Translating science, uplifting industry

“Who here is into fashion, likes shopping for clothes – or wears clothing on occasion?” UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering master’s student A.J. Bradshaw asked the lecture hall crowd. 

It was a light, silly joke – a chuckle, not a guffaw – but a chuckle that warmed up and perked up the audience for what would otherwise have been a technical lecture on sustainable methods of coloring textiles for commercial use. 

“Okay, good!” Bradshaw continued. “Now, have you ever thought about what goes in to making the clothes that we wear every day? Let me tell you about my work experience at an R&D team at a startup that’s attempting to dye cotton in a sustainable way.”

As the showbiz saying goes, dying is easy, comedy is hard. But comedy about dyeing – that takes some skill. And the guidance of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering’s Communication Skills for Industry Program. The program teaches graduate students and postdocs ways to translate rigorous scientific concepts into relatable and impactful stories that can be understood by a wide range of industrial and business leaders. 

“We focus on honing nimble and audience-driven communication skills for industrial and business audiences through opportunities for a lot of active practice,” said UChicago PME Senior Director of Career Development Briana Konnick.

Through a series of hands-on workshops throughout the quarter, the Communication Skills for Industry Program helps graduate students and postdocs develop skills to effectively communicate their work and ideas to a wide range of industrial audiences including R&D teams, hiring managers, cross-functional product teams, business stakeholders and more. This instruction, feedback and constructive collaboration comes from both UChicago PME instructional staff and working industry professionals representing companies like AstraZeneca, Intel, World Wide Technologies and IonQ. 

After each workshop, participants are paired with an industrial mentor in different industrial and business roles for a networking conversation where they can learn about the specific communication tools and strategies, and practice some of the skills they are developing in the workshops. This year, 28 mentors from companies including AWS, Pfizer, Google, Genentech, Ecolab and AbbVie helped guide the UChicago PME researchers.

The program capstone in December brought it all together. A total of 18 participants had three minutes each to give compelling, impactful mini-talks on research innovations looking to make the leap from the lab to the real world. Topics ranged from decarbonizing aviation, understanding how quantum chaos manifests in classical dynamical systems to RNA therapeutics for Alzheimer’s and cleaning ocean pollutants using coral mucus.

“The instructors helped us turn our raw ideas and passion into something where you can give structure and credence to whatever you want to talk about,” Bradshaw said.

The judges – all working professionals with UChicago PME ties in companies including Merck, QuantCAD, InverseOutsights and VanquaBio - selected first- and second-place honorees in both the master’s and PhD/postdoctoral researcher categories.

Sulagna Hazarika, a master’s student on the Energy and Sustainability track, took the first-place honor in the Master’s Students Group while Neal Bansal, also Energy and Sustainability track, took second.

“Scientists have a responsibility not only to contribute to the academic community but also to translate their work for the public good,” Hazarika said. “Many research outcomes often influence decisions about health, energy, environment, and technology that affect everyone. I believe effective communication to non-scientists ensures that scientific discoveries are understood in terms of their real-world relevance rather than remaining confined to technical journals. This would also help reduce misinformation and empower people to make informed decisions.”

Immunoengineering PhD student Ivan Vuong took first in the PhD Students & Postdocs Group. Materials for Sustainability PhD student Vishnu Dharmaraj took second.

“Science, especially biomedical research, is not a fast process with instant gratification,” Vuong said. “To gain the support of key stakeholders like those who will fund or benefit from the work, scientists must effectively communicate the value of the potential result and the steps required to achieve it.”

• Explore the ways UChicago PME’s Science Communications Program helps scientists share their research