What is the SEDTalks! Program?
Need to practice public-speaking for an upcoming academic conference? Want to build important career skills? Hope to participate in the McGill wide Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition and don't know where to start? No matter your skill level, no matter how (un)comfortable you are with public speaking, the SEDTalks! Program is for you!
The SEDTalks! Program is an educational and skills-building training series for graduate students in McGill's Faculty of Engineering and consists of three components:
- Fall Presentation Skills Training Series;
- ChangeMakers Competition, and;
- SEDTalks! Event.
Students have the option to register for the Fall Presentation Skills Training Series only, or the ChangeMakers Competition. See below for registration details. Signups for one of each workshop will be done after registration closes October 15th. ChangeMakers competitors will have priority access for choosing times
Fall Presentation Skills Training Series
The Presentation Skills Training will be delivered in a small group setting, by professional staff. The 2019 fall workshop schedule is shown below.
| WORKSHOP TOPIC |
SESSION DATE : OPTION #1 |
SESSION DATE: OPTION #2 |
WORKSHOP DETAILS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Introduction: Talking it up without dumbing it down |
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. |
Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. |
Communicating research to a wide audience |
| Data Visulization |
Monday, Oct. 28, 2019 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. |
Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. |
Making better figures and graphs for presenting data on slides |
| Presentation & Stage Presence |
Monday, Nov. 12, 2019 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. |
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. |
Body language, tone, stage presence, etc. |
| Presentation Practice Sessions |
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, 2019 10:30 - 12:30 p.m. |
Practice and individual feedback to students on their 3 minute thesis presentation (3MT) Note: All practise sessions will be held in the TLS office, located in MS-74. |
ChangeMakers Competition
Following the Fall Presentation Skills Series, students who have registered for the ChangeMakers competition will participate in a 3 minute thesis challenge, scheduled for December 4, 2019. A panel of judges, including academics, alumni ChangeMakers, and industry professionals, will select three 2020 ChangeMakers, who will participate in the spring 2020 SEDTalks! Event.
All ChangeMakers are awarded a $500 award, and receive a professional photoshoot as well as assistance with drafting an effective professional bio.
The SEDTalks! Event
The 2020 ChangeMakers will go on to develop SEDTalks! presentations during January and February 2020 with personalized training and practice rounds with professional coaches, TISED, and peers. Each ChangeMaker will receive networking business cards and in-lab portraits.
The SEDTalks! Event will showcase the ChangeMakers' 18-minute presentations, and will be followed by a networking cocktail. This event is scheduled for March 18, 2020.
Eligibility for the SEDTalks! Program
Open to any graduate student in engineering, architecture or urban planning working on sustainability-related research in one of the following four areas:
- Sustainable Industrial Processes & Manufacturing
- Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency
- Sustainable Urban Infrastructure & Transportation
- Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience
