Technical Communication for the Sciences

Technical communication is the art and science of dissecting, clarifying, and condensing complex data and information into readable, accessible material for a specific audience.

OWLL's Technical Communication for the Sciences noncredit certificate is designed to prepare students and mid-career professionals to produce effective, instructive, and concise communication for the science workplace. Students will learn best practices in communication and presentation for end-users, who may include a variety of professional, technical, consumer, and specialized audiences.  

Connecticut has become a nucleus of bioscience advances, with one of America's highest concentrations of scientists and engineers – from groundbreaking research and personalized medicine to device manufacturing of the latest metal technology. As one of the nation’s fastest-growing hubs in bioscience, there are more than 23,000 science professionals across more than 500 companies in Connecticut.

What will you learn?

     Create audience-centered messaging

     Apply effective technical communication strategies

     Utilize best practices in editing, revising, and researching

     Facilitate understanding of workplace-relevant products and processes

     Ethically incorporate AI into your writing

Who should enroll?

     Students, scientists, engineers, or mid-career professionals

     Marketing, sales, research and development, quality assurance professionals

     Anyone looking to retool for an exciting new career or re-entering the workplace.

To maximize learner success, it is strongly suggested that Freshman Composition (or equivalent) and at least one college-level science class be completed before registering for this training.

Meet our Trainer and Industry Experts

Stephanie Fischer is a professional educator, writer, and content creator specializing in business, technical, professional, and academic writing. She has taught in public higher education at Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, and CT State Community College since 2009. Before becoming an educator, she worked in banking and finance. Her collaboration with BioPath, which supports, develops, implements, and advances educational programming to enhance teaching and learning for students in the Biosciences, began in 2021. In addition to writing articles for BioPath, she developed and taught Technical Writing for the Biosciences Bootcamp and co-edited the BioPath Market Analysis. 

Anthony Franco is a seasoned operations and strategy executive with more than 20 years of experience in the legal, technical, and biotech industries. He has an established track record of helping organizations define their ways of working, develop their strategy, and achieve their corporate goals.  He currently serves as the General Manager of ReST Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on PTSD and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Previously, Anthony served as the chief operating officer for a microbiome startup, where he was responsible for transforming the company's consumer division and establishing a pharmaceutical development program focusing on rare pediatric diseases. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Southern Connecticut State University and a Juris Doctorate from Western New England School of Law.  

Melissa J. Marcucci holds a PhD in cell biology from Yale University and is also a registered nurse (BSN), linking her basic science background in cellular signaling pathways to clinical application as a former medical oncology nurse at Smilow Cancer Center. In that role, Melissa became committed to the education of healthcare professionals to influence the oncology landscape. Melissa joined the Guardant team in October 2022 as a Clinical Science Liaison II, using her combined background to support the education of clinicians on comprehensive genomic profiling for precision medicine. During the prior 15 years, Melissa also served as an associate professor and department chair of biology at the University of Saint Joseph (West Hartford, Connecticut), teaching undergraduate/graduate biology and providing leadership in program review, curriculum development, and strategic planning. Melissa was the primary investigator on a National Science Foundation S-STEM grant to foster the recruitment and retention of students into STEM majors.

More Experts to be announced soon!

Contact

Questions? Contact Professor Stephanie Fischer at fischers5@southernct.edu