Master Public Speaking in Academia | Dr. Andrew Churchill | Chung Huong Institute

0:04 Introduction to Communication

12:05 The Role of AI in Communication

31:40 The Importance of Preparation

42:28 Engaging Your Audience

46:13 Where to Find Dr. Churchill

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Andrew Churchill, a communication expert, about effective speaking in academia. We explore his journey from a challenging graduate instructor experience to developing a passion for transformative communication. Dr. Churchill emphasizes the impact of technology and AI on our communication skills and discusses his audience-centric approach to presentations, focusing on crafting a core message and employing innovative visual aids. We also touch on building confidence through practice and the importance of engaging the public for academic support. Listeners are encouraged to visit presentbetter.org for more resources on effective communication.

Since 2014, Dr. Churchill’s work has been focused on helping academics present and entrepreneurs present and pitch more effectively. This work has included running workshops and coaching both researchers and research-based start-ups. He helps presenters identify the most important aspects of their message, figure out how to wrap that message in a story that will connect, and learn to deliver it with a credibility-inspiring clarity. His formal education includes a PhD in curriculum development from McGill University, an MBA from the University of New Hampshire and a BA in psychology from Cornell University. He has been the speaker coach for over 200 events, delivered over 1,000 workshops, and worked with over 10,000 researchers.