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 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 and the DCSWA board
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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
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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
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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.
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Professional Development Day Agenda
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|
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: |
| 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!) |
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Dave Karpf is an associate professor in George Washington University’s School of Media & Public Affairs. A political scientist by training, his teaching and research is primarily focused on advocacy and activism in the digital age. He is the author of The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy (Oxford University Press, 2012) and Analytic Activism: Digital Listening and the New Political Strategy (Oxford University Press, 2016). Since 2018, he has been working on a book-length project on the history of the digital future. His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including WIRED magazine and TheAtlantic.com. He writes frequently on Substack (davekarpf.substack.com) and causes a bit too much trouble with his Twitter account (@davekarpf).
