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Professional Development Day 2023 (In-Person + Virtual)

May 6, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

Professional Development Day, a career development event for science writers, has been DCSWA’s signature event since 2006. Every year, over 100 science reporters, PIOs, editors, radio and video producers, and freelancers gather for a fun and exciting day of networking and skill-building

Our full-day(!) event will include a keynote talk, panel discussions, lunch with scientists, a pitch slam, and happy hour. Please join us on Saturday, May 6 from 9am – 5pm at George Washington University’s Student Center on the 3rd floor.

Lunch will be provided. There will also be an in-person raffle of science books and dioramas.

We will also have livestreaming – with dedicated specialist IT support – for those who want to attend the talk and panel discussions virtually.

We are excited for our slate of programming (more details below) and hope to see you on May 6!

Sincerely,

Richard Sima and the DCSWA board

Keynote

  • David Karpf, Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs

Working title: How different will the AI future be?

It seems like we are at a technological inflection point with generative AI models. Dave Karpf has spent the past several years conducting research on the history of similar technological inflection points. In this talk, he’ll discuss what lessons we can draw from the “history of the digital future.” What should we watch for, hope for, worry about, and expect. What, generally speaking, comes next from here?

Panels

  • Navigating Twitter Uncertainty: What are the Alternatives? moderated by Carmen Drahl (Freelance science journalist) and Bruce Y Lee (Forbes/CUNY), with Michele Banks (Independent science artist), Mark A. Herschberg (Vodex), Arminda Downey-Mavromatis (Scientific American), and Joseph Galbo (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)
  • Timing is Everything: How Science Reporters, Journal Editors, and PIOs Can Get in Sync in the Complex Publication Landscape moderated by Kira Sampson (American Society of Hematology), with Emily Conover (Science News), Sofia Garakyaraghi (American Chemical Society), and Ben Stein (NIST)
  • Solutions Journalism: A New Approach to Writing About Ongoing Issues in the U.S. moderated by Rachel Lense (Freelance science journalist) and Ben Marcus (Smithsonian), with Shannon Osaka (The Washington Post), Valerie Dowret (Resolve Philadelphia), Jaisal Noor (Solutions Journalism Network), and Christina Sturdivant Sani (Bloc by Block News)
  • Writing About Science for a Kid Audience moderated by Sam Jones (Tiny Matters podcast), with Bethany Brookshire (freelance science journalist), Brenna Maloney (National Geographic), Maria Temming (Science News), and Thomas van Kalken (Wow in the World podcast)
  • Science on Social Video: Practitioners Share Lessons moderated by Eli Kintisch (Scripps News), with Shweta Gulati (Video Producer/Editor, National Geographic), Katy Mersmann (Producer and Social Media Co-Lead, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), and Rubén Rodríguez Pérez (Video Producer, National Geographic)

Pitch slam moderated by Michael Newman (Johns Hopkins Medicine), with John Timmer (Ars Technica), Lisa Chiu (Brain Facts), Manny Morone (Chemical & Engineering News), Caryl-Sue Micalizo (Eos), Linda Thrasybule (Everyday Health), Kat Long (Mental Floss), Jason Bardi (Proto Life), Macon Morehouse (Science News), and Traci Watson (Nature)

Boxed lunch with ~6 George Washington University researchers

Details:

When: Saturday, May 6, 2023, 9 am – 5 pm. Registration begins at 9 am. The formal program begins at 9:30 am.

Where: George Washington University’s Student Center

800 21st Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20052

Cost:

In-person: $60 members, $105 for nonmembers, $40 student members.

Virtual only: $30 members, $52.50 for nonmembers, $20 student members.

Financial hardship rate available—please email president@dcswa.org. We are also making refunds easy if anyone needs to cancel because of illness or perceived risk to try and keep our community safe.

Professional Development Day Agenda

Room 1 Room 2
9:00 – 9:30 am Registration
9:30 – 10:00 am Opening remarks and Newsbrief Award presentations 
10:00 – 11:00 am Keynote speaker: “How different will the AI future be?” by Professor David Karpf
11:10 am – 12:30 pm  Navigating Twitter Uncertainty: What are the Alternatives? Writing About Science for a Kid Audience
12:30 – 1:30 pm  Lunch with GW Scientists
(boxed lunches that can be taken outdoors to eat if desired.)
1:30 – 2:45 pm Science on Social Video: Practitioners Share Lessons Timing is Everything: How Science Reporters, Journal Editors, and PIOs Can Get in Sync in the Complex Publication Landscape
2:45 – 4:00 pm Solutions Journalism: A New Approach to Writing About Ongoing Issues in the U.S Pitch slam 
4:00 – 4:30 pm Closing remarks/flock gathering (in main area); Raffle
5:00 – 7:00 pm Happy hour (Tonic at Quigley’s!)

 

Details

Date:
May 6, 2023
Time:
9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Event Category:
Website:
https://dcswa.wildapricot.org/event-5204611

Organizer

Richard Sima
Phone
17167131892
Email
richard.sima.science@gmail.com
View Organizer Website

Venue

George Washingon University Student Center
800 21st Street, NW
Washington DC, 20052 United States
+ Google Map
View Venue Website