GCC Workshops

All GCC workshops occur from 5-6 pm in IDEATE Studio A in the Hunt Library and provide FREE PIZZA. GCC workshops are free and appropriate for students at all levels of study, in the sciences and humanities.

Fall Workshop Lineup 
While you wait for our fall workshops, find recordings of previous workshops here.

Strategies for Concise Writing – August 30 REGISTRATION TBA
Have you ever been told that your writing is too wordy?  Concision is a core principle of effective communication. Writing that clearly and directly emphasizes the bottom line helps readers easily and efficiently understand your main point. This workshop offers several simple and effective strategies to improve the directness of your writing.

Communicate Like a Professional: Contacting Professors and Employers – August 30 REGISTRATION TBA
This workshop covers some common mistakes students make when communicating with their professors and potential employers.  We will discuss "right" and "wrong" ways to email your professors about sensitive issues such as missed classes, course difficulties, or grading concerns.  We also touch on strategies for communicating with potential employers about job inquiries.

Making an Impact with your Cover Letter – September 7 REGISTRATION TBA
The job application cover letter is your first impression on a potential employer. As a result, this high stakes document is often very difficult to write. This workshop covers three tips to writing a cover letter that persuades employers you are the ideal candidate for the position. We will go over several examples, and you will learn phrases to construct an effective cover letter.

Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations – September 13 REGISTRATION TBA
This workshop will help you create PowerPoint presentations that present your research in a clear and compelling way. We will introduce innovative research on designing visually effective slides that increase audience engagement. We will practice revising slides, and discuss other strategies for organizing and delivering your presentation. 

Designing Effective Research Posters- September 14 REGISTRATION TBA
This workshop will teach you effective visual design principles to create a compelling and memorable research poster.  You will learn to create a persuasive visual "story" about your research project. We will discuss several strong and weak examples of scientific posters. 

Communicating Data to Non-Experts – September 21 REGISTRATION TBA
In your professional life, you often have to present technical data to non-expert audiences such as managers, clients, or members of the general public. This workshop teaches you principles for creating graphs and tables that non-experts can understand. You will learn to transform your data into a story (with minimal distractions) that will capture the audience's attention.

Team Communication I: The Fundamentals of Managing Team Projects – September 28 REGISTRATION TBA
Teamwork is central to professional life, but most students don't know how to manage a team project so it flows smoothly. This workshop will teach you how to create a team infrastructure that will help you avoid the most common team problems. You will learn strategies for structuring your collaboration and talking with your teammates when problems do occur.

Team Communication II: Handling Difficult People and Situations – October 4 REGISTRATION TBA
This workshop teaches you to confront challenging team situations in a way that is most likely to give you positive results.  You will learn strategies for confronting dismissive or aggressive teammates, responding to teammates who produce poor quality work, and advocating for a particular project role. We will cover what to say and what not to say in tense situations.

Writing a Related Work Section – October 11 REGISTRATION TBA
It is easy for your related work section to become a “data dump” that overwhelms your reader with information. This workshop will give you strategies to connect research into trends and put studies in conversation with each other. We will look at strong and weak examples and focus on the language they use. This workshop is applies to writing journal articles, theses, and more.

Writing a Graduate School Application Essay – October 18 REGISTRATION TBA
The statement of purpose requires you to pitch your candidacy to a small number of faculty members who read hundreds of other essays. This workshop will provide writing strategies on how to craft an effective application essay. You will learn how to show your busy readers that you are a good fit for the program and can contribute meaningfully to the their department.

Making the Case for Your Research – October 25 REGISTRATION TBA
This workshop will teach you four steps that make the case for why your research is an essential contribution to the field. You will turn your research into a compelling narrative and highlight the innovation of your work, especially for non-specialist audiences. These moves can help you structure the abstract and introduction of your paper, and can be applied to conference presentations, application materials, grant proposals, and more.

Improving the “Flow” of Your Writing – November 2 REGISTRATION TBA
If you have ever been told that your writing is “choppy” or does not have any “flow,” this workshop is for you. We will teach you a simple – but effective – principle for improving the logical flow between sentences and paragraphs, called the Known/New Contract. This crucial rhetorical principle will help an audience follow the progression of your ideas and arguments. 

For more information on our workshops, please contact gcc-cmu@andrew.cmu.edu
A complete list of our workshop topics can be found here.