My colleagues and I offer a number of science communication talks and workshops, both for faculty and graduate students. Topics include recognizing the expert blind spot, making math more intuitive, storytelling for scientists, and how to work with your news office. Here’s a sample syllabus for my 6-part graduate workshop.

Before becoming a full-time staff writer and freelancer, I also spent several years designing and teaching science-themed writing courses for undergraduates in the Duke University Writing Program:

• In my first course, Eureka!, we took a look at the people, politics and luck behind some of the best-known scientific discoveries, largely through the scientists’ own biographical accounts.
• In another course, Understanding the Evolution Debate, we explored the debate over the teaching of evolution in public schools.
• In Genetics and Society, students examined the ethical, legal, and social implications of the Human Genome Project.

Although varied in theme, these courses were united by the common goal of teaching college-level reading, writing, and research skills through an exploration of contemporary debates in the sciences. Along the way, my students engaged in a process of peer review and revision that mirrors the same process scientists go through when publishing their work. Syllabi, assignments, and other course materials are available upon request.