Skill Workshop #1: Technical Writing and Presentation

Speaker: Dr. Margaret Kupferle, Associate Professor in the School of Energy, Environmental, Biological, and Medical Engineering. University of Cincinnati

Venue: Swift Hall 820Time: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Date: May 21, 2013

Prepared by:Aaron Leow, University of Cincinnati, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Nicole Rubenstein, Ohio State University, Civil EngineeringWensi Wu, Syracuse University, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Pictured Above (Left to Right): Dr. Margaret Kupferle, and REU Students Improving Sentences

Dr. Margaret Kupferle is currently a professor in the School of Energy, Environmental, Biological, and Medical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. Before coming to UC, Dr. Kupferle received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. Her interest in the environmental aspects of this field led her to a co-op with Proctor & Gamble, where she worked with many commercial and waste materials in their environmental labs. She pursued a Master’s in Environmental Engineering from Purdue, and began researching through UC at the USEPA. She finally decided to earn her PhD. in Environmental Engineering from UC, and joined the tenure track faculty in 2004.

Dr. Kupferle’s main area of research surrounds water treatment via biological and chemical methods. In 2008, she won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for work in chlorine cycling in electrochemical treatment of wastewater. She currently teaches environmental courses at the University of Cincinnati in organic chemistry, solid and hazardous waste management, and sustaining the urban environment. She serves as an advisor for the UC chapter of

Engineers Without Borders, and certifies students seeking a minor in Sustaining the Urban Environment.

The topic of Dr. Kupferle’s workshop given on May 21st, 2013 on the University of Cincinnati campus was techniques for technical writing and presenting. Since the REU summer program is intended to equip students for all aspects of research, technical presentation is an essential component for participants to learn. It is important that students learn how to communicate their research findings so that an effective conversation can be facilitated with the larger scientific community. Dr. Kupferle’s presentation on key ideas to support technical communication was tailored to help the REU student participants create clear and professional deliverables.

Dr. Kupferle began talking about the preplanning necessary in the writing and presenting process. A proper perspective of audience, venue, and purpose is critical to communicating effectively. Once a defined purpose and communication strategy is developed, writers can focus on the basics of writing. Dr. Kupferle described those important components, explaining how being concise, defining terms, using strong verbs and word choice, and arranging sentences in a logical manner are necessary implementations. To add clarity, she paraphrased Thomas Jefferson who was writing to some friends saying, “I apologize for the length of my letter, but I don’t have time to be concise.” She then allowed time for the students to participate in improving sentences and paragraphs to help uncover personal mistakes and recognize strategies for improvement.

The workshop concluded with an explanation of the specific requirements for the REU final project deliverables. This involved an overview of tabular and graphical suggestions, font and formatting requirements, and citation requirements. She also discussed the typical sections included in scientific reports, and why those sections are necessary for most effectively describing the findings of a project. Dr. Kupferle presented the students with report and presentation details to equip them for understanding what ideas are most important to consider when disseminating research through technical documentation and presentation.