Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia University
Communicating Science and Health:
An InterProfessional Workshop for Faculty
October 23, 2015
West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, West Virginia
Conference Theme: The goal of this workshop is to help faculty learn to communicate more effectively about
healthcare and science with people outside their field, including the general public, students, policy makers, the
media, potential employers or funders and prospective collaborators in other disciplines. Through discussion
and practice, we will focus on building fundamental skills -- knowing your audience, connecting with your
audience, and speaking clearly and conversationally about healthcare, your profession, and why it matters.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this knowledge-based program for Faculty, the participants should be able
to:
 Connect more directly and spontaneously with each other, patients and the public
 Describe the two-way nature of communication
 Investigate body language and listen with more awareness to respond with greater sensitivity
 Speak clearly and vividly about their work and why it matters
 Tailor their message by practicing
o finding common ground
o engaging their listener
o speaking at different levels of complexity for different audiences, and
o using storytelling techniques
Agenda:
8:00 to 8:30 AM
Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 to 8:40 AM
Welcome: Dr. Clay Marsh, Vice President and
Executive Dean of Health Sciences
8:40 to 9: 40 AM
Introduction to the Communicating Science and Health Program
Evonne Kaplan-Liss, MD, MPE, Keynote Speaker
9:50 AM to 12:50 PM
Morning Sessions
(1) Improvisation for Scientists
(2) Distilling Your Message
12:50 to 2:00PM
Lunch with report out (evaluation)
2:00 to 5:00 PM
Afternoon Sessions
(2) Distilling Your Message
(1) Improvisation for Scientists
5:15 to 5:45 PM
Report out and evaluation
5:45 PM
Adjourn
Special Thanks: This workshop is funded by the Natalie and Wes Bush Inter-Professional Education Fund,
and the WVU Health Sciences Office of InterProfessional Education.
For Additional Information:
Chuck Coole, Research Coordinator, HSC Office of IPE, ccoole@hsc.wvu.edu, 304-293-8050
Georgia L Narsavage, Director IPE, gnarsavage@hsc.wvu.edu 304-293-6729
Registration:
Registration Fee of $10.00 due upon arrival at the conference.
REGISTRATION LINK: http://medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/ce/events/ipe-communication-skills-in-challengingsettings/ipe-registration/
Continuing Education Credit:
The WVU School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to
provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The WVU Office of CME designates this live activity for a maximum of 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This continuing education activity has been provided by the West Virginia University School of Nursing for 9.6 contact
hours. The West Virginia University School of Nursing is an approved provider of continuing education by the State of
West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, Legislature Rule §19CSR11-4 under provider
number WV1996-0120RN.
The WV Board of Dentistry approves any course or program sponsored by the following provider, or its constituent or
component organization: The American Medical Association (AMA). This course is approved for 8 AMA PRA Category
1 credits which can be submitted to the WV Board of Dentistry as 8 Dentistry continuing education credits.
The West Virginia University School of Public Health is an approved provider of continuing education Certified Public
Health CE recertification credit by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. The WVU SPH designates this live
activity.
The West Virginia University School of Pharmacy (WVUSoP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. The program (ACPE# 00729999-15-029-L04-P and 0072-9999-15-030-L04-P) is approved for pharmacists for a total of 7.5 hours or 0.75
CEU’s of continuing pharmacy education credit. WVUSoP will report your participation in the programs to NABP CPE
Monitor within 4 – 6 weeks for all participants who successfully complete each session. Successful completion includes:
attending the entire session, signing the attendance sheet and completing an online evaluation form for each session
attended. After completing the evaluation form a statement of credit may be printed on-line by going to your personal
account in our database http://pharmacyce.wvu.edu/user/login.
Speakers:
Disclosure:
It is the policy of the WVU School of Medicine Office of CME to ensure balance, independence, objectivity,
and scientific rigor in all its educational activities. All faculty/authors/planners participating in our programs are
expected to disclose any relevant relationships they may have with commercial companies. All those in a
position to control content have indicated that they have no relevant interest to disclose.
