Attention Virginia Tech faculty: It's time to shine in the 2025 Faculty Nutshell Talks! 

    Are you ready to show the world what your research is all about? Whether you're a seasoned presenter or new to the stage, this is your chance to captivate an audience, enhance your communication skills, and compete for one of four $1,000 professional development prizes. Only the first 16 lucky faculty to sign up will have the opportunity to present, so register now! Click here to sign up.

    Ready to step up to the mic? At the Faculty Nutshell Talks, you’ll have 90 seconds to explain your research to a public audience — no jargon, no slides, just pure passion and clarity. You’ll be judged by a unique panel, including university leaders, campus/community members, and (yes, really) a 7th grader.  All participants will be guided by expert coaches from the Center for Communicating Science, and you'll develop skills that will benefit you far beyond the stage. You will also walk away with a professional-quality video recording of your talk to share and use. After the event, all videos will be posted on the Center for Communicating Science’s Youtube channel.

Event Date: Tuesday, March 4, 5:30 p.m to 7 p.m
Location: Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, Moss Arts Center

Who Can Participate? Only 16 faculty members will be selected, first-come, first-serve, and spots will fill up fast! Register soon to guarantee your chance to participate. Participants may hold any faculty appointment at Virginia Tech and work on any campus but will have to be on the Blacksburg campus for the workshop, dress rehearsal, and event itself. 

Sponsors: The Faculty Nutshell Talks is supported by the Office of Research and Innovation and by Faculty Affairs.

    Other dates you’ll need to commit to include the preparatory workshop (1 p.m. to 5 p.m. January 31) and dress rehearsal (5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 3). Center faculty will also offer feedback sessions in mid-February, once participants have their talks drafted.

    The Faculty Nutshell Talks made its debut in September 2023 and was a roaring success! Supported by Faculty Affairs and the Office and Research and Innovation, the Talks were inspired by the popular Nutshell Games, held for graduate students as part of the opening celebration for the Center for Communicating Science in the spring of 2017 and annually since then. Nearly 250 students, and now 16 faculty members, have used this fun and fast-paced presentation competition to share their work with the world in an accessible and engaging way. This year, we’re thrilled that 16 new faculty members will be joining the lineup as the center’s Nutshell events continue to grow in scope and impact.

    Want to access previous Faculty Nutshell Talks to see what it’s all about? Check them out here. And you can read about the 2023 Faculty Nutshell Talks elsewhere in our newsletter. 

    Why should you sign up? Because this is not just another talk — this is a fun, interactive, and crowd-pleasing event that will push you to be your best communicator. If you want to enhance your inclusive science communication skills, build confidence, and engage a broad audience, this is your moment.

    The top three contestants, as judged by a panel of campus and community members, will receive prizes of $1,000 in professional development funds. A fourth award will go to the contestant whose online video receives the most views during the month after posting. Prizes are awarded by the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation and the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. The full amount will be available for use for university-approved professional development activities.

Schedule summary:

Friday, January 31, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.- Skills-Building Workshop, Theatre 101

Monday, March 3, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m - Dress Rehearsal, Moss Arts Center

Tuesday, March 4, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Faculty Nutshell Talks, Moss Arts Center, open to the public

The rules for the Faculty Nutshell Talks:

  • Have fun with it! 

  • Your presentation must be 90 seconds maximum. Presentations longer than 90 seconds will be disqualified.

  • No PowerPoint slides or additional electronic media (e.g., sound or video files) are permitted. One prop or visual aid is permitted (e.g., a piece of lab equipment or large photograph). You’ll have a slide behind you that shows your name, talk title, and department or other affiliation.

  • You must speak in prose! No songs, poems, raps, etc. 

  • The judges' decision is final. 

Judging Criteria:

  • Did the presenter make a connection with the audience?

  • Did the presenter communicate the importance of the research?

  • Was the research accessible to a non-specialist?

  • Did the presenter capture and keep their audience's attention?

  • Did the presenter convey enthusiasm or other emotion related to the research?

  • Did the presenter convey a sense of confidence?

  • Did the presentation make the audience want to know more?

    The judges — who include both campus and community members and, of course, a seventh grader — will be looking for these details as well as cheering for every participant.

    Register now and let’s make 2025 a year to remember!

    Please reach out to Erin Smith, project coordinator for the Center for Communicating Science (erinmsmith@vt.edu) if you have further questions. We can’t wait to see you on stage or in the audience on March 4!

About the Center for Communicating Science

    Virginia Tech's Center for Communicating Science, founded in 2017, has served more than 30,000 people through courses, workshops, outreach events, and conferences. Its mission is to support and create opportunities for scientists, health professionals, and others to develop their abilities to communicate and connect. Our differences, whether they be racial, cultural, religious, education level, academic discipline, or research specialty, can divide us. But such differences also enrich our lives, broaden our perspectives, and strengthen our collaborations. Arts tools and practices can be used to bridge these divisions, helping participants to learn to listen deeply, interact personally, directly, spontaneously, and responsively, and express themselves vividly. It is our intention to deepen human interaction, strengthen empathy and awareness of others, and develop collaborative team and leadership capacities in students, faculty, and industry and community partners. 

    We do this work because we believe that the most significant challenges facing humanity are centered around science — and that solving our problems depends upon scientists' ability to tell their stories.  We hope to change the world for the better by using our knowledge, skills, and resources to make scientists more effective at communicating their important work.