Media and Communications Training Workshops

As a faculty or staff researcher or graduate student at UC Davis, you have a powerful platform for sharing research and insights, communicating the university’s mission and values, and contributing to public discourse. Our Strategic Communications team – which includes former journalists, public speakers and digital communicators – can help you communicate with precision and impact.

We offer a half-day workshop to help craft, sharpen and deliver messages for media, policymakers, funders, donors, alumni and other audiences. Emphasizing hands-on interaction, these sessions are geared toward research faculty and staff across all levels of experience and comfort with public speaking, and can help with self-confidence, poise, and translating technical or difficult topics for general audiences.

This training is held on select dates at Mrak Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $100, which is recharged to the faculty/staff member’s appointed department of choice. The fee includes a booklet of tips and resources as well as a book on communicating by Alan Alda or Faith Kearns.

Trainings occur on the following dates:

• Nov. 1, 2024 (Friday)
• Feb. 5, 2025 (Wed)
• March 7, 2025 (Friday)
• April 4, 2025 (Friday)
• May 7, 2025 (Wed)
• Sept. 10, 2025 (Wed)
• Oct. 3, 2025 (Friday)
• Nov. 7, 2025 (Friday)

For questions or to register, contact Gerda Albright.

Additional specialized trainings

For those who have completed our comprehensive communications training course, we offer the following specialized trainings:

On-Camera Training

In this session, participants learn the fundamentals of visual presentation, including body language, and how to break down complex topics in a succinct manner and parry tough or unexpected questions in a live setting. We will have at least two rounds of interviews so participants can practice their message delivery and pivoting to their key message points. For questions or to register, contact John Mounier.

Social Media Training

This session will help you use social media to break through the noise and communicate messages effectively to diverse audiences. Participants will learn practical tips on how to navigate the particulars of each platform, use hashtags and other tools to broaden reach and impact, and develop a compelling bio. For questions or to register, contact Karla Fung.

Communicating Challenging Topics

In this session, participants will learn strategies for communicating about difficult topics, including how to respond to adversarial lines of inquiry. Faculty and staff in this session will practice pivoting to key message points, maintaining composure in the face of hostile questions, and taking control of interviews. For questions or to register, contact Bill Kisliuk.