Cham’s work is diverse, ranging from preschoolers to adults. In a recent interactive science communication workshop at UC Merced, he emphasized the importance of simplifying research for effective communication with non-experts. Graduate students and researchers, like Marie Buhl from Germany, found this training enlightening.
Marie, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in environmental systems, often struggled to explain her research to her family due to language barriers. The workshop helped her see the significance of good science communication. Cham assigned an exercise where students had to describe their research using only the 1,000 most common words in English.
Working with a partner, Marie realized the importance of striking a balance between simplicity and complexity in explaining research. She found that with mindful effort and the use of relatable analogies, she could convey complex ideas in a simple manner. The workshop highlighted the need to engage the audience while maintaining the credibility and depth of the research being shared.