News Students Focus On Geoscientist Media Training 09.10.2023

Collyer’s students have been enjoying the third in a series of educational talks and workshops. The series focuses on geology and the environment, in memory of geologist and marine biologist Kirsty Brown, who studied geology at Collyer’s and was also a former colleague of Dr Ian Carr, Collyer’s Head of Geology and Environmental Science.

Dr Andy Gibson from the University of Portsmouth delivered a brilliant, interactive workshop on writing a press release following a natural disaster. The session was a taster for the ‘Media Training’ module that he delivers as part of the Earth Science course at the University.

Dr Ian Carr, who is also the college’s Sustainability Co-ordinator, explained: “Andy briefed the students about the details of the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Tsunami. The students then had to work in teams to write a press release based on the information.

“The exercise was based on Andy’s own experience working for the UK government, which even included briefing the Prime Minister.”

Media training is an important part of life of the modern-day Geoscientist and a hugely employable skill. The teams then had to judge each other’s press releases to find out who had the most accurate account, and who had created a headline that best fitted their text. The students then fielded questions on their own statement.

Dr Carr added: “Earlier in the Kirsty Brown series of lectures, students have already enjoyed talks from Nicola Peel on learning from nature in the Amazon Rainforest. In addition, the group also welcomed the University of Brighton’s Professor Hal Sosabowski, who is a Professor for the Public Understanding of Science, who gave an extraordinary talk on the origin of elements, the history of the universe and stars, and explained the origin of the names of all the elements in the periodic table!”

Collyer’s Vice Principal (Curriculum) Dr Rob Hussey said: “The Kirsty Brown Series has certainly enjoyed a flying start. Enormous thanks to Dr Ian Carr, Dr Andy Gibson, Nicola Peel, and Professor Hal Sosabowski for making this possible.”