Grad SLAM Preparation Resources

2025 Workshops & Coaching

2025 Grad SLAM Information Sessions

These virtual sessions provide an overview of Grad SLAM 2025, tips on how to get started, and strategies for connecting with past participants to learn from their experiences.

Wednesday, January 15th at 3pm PT (RSVP)
Thursday, January 23rd at 12pm PT (RSVP)
Tuesday, January 28th at 10am PT (RSVP)

Information session recording available on the GEPA YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNdA5Oo42lY&t=1s.

2025 Support & Coaching Sessions

Drop-In Coaching from the Center for Student Involvement

Coaching sessions are drop-in spaces for participants to work on their presentations, receive and give feedback on research talks, and build confidence as they prepare for Grad SLAM. Bring your slide!

Thursday, February 6th at 11am, Zoom link: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/96180278470
Friday, February 7th at 2pm: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/99698765742
Thursday, February 13th at 3pm: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/99459524035
Friday, February 14th at 1pm: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/92181581178

Activate to Captivate Winter 2025 Workshops:

We are pleased to offer communication workshops from Bri McWhorter of Activate to Captivate to help you prepare your Grad SLAM talk. Attend one of both in winter quarter:

Distilling Your Message: This workshop will cover topics such as: understanding the impact of your message, tips to craft an effective introduction, how to outline your ideas into a repeatable narrative, how to create a visual to reinforce your message and more!) | Wednesday, January 22nd at 2pm PT | RSVP: https://ucsd.zoom.us/meeting/register/nYYfOb4dRKGb02b8k5_8yA#/registration
Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch: This workshop will cover topics such as: how to craft a personal elevator pitch, how to effectively share how an idea or project originated, how to effectively leverage small talk in professional settings, tips to check if your message is memorable and repeatable and more! | Wednesday, February 5th at 10am PT | RSVP: https://ucsd.zoom.us/meeting/register/BPbaPJzdRr6CTB0Npozk4g#/registration

iLead Workshops:

iLead is a drop-in workshop program on various communication and leadership topics, feel free to check out the current quarter's offerings: https://getinvolved.ucsd.edu/ccl/leadership.html.

Writing Hub Winter 2025 Workshops:

These workshops will explore useful strategies for connecting your highly-specialized research to more general audiences.

TBA

Ongoing Support at the Writing Hub

Grad SLAM participants can get ongoing, individualized support from the Graduate Writing Consultants at the Writing Hub. Writing Consultants can help you think through and articulate your ideas thoughtfully. Consultants are available for 30 and 60 minute one-on-one appointments, Sunday through Friday. Make an appointment at writinghub.ucsd.edu.

Additional Resources

How to Talk like TED by Carmine Gallo, Article by Guy Kawasaki
How to Give a TED-Worthy Talk by Dorie Clark, Forbes
10 Tips on How to make Slides that Communicate your Idea, by TED Staff
10 Most Common Rookie Mistakes in Public Speaking by Terry Gault, Managing Partner and Vice President of the Henderson Group
Giving an Academic Talk by Jonathan Shewchuk, Associate Professor in Computer Science, University of California at Berkeley
Giving Oral Presentations from English Communication for Scientists by Jean-luc Doumont (ed.), Nature (2010)
Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds
Making the Most of Your Three Minutes for 3MT: The Three Minute Thesis by Simon Clews, Director, Writing Centre, University of Melbourne
10 Hints for Improving Presentations for the Three Minute Thesis Competition by Danielle Fischer, Charles Darwin University
Presentation Skills: Overcoming Stage Fright from the GradPost
Creating a Persuasive Presentation from the GradPost
Top Ten Tips for Writing and Delivering Very Brief Speeches by Bill Cole, Founder and CEO of William B. Cole Consultants

Inspiration

TED Talks: Approximately 3-minute talks on “ideas worth spreading”
PhD Comics Two-Minute Thesis: PhD Comics challenged graduate students to explain their work in two minutes – the best have been turned into videos!
3 Minute Thesis Competition Winners: Winning presentations from a multi-university thesis competition in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the South Pacific

Proposition 209 Compliance

In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories. All programs and initiatives coordinated by the University of California Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs are designed and implemented in full compliance with Proposition 209 and the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy.

More information about Proposition 209 can be found here.

More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.