How to Use Them to Share Your Work [2024]](https://bunny-wp-pullzone-1pwhmcn5fx.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024-instagram-post-types-1080x675.jpg)
Who we work with
We provide communication training, coaching and mentoring for researchers in science, technology, engineering, life and social sciences.
Our clients include universities and higher education organisations, research instututes, intergovernmental organisations, NGOs and non-profit organisations, membership organisations, conference organisers. In addition, we’ve worked with hundreds of individual scientists and researchers from organisations around the world in our open workshops and one-to-one coaching.
We’d love to work with you, too.
I came into the workshop hoping to learn a few new ideas and to avoid a “death by PowerPoint” training experience. Suzanne’s workshop was a surprise. It was full of exercises and activities, lots of time for practice and learning from each other, and the theory that she offered was concise and useful. I was able to start applying learning in the workshop itself, and see many ways for me to use what I learned to improve presentations as well as conversations at work. Very helpful.
This was a timely workshop about how to think more strategically about how you want to be perceived – without lying – and to tailor your brand and messaging for the audience. As I am about to start looking for jobs, I feel that this has been a useful exercise.
Just a quick note to say thank you the engaging and informative webinar on Instagram. You not only explained how and why to use the platform, but you also challenged us to think about whether being on the platform is useful for us individually. I’ve decided that it’s not the right tool for me. Thanks to the webinar, this is an informed decision that I am happy with. Useful.
I got much more out of this workshop than I expected. I feel that what I learned is not only useful for my role in the R&D team, but for my team as a whole.
Valuable experience. I like that we all were able to contribute and how the trainer both “trained” us and guided conversations and exercises so that we could learn by doing.
I have a better understanding about how to position myself as a researcher. It was enlightening to see how I see myself versus how others see me. I feel as if there are more qualities that I can emphasise in my communication when I am talking about my research, and I think that this will help me in the future.
I love these webinars. This one in particular was packed full of useful information about Instagram specifically and social media more broadly. I was able to take away a few “to dos” as a result.
I have taken away several practical tools that will help me improve my scientific presentations. The continuous feedback was useful and I liked having a space to try out what we learned. I will definitely be working on my voice and vocal variety in the coming months.
I have learned so much in such a short time. I didn’t realise just how important presentation skills were in communicating my research. With Suzanne’s help, I now feel confident that I can talk about my research, even to non-experts, in as little as three minutes. Thank you so much!
Collaborating with Suzanne to organize a virtual workshop on the social media landscape in 2023 for Boston University researchers was a pleasure and a resounding success. From the initial planning stages to the workshop's execution, Suzanne’s expertise and passion for science communication were evident at every step. Her attention to detail and consideration of the diverse audience at BU ensured that the content was not only intellectually stimulating but also accessible to researchers with varying backgrounds. Suzanne’s enthusiasm proved contagious, creating an atmosphere of active participation and shared learning. I look forward to future collaborations!
Thank you for the wonderful workshop on Wednesday! I learned so much! I applied the model you introduced on Thursday when a colleague sent a request to join a proposal. I started to write as I normally would, but realized that it was just too complicated. Another colleague told me he thought what I wrote (using the model) was pefect to set up the proposal. Thank you so much!
It's been a long time since I have enjoyed a training workshop as much as I did this one! Suzanne took a lot of time to get to know each of our group during the training, quickly spotting where our strengths lay and helping us develop skills in new areas. She struck a good balance between theory and discussion, and I particularly appreciated the time she gave us for group work and time to try out new skills alone. She was full of energy and positivity, and made me feel welcome and valued throughout, even when she put me on the spot in role plays. Highly recommended!
This is a quick note to thank you for the workshop yesterday on dataviz and data storytelling. I've really been struggling with how to bring my research to life and I feel much better equipped to do this now. The first session on visualization options prompted me to think about using graphical formats that I'd not considered before. The session on design opened my eyes to how much placement, colour and layout matter, and the step by step examples that you gave made me much more aware of what a difference this makes. It was a lot to take in, but with your detailed notes, I feel more confident that I can tell better narratives with the data that I want to present. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of how to design and present data to have more impact.
This workshop was great fun. I learned loads about perspective and how I tend to communicate, and hope to be able to use this knowledge to communicate better with our international students.
I just devoted my first post-semester window of time to following your advice. Amazingly helpful. Joined relevant social media channels. Bulked up my profile info on LinkedIn. Will definitely embrace your other tips going forward.
It was useful to think more strategically about elevator pitches and how I could create something generic for "everyday" use as well as something tailored for different situations like meetings. The opportunity to plan and share elevator pitches was good, as it gave me an idea of other styles and approaches. The detailed individual feedback was unexpected, but great.
This was a good refresher on best practice planning and design for posters. I particularly enjoyed the sessions on tools for choosing colour palettes, which I have since used in other communication materials, and the discussion about online and virtual conferences, which was an eye-opener for me during COVID. Thank you, Suzanne!
This workshop was great fun. I learned loads about perspective and how I tend to communicate, and hope to be able to use this knowledge to communicate better with our international students.
Suzanne started this workshop by saying that most of what she would offer us would feel like common sense. She was right. It's so obvious that I've never thought about it! The day was full of useful information, and I liked the way that Suzanne tailored the session with content from us. I found the structure very helpful in building knowledge. My diagrams and infographics will never be the same. Thank you!
Lots of practical tips and tools. Helpful theory - not too much. Liked the exercises and discussions: feel as if I learned through talking and doing during the two online sessions. Recommend.
Suzanne is a great trainer, and obviously passionate about her subject. I liked that she has a practical background in visual communication from her time as a creative director, and how she has blended this with the work that she does with clients. She made the class very relevant with examples from our research area, and linked theory with practical exercises. I am only just getting started with using visuals and I am certain that this class will help me as I progress through my academic career.
It was great to be able to attend an on-site course for this. Loved all the pens and paper, and the invitations to start with a sketch. Good structure, interesting discussions, and having time to create a graphical abstract and get feedback was brilliant.
Thank you Suzanne for this excellent workshop. I have never thought deeply about my visual communication but I am now very aware of how important this is, and I have lots of tips and tools that I can use to make my visual presentation better. I think that this workshop should be standard for scientists. Can only recommend.
This was a very useful training for my needs. The trainer gave us a good overview, and lots of examples that were relevant to our group. I liked that they also offered examples from other disciplines, too: top tip is that visual communication is EVERYWHERE and we can borrow ideas from others to improve continually.
This course was offered by my graduate school and I attended because I always struggle with my visualisations. I now have a better understanding of where I am going wrong and what I can do better (and that I am also doing something right). I like the clear process that I can use now, and the activities in the session were perfect for applying knowledge.
I like how this course was about visual communication and how we can apply what we learn in different ways. Some people in the class were interested in posters, others in slides, others in how to create better graphs. We learned a lot from each other as well as from the lecturer. Good exercises.
I wasn't expecting to learn how to give feedback on this course, but I did. I also received feedback on my poster and visual abstract. The feedback sessions allowed me to learn so much before we got to the theory, and the theory just deepened my learning. I have some clear ideas about how to improve my existing material, and I also learned how to improve from the comments made by the group on other people's material.