How to Prepare for and
Present a Seminar
(Including a Research Proposal)
Diran Apelian
Alcoa-Howmet Professor of Engineering
Director, Metal Processing Institute
WPI, Worcester, MA
Distinguished Visiting Professor
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science - UC Davis
Some Advice…for
professional life
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and Specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
Power of Effective Communications
Leadership
 Inspire colleagues
 Power of analysis and synthesis
 Simplify complex issues … explain
 Recognition within organization
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
REMEMBER….
• CONTENT
• DESIGN
• DELIVERY
GENERAL RULES
1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
GENERAL RULES
2. BE PREPARED
- confidence
- mechanical issues
- notes/no notes?
GENERAL RULES
3. BE ON TIME
- slides or no slides?
- how many slides?
- remember: Effective is
the key word
GENERAL RULES
4. HAVE A MESSAGE
HAVE A STORY TO TELL
(make sure it is clear to you!)
PREMISE
 Knowledge and know-how determine how well off societies are
vis a vis to other societies
 Education of engineers is critical to every nation to ensure
the prosperity of their citizens
 Standard of living hinges on our ability to educate a large
number of sufficiently innovative engineers
 Follow the Money ! R&D spending fuels innovation
 Creation of wealth is related to a nation’s ability to make
products that other nations want to purchase
GENERAL RULES
5. TELL THE AUDIENCE
WHAT YOU WILL DO
DO IT
TELL THEM WHAT YOU DID
GENERAL RULES
6. NO COMMERCIALIZATION
& GIVE CREDITS
- co-authors
- sponsors
- slides “borrowed”
- data
GENERAL RULES
7. LESS IS MORE
(BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY)
GENERAL RULES
8. NO JOKES
- fine line between being
entertaining and unprofessional
USE PERSONAL STORIES THAT
STRENGTHEN MESSAGE
GENERAL RULES
9. ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE
CONNECT WITH THEM
GENERAL RULES
10. BE EXCITED ABOUT
THE SUBJECT; BE POSITIVE
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
1. DO NOT LOOK AT SLIDES/SCREEN
LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE
IMPORTANCE OF EYE CONTACT
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
2. ATTENTION SPAN OF AUDIENCE
(1/3rd RULE)
DO NOT BARRAGE THEM WITH SLIDES
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
3. CLARITY
- in writing
- in graphs and tables
- color scheme
- sentences vs bullets
- photos
- margins
- movies
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
STEAM ENGINE
MACHINE TOOLS
TEXTILE MACHINERY
STEAMSHIP
STEEL INDUSTRY
RAILROADS
COMMUNICATIONS
TELEGRAPH
ELECTRIC POWER
CHEMICAL INDUSTRY
WORLD POPULATION ESTIMATES
1700
1800
1900
1950
650 MILLION
900 MILLION
1.6 BILLION
2.5 BILLION
The End of the Cold War Era
USA the only remaining superpower …
Our Responsibilities ? Societal context?
RECYCLING/PACKAGING
Is there a correlation here ... Or not!
INNOVATION IS KEY
“Research is the transformation of
money into knowledge;
Innovation is the transformation of
knowledge into MONEY”
Geoffrey Nickelson, 3M
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
4. REUSE OUTLINE
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and Specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and Specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and Specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
5. PURPOSEFUL AND
APPROPRIATE
REDUNDANCY
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
6. POSE QUESTIONS...
AND THEN ANSWER
Successful Partnerships
Between Academia and
Industry
CIEC- February 5, 2015- Palm Springs CA
Diran Apelian
Distinguished Visiting Professor – UC Davis
Alcoa-Howmet professor of Engineering
Metal Processing Institute
WPI, Worcester, MA USA 01609
WHAT are the two most
important assets of a
successful corporation?
KNOWLEDGE
PEOPLE
WHAT are the two most
important products of a
successful consortium?
KNOWLEDGE
PEOPLE
www.wpi.edu/+mpi
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
7. EQUATIONS VS. WORDS
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
8. HANDOUTS OR
NO HANDOUTS?
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
9. CADENCE
SPECIFIC SKILL SETS
10. VOICE, TONALITY,
LOUD ENOUGH?
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and Specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
Q & A: THIS IS WHEN YOU SHINE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
UNDERSTAND THE Q
DID EVERYONE HEAR IT?
BE HONEST… NO YAWP!
THINK OUT LOUD
THANK PEOPLE FOR THE Q
BUSINESS CARDS
GET BACK TO THOSE WHO ASKED Q
SEED QUESTIONS… SOMETIMES?
DEBRIEF WITH YOURSELF
HAVE FUN AND EXUDE ENTHUSIASM
OUTLINE
1. Power of communication
2. General and Specific rules
in making a presentation
3. Q&A period
4. Research proposal
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
ANSWER THE 3 Q
WHY?
(scientific gaps in knowledge base)
WHAT?
(methodology, experimental, deliverables, timetable, etc.)
SO WHAT?
(Impact!)
THANK A
YOU. GACI AS . K
R
SHUK RAN. M
ZER I . E
TAK TK. I A
F HARIE S TO. A
G
R
A I E . D
A
N
K.
ARIGATO. XE X
I . M
A
H LO