Northwestern Event Highlights Power of Research Communication
More than 50 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from across Northwestern University recently gathered at the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center in Evanston to focus on an increasingly important skill for researchers: communicating their work clearly, compellingly, and accessibly to audiences beyond academia.
The half-day event, titled “Tell Your Story: Careers in Research Communications,” was hosted by the Office for Research in partnership with The Graduate School (TGS) and the Medill School of Journalism, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communications. Featuring panel discussions and an audience Q&A, the event aimed to raise awareness of campus resources for research communication training that highlight research impact. It also showcased careers in research communications and policy, providing an avenue for student and postdoc engagement that drew attendees from STEM fields and the social sciences and humanities. Participants shared an interest in learning how to make their research resonate with a broader audience.
In his opening remarks, Vice President for Research Eric Perreault emphasized the importance of research communication, reminding attendees that ideas won't change the world unless people understand them.
“Albert Einstein once described gravitational waves as ‘ripples’ in space and time—an image so simple and powerful that it still helps people grasp an abstract concept,” Perreault said. “That magic—turning the complex into the familiar—is what storytelling in research is all about. And when you do it well, it builds trust, fosters partnerships, and creates advocates for your work.”
From Faculty Labs to the Public Square
The event’s first panel featured three Northwestern faculty members who shared their views on how to make research more accessible and impactful: Rayvon Fouché (Communication Studies and Journalism), Mary McGrath (Political Science), and Gayle Woloschak (Radiation Oncology).
McGrath stressed the importance of students practicing clear messaging. “Take the time to reflect and develop your five-minute overview [about your research] to share with others—especially nonscientists,” she said. “It’s important to be able to quickly and succinctly connect with stakeholders.” She encouraged students to think about the social dynamics of science. “For the public, science is something they believe in—it's an act of faith. We as researchers are asking them to have faith in what we do, so it's important to keep that fact in mind.”
Woloschak, an expert in radiobiology and bionanotechnology with a focus on how cells respond to radiation, shared a powerful example from her field. When NASA was planning a Mars mission, she recalled, early reviews of radiation data suggested women faced higher risks than men and might be excluded from the crew. “But they were wrong,” said Woloschak, whose research includes studying radiation toxicity and dose effects. “They were only looking at data from one small study. Once scientists clarified the evidence, NASA revised its approach—and now women will be part of the mission.” In today’s environment of increased polarization, she added, it is essential to “try to understand the other side...to gain perspective that allows you to connect and effectively communicate about your work.”
Fouché highlighted the importance of public engagement. “Communicating about your work is not a one-time thing,” he said. “It’s something you have to make time for.” Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, he observed: “The scientific community didn’t fully realize how much the public distrusted academics. Many of us were stuck in echo chambers on campus and didn’t communicate our work effectively. Science clashed with multiple competing narratives, and science lost.”
When an audience member asked what communication success looks like, he responded: “Increased trust in science and the conviction that scientists are doing good.”
Translating Research Into Real-World Roles
The second panel featured Northwestern alums now building careers that bridge research expertise with communication: Brittany Trang (chemistry Ph.D.), now a reporter at STAT News; Julianne Murphy (health informatics Ph.D.), now a consultant at Bain; Gideon Cohn-Postar (history Ph.D.), who works in voting rights advocacy in Washington, D.C.; and Kristina Zvolanek (biomechanical engineering Ph.D.), currently a Life Sciences Data Consultant at Beghou consulting.
Trang credited a key opportunity at Northwestern: a summer AAAS Mass Media Fellowship that placed her in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newsroom as a reporting fellow. She also highlighted Medill coursework—including a class taught by Medill Professor Patti Wolter—that helped her turn research into engaging stories. “Presentations of your data in graduate school can help you build your research story—and even create some drama to connect with audiences,” she said, noting that her reporting benefits from her scientific background. “The ability to digest large amounts of technical information—and then use my training to poke holes in arguments—has really helped me in journalism.”
Murphy said her research experience has direct applications in consulting. “It taught me how to distill a lot of complex information into a coherent form,” she said. Cohn-Postar said that the events of 2020 made his expertise in voting history unexpectedly valuable. “Suddenly, I was relevant—for the first time,” he laughed. “Combining research with communication lets me help shape how voting rights are understood and protected.”
All four alumni agreed: Storytelling is essential to making research accessible, actionable, and memorable.
Building Skills—and Confidence—for the Future
The final panel featured current Ph.D. students who are developing communication skills through Northwestern programs such as the Research Communication Training Program (RCTP), Science Policy Outreach Task Force (SPOT), and the Medill Media and Science Communication (MMaSC) certificate.
Cognitive psychology Ph.D. candidate Mandy Withall captured the panel’s message: “Think about not just the skills that get you through your program, but skills that get you a job and help your career. Getting trained in scicomm gives you all these hidden skills.”
Withall added, “Learning how to talk coherently about my work meant more people saw me as competent—and that gave me more opportunities. Elevator pitches, faculty talks, and job talks—that’s all science communication. There’s a lot of really smart people in this room. We need other people to see that—and scicomm gives you the skills to share your knowledge effectively.”
An Ecosystem for Impact
Northwestern is increasingly focused on preparing its graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to produce both world-class research and communicate it effectively. Key to this effort is the close collaboration among Medill, TGS, and the Office for Research. Programs like MMaSC, developed by Wolter and colleagues, allow Ph.D. students to earn formal credentials in science writing, storytelling, and digital media.
“We’re training scientists to inform and to inspire,” said Wolter, the director of MMaSC and the Helen Gurley Brown Magazine Professor. “By turning great researchers into great communicators, that’s how you can shift public understanding and engagement.”
Kiki Zissimopoulos, Program Director for RCTP, instructional faculty in McCormick, and a longtime champion of research communication, agreed. “Being able to explain your work clearly isn’t optional—it’s core to your success and your impact,” she said.
As the forum concluded, participants were reminded that telling their story isn’t just a professional asset—it’s a responsibility.
“Being able to tell your story clearly and meaningfully,” Wolter said, “is one of the most powerful tools you have—for your own future, and for the future of research itself.”
Northwestern invites all students, faculty members, staff, alumni, and community members to share their perspectives on why research matters to them and how research has impacted their lives. Contribute to Northwestern's Research Matters campaign to help spread the word about the meaningful impact of research. Those students and postdocs interested in exploring Northwestern’s research communications offerings should consider applying to the MMaSC and/or RCTP courses. Look for spring quarter applications in late January/early February 2026 in the TGS Wire and OPA Wire. The Office for Research is launching a continued effort to support and celebrate exemplary student and postdoctoral research communication and foster connections between researchers, the media, and policymakers. We will continue to highlight programs and efforts in the TGS newsletters and through other Northwestern channels. — Matt Golosinski
This event was made possible by collaboration across Medill, The Graduate School (TGS), and the Office for Research (OR). In addition to those mentioned in the story, we thank: Medill Dean Charles Whittaker, TGS Dean Kelly Mayo, Vice President for Research Eric Perreault, TGS staff Liz Stein, (Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training and Development), Beth Healey (Associate Director of Postdoctoral Affairs), Aubrey Korneta (Associate Director of Professional and Career Development), Rich Cohrs (Assistant Dean of Administration and Strategic Initiatives), and OR staff members Devin Trezise (Executive Assistant), and Matt Golosinski (Director of Research Communications).