The Chalk Talk

Each faculty recruiting season, many postdocs ask, “What is a chalk talk?” Arguably the most important component of a faculty search interview in the Life Sciences, the chalk talk is many things—a sales pitch, a teaching demonstration, a barrage of questions