Keynote Speaker:
Evonne Kaplan-Liss MD MPH
Evonne Kaplan-Liss MD MPH is a physician with an expertise in health communications at Stony
Brook University where she is an Associate Professor of preventive medicine and pediatrics at Stony
Brook Medicine, Program in Public Health and School of Journalism. As a member of the steering
committee for Stony Brook University’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science she speaks
nationally on their behalf; teaching health care providers and scientists to speak more clearly and
effectively with their patients, the public and the media. She is very excited about combining her
interests in medicine and journalism as Director of the Advanced Graduate Certificate in Health
Communications; a collaboration between the University's Program in Public Health and School of Journalism, teaching
healthcare professionals, medical students, masters level journalism students and masters/doctoral candidates of all
disciplines to be more effective health communicators, bridging the gap between medicine, public health and the worldat-large. Dr. Kaplan-Liss worked as a researcher and associate producer for Ted Koppel’s Nightline/ABC News and
other syndicated TV medical programs prior to becoming a physician. She received her journalism degree from
Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and her MD from The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. KaplanLiss completed a pediatric residency at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, NY and a preventive medicine
residency at Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, NY. She practiced pediatrics in a busy suburban private
practice prior to coming to Stony Brook in 2003. Dr. Kaplan-Liss is board certified in both pediatrics and preventive
medicine and received her Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
Christine O’Connell
Christine.oconnell@stonybrook.edu
Christine O’Connell, PhD, is a science communication professional working for the Alan Alda
Center for Communicating Science. Christine is a marine and environmental scientist with an
extensive interdisciplinary background in policy, outreach, and communication. Christine was
trained in improvisation by Alan Alda, and works on improving scientific communication to the
public and scientific outreach to the community. Christine teaches graduate courses in Distilling
Your Message and Engaging Key Audiences and coordinates and speaks at national and
international workshops for the Alda Center. Christine also manages The Flame Challenge, an
international contest that asks scientists to communicate complex science in ways that would
interest and enlighten an 11-year-old. Christine has a BS in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a PhD from
Stony Brook in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.
Valeri Lantz-Gefroh
valeri.lantz-gefroh@stonybrook.edu
Valeri Lantz-Gefroh, MFA, is a Lecturer in the School of Journalism where she serves as the
Improvisation Coordinator in the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. She teaches
workshops and graduate courses at Stony Brook, and has traveled around the country teaching
improvisation at other universities, conferences and labs. Val is the producer of Science on Tap, an
award winning live event and web show. She is also the coordinator of Science Unplugged, where
she mentors and coaches students from the Alda Center to give science talks for the public. Val is
spearheading a project to train teaching assistants (TAs) in Biology, Physics and Chemistry to
better communicate with their students and is the lead instructor for this initiative.
Louisa Johnson
louisabjohnson@gmail.com
Louisa Johnson grew up in Brooklyn, NY, and attended LaGuardia Arts High School with a
concentration in Theater Arts. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in
Theater Arts and Philosophy, and her Masters degree from NYU Tisch in Acting. Louisa now
teaches Improvisation for Scientists to graduates students and works with scientists nationwide for
the Alda Center. She has worked as a professional actor in New York, and has appeared on stage
and screen, but she always felt that theater had a broader purpose. She co-created and ran a
confidence building writing and acting workshop at Girls’ Education and Mentoring Services
(GEMS) in Harlem, and currently works with Hunts Point Alliance for Children, where she places
underprivileged students into after-school arts programs in order to help them get into specialized
high schools and eventually college.
Graham Chedd
Graham.chedd@stonybrook.edu
Graham Chedd came to the United States in 1972 as a consultant to the AAAS‘s Public
Understanding of Science program. He became a member of the small team that founded NOVA
in 1974, first as Science Editor, later producing some half dozen episodes, including the awardwinning Race for the Double Helix. In 1978 he executive produced for KCTS Seattle a six-part
PBS series on bioethics, Hard Choices. He then joined the PBS archeology and anthropology
series Odyssey as Senior Producer, producing three episodes, including the premier program
Seeking the First Americans. After establishing the Chedd-Angier Production Company (in
partnership with John Angier), he produced several episodes for Frontline (including the Emmywinning Sue the Doctor?), a joint NOVA/Frontline special on the Strategic Defense Initiative, three
episodes of War and Peace in the Nuclear Age, and three episodes of Columbus and the Age of
Discovery. He also created and executive produced (with WGBH and the BBC) the six-part PBS series The Secret of
Life.
Roxanne Khamsi
roxanne.khamsi@gmail.com
Roxanne Khamsi is the chief news editor for Nature Medicine. Before joining Nature Medicine,
Khamsi worked as an online reporter for New Scientist, writing daily stories about biomedical
research. Her articles have also appeared in publications such as The Economist, Slate.com,
Scientific American, Popular Science, New York Magazine, Wired News, and the MIT
Technology Review.