Seminar in Chemistry (Chem 290) Guidelines

 

Course Purpose:  To practice the delivery of invited seminars, talks at professional meetings, and progress reports to supervisors.  The seminar should review a chemical or biochemical research area that you learn about in the library.  It should not be closely related to your dissertation (except for M.S. students).

Spend no more than one-half time for one month preparing the talk.  Conceptualize a core topic and learn it in detail.  Your topic resembles the core of an onion, with layers and layers of increasingly remote information surrounding it.  Only layers very near the core are relevant.  Limit the scope of your topic so you meet the deadline without excessive stress.  It’s OK not to know everything as long as you know a lot.

Speak with Ericka in the front office 1 week ahead to advertise the talk to the Department by email and on the erasable board in the archway.

Print up an announcement of your seminar for posting around the Department.  Include title, the words "Chemistry 290", your name, time, day and date, room, and a one-paragraph abstract.  Post copies prominently on Departmental bulletin boards or walls several days in advance.

Practice ahead.  Obtain feedback.  Try to anticipate questions.

Clear presentation is critical:

Prepare an outline of the talk for your own use.

Tell the audience what you will cover.

Construct good transitions between sections of the talk.

Summarize the main points, the “take-home messages.”

Make each point clearly and only once.

Define specialized vocabulary.

Cite references and give credit to the people who did the research.

Use clear graphics.  It’s better to have less detail and be legible.  Use font sizes no less than 16 point.

Keep the uninterrupted talk to 40 min, because it will become 50 min with interruptions.

Make your presentation at the screen.  Be careful to point precisely for at least one second at each item under discussion.

Be certain the overhead is positioned squarely, not angled.

Talk to the audience, make eye contact and be lively within reason.

Refer to “The ACS Style Guide” (ISBN 0-8412-0943-X) for further tips.