Speaker: Naomi Fitter

Abstract: Using humor effectively in academic presentations, job talks, teaching, and beyond can make your science communication more effective and memorable. But where does this humor come from, what types of joke can you use in these settings, and how can you get started writing and creating in this vein? Join in this workshop-style seminar to learn more and try your hand at early comedy writing that can feed back into your various academic exploits.A workshop on humorous science communication that you can use to enliven your conference presentations, be more successful on the job market, and more. Adapted from a presentation by Lexa Graham (of DNAtured). Please bring something to write on, as we'll be doing breakout activities throughout the seminar to help you get your ideas out of your head and onto paper. If you like, you can also look up examples of humorous science communication that you find interesting or inspiring, and bring these ideas to the workshop.

Bio: Dr. Naomi Fitter is an associate professor of robotics at Oregon State University, where she heads the Social Haptics, Assistive Robotics, and Embodiment (SHARE) Lab. Naomi is also an experienced comedian, running OMSI’s science comedy nights, touring with nerdy greats like Don McMillan, and more! Join this workshop about how comedy can enhance your professional endeavors in robotics (even if you’re not a professional comedian).Naomi uses comedy a lot in her role as a faculty member here at OSU (e.g., in lecturing, formulating research questions, captivating audiences, writing for IEEE Spectrum, preparing in-home robots for better success), but also professionally after hours (e.g., when she runs OMSI's science comedy nights, tour with acts like Don McMillan, and more).