Why:
Come join us for a peer-to-peer workshop on scientific writing. Whether we’re writing a short abstract or a big grant proposal, our writing skills are a major determinant of our success. So let’s work together to practice this important skill!
When/Where:
Monday, July 17th, 2023; 8:45 – 12:15 pm
Location
Who:
Anyone affiliated with Colorado State University can participate: undergraduate students, visiting scientists, graduate students, postdocs, admin professionals, and even faculty! Even NSF-REU students are welcome! This opportunity is ideal for rising second-year graduate students who will soon write preliminary exam documents and fellowships. Please consult your PI before registering.
How:
There will be two ways to participate:
- Register as a Participant by clicking on the button below. Show up on the date of the workshop, and learn! That’s it!
- Register as a Peer Instructor. Note – all peer instructors have been selected.
- All peer instructors will receive a free copy of Writing Science In Plain English, by Anne E. Greene
- The number of Peer Instructors we can take is limited
- Please consult your PI before registering as a peer instructor
Registration:
Schedule: Monday, July 17th, 2023
| Time | Example Topics | Speaker |
| 8:45 – 9:00 am | Welcome with coffee & pastries | |
| 9:00 – 9:05 | Intro | Erin Osborne Nishimura |
| 9:05 – 9:45 | write. early. often. better. together. | Dr. Kristina Quynn |
| 9:50 – 10:30 | Argument in scientific writing | Dr. Erika Szymanski |
| 10:30 – 10:45 | Stretch break | |
| 10:45 – 11:15 | Tell a story in each sentence to improve clarity | Naly Torres |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Scientific writing in the classroom | Drew Tonsager |
| 11:45 – 12:15 | Graduating out of common writing pitfalls | Erin Osborne Nishimura |
Speakers
Dr. Kristina Quynn holds a split position between the Graduate School and the Department of English. She is the founding Director of CSU Writes, a campus-wide program that supports faculty, graduate student, postdoc writers who write for publication, proposal submission, and/or degree completion.
Dr. Erika Szymanski holds appointments in the English Department and Cell and Molecular Biology. She studies discourse as a scientific construction tool, human-microbe relations, and multispecies questions raised by contemporary genetic/genomic biotechnologies and microbiome research. Her teaching interests include disciplinary and popular science writing, science communication, science-and-technology studies (STS), environmental humanities, and humanities scholars' roles in interdisciplinary teams.
Dr. Erin Osborne Nishimura is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Her research focuses on developmental genomics in C. elegans worms. Her teaching focuses on molecular genetics and computational biology. Prior to her science career, Dr. Osborne Nishimura worked as a bookseller specializing in popular science nonfiction, and she remains an avid reader.
Naly Torres is a graduate student in the Cell and Molecular Biology Program working in the Osborne Nishimura Lab. Her research focuses on mRNA dynamics in C. elegans early embryos. She is the recipient of the CMB T32 Fellowship Award and the Mentoring TRIADS award which she received in partnership with her student Karissa Coleman.
Drew Tonsager is a graduate student in the Stargell Lab within the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. Drew's research focuses on gene expression regulation in S. cerevisiae. Drew is passionate about teaching and education and is the recipient of the College of Natural Sciences Excellence in Education Award.
Resources
Dr. Quynn’s Slides & Resources:
Dr. Szymanski’s Slides:
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Open in new tab Naly Torres’s Slides:
Drew Tonasager’s Slides & Resources:
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Drew Writing Workshop Exercises.docx
Erin Osborne Nishimura’s Slides:
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Erin’s Exercises:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does this cost anything? No! It’s all free.
Do I need to bring anything? If you’d like to bring a pen or pencil for the exercises, that would be great. Some method of taking notes is also a good idea, though it is not required.
Where will this be held? MRB312.
I’m an undergraduate. Can I join in? Yes! Please register and come join. You can register as a participant or as a peer instructor.
I’m an NSF-REU student. Can I join? Yes! Please register and come join but discuss this with your mentor first.
I’ve never taught anything before. Can I still be a Peer Instructor? Yes! We can coach you through this. It would be a great first teaching experience because it is short!
I am interested in being a Peer Instructor, but I’m not wild about designing an exercise. That’s ok, you can explain this during the registration process.
Ok, hear me out. I have an idea for a topic but it is really coming out of left field. That is ok, just propose it in the registration for Peer Instructors and we’ll take it or leave it.
I’m not a scientist but I am engaged in science writing scholarship. Can I join as a Peer Instructor? Heavens yes, we need you!
I have another question! Please contact Erin Nishimura with any further questions.
Topics we have covered in previous years:
Example topics we have had in previous years:
- Choosing words wisely
- Abstracts sentence-by-sentence
- Omitting useless words
- What can scientists learn from magazine articles?
- There’s a story in every sentence
- Science-specific word choice
- Writing for non-native English speakers
- Collaborative writing – becoming a good editor
- New tools – how Grammarly can help you become a stronger and faster writer
- Writing in groups
- Writing resources at Colorado State
- Writing effective e-mails
