Sixth Annual Caltech Science Writing Symposium

PASADENA, Calif.-California Institute of Technology President Jean-Lou Chameau and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Usha Lee McFarling will be the featured speakers at the sixth annual Caltech Science Writing Symposium. The topic of their conversation will be the importance and challenges of communicating science to the general public.

The symposium will take place on Friday, February 29, at 4 p.m., at Beckman Institute Auditorium on the Caltech campus. The event is free and open to the public.

As a civil and environmental engineer and president of one of the world's leading academic institutions, Chameau addresses diverse groups and often must communicate complex issues to audiences with varying ranges of scientific knowledge.

And as a former science journalist for the Los Angeles Times, McFarling, on a daily basis, had to clearly communicate technical concepts to the general public. Her recent series of articles, "Altered Oceans," which examines how ocean pollution threatens sea life and human health globally, won not only the Pulitzer Prize, but also awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, and the National Association of Science Writers. McFarling also wrote for the Knight Ridder Washington bureau and the Boston Globe.

Together, Chameau and McFarling will discuss the difficulties of conveying scientific information to nonspecialists and will share their insights and tips for communicating effectively.

The symposium is presented by the Words Matter program and Caltech's Division of Humanities and Social Sciences.