Communication Academy

The Communication Academy is an interactive workshop series designed to help graduate students learn techniques to communicate their research and expertise in compelling ways that inspire a wide variety of audiences. Graduate students will develop written and spoken communication skills for both academia and industry, from networking tips to conference applications. The Communication Academy also helps to build community among graduate students from across different colleges, giving them a space to discuss their research and career interests.

All workshops in Fall 2025 are virtual and available for registration on Mason360.

• Stay Focused: Decide on your key points in advance to help illustrate your research without over-complicating it. Ask yourself, (1) What is being done in my research? (2) Why is it important? (3) Who might my research help? 

• Create a story: The key points of your research can create a skeletal framework for a story. You can then add any new facts to the framework and highlight their connection to the main points. 

• Less is more: Limit the number of new ideas presented to an audience so that their attention is not pulled in too many different directions. 

• Connect to the trends: Link your research to a key topic of interest in the news or among your community in order to grab the audience’s attention more quickly and help them put your research into a context that they readily understand. 

• Leverage social media: Social media platforms encourage short, concise content, and some researchers use these platforms to spotlight their research content. 

• Build excitement: Varying the pitch, tone, and pace of your voice can engage your audience’s attention and highlight key pieces of information. 

• Practice makes perfect: Communicate your research with audiences from different academic backgrounds to see which pieces of your explanation need simplification. 

One great way to practice your communication is by participating in George Mason University Conferences & Research Competitions, such as the Three Minute Thesis, the graduate Research Poster Competition, and the Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference.