Emory's Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement is set to host its first Public Scholarship Academy, a transformative four-day program designed to empower faculty in effectively communicating their scholarly work to broader audiences.
Scheduled for May 13-16 in midtown Atlanta, the academy is a flagship initiative by the CPSE to bridge academic research and public discourse and will offer a multifaceted approach to public scholarship featuring specialized training from communications experts.
"Our goal is to provide faculty with the tools to translate complex academic work into compelling narratives that resonate with audiences both inside and outside of academia," says Ken Carter, founding director of the Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement. "We look forward to connecting scholars with communications professionals who will coach them on effective ways to share their scholarship."
The academy will kick off with a keynote session led by Molly Webster, guest host and senior correspondent for Radiolab, a Peabody Award-winning radio program and podcast produced by WNYC. Webster has reported on a variety of topics including human reproduction, astronomical anomalies and infectious diseases. Beyond Radiolab, her work has appeared in National Geographic, Scientific American, Nature and Freakonomics Radio.
Following the keynote, 50 scholars will participate in three days of workshops covering storytelling, media relations and podcasting. During media training sessions, participants will receive in-depth guidance on communicating through social media, op-eds and television and radio interviews. A dedicated media panel will provide best practices for effectively reaching diverse audiences across multiple platforms.
Public Radio Exchange (PRX), a leading podcast publisher and public radio distributor, will host a session exploring the evolving landscape of podcasting, offering scholars insights into designing engaging podcast content that connects with listeners.
A full day will be dedicated to academic storytelling, with specialists from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science leading a custom-designed program to help scholars craft more compelling narratives around their research. The Alan Alda Center — founded in 2009 by Stony Brook University and actor, author and activist Alan Alda — enables researchers through professional development opportunities to share the wonder and impact of their work.
"Through the custom curriculum we are developing [for the academy], we aim to transform experts into empathetic, compelling and flexible communicators, ready to deftly engage with diverse audiences," says Radha Ganesan, assistant professor of practice and an Alda-certified instructor. "Participants will acquire the skills to make their expertise accessible and meaningful by simplifying complexity, fostering clarity and building trust. This tailored experiential training empowers participants to inspire dialogue, strengthen public trust and tackle societal challenges, leaving a lasting impact through meaningful public engagement."
A unique follow-up component will provide participants with a one-on-one coaching session following the academy. Expert coaches will help scholars apply their newly acquired skills to their respective research and scholarly work.
Carter says the academy has been designed to have a deliberate focus on creating a personalized experience for a diverse cohort of 50 scholars that span numerous disciplines. Up to 20 registrations will be sponsored and reserved for Emory facultythroughthe CPSE and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research.
The Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, established in 2023 and based at Emory's Oxford College campus, aims to help faculty and students proactively engage in public conversation and increase confidence in the value of scholarship and evidence-based research. It hosted its first IDEAS Festival Emory in September, featuring Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri and 40 innovative speakers, and hopes to establish itself as a novel space where scholars share knowledge and insights directly with the community.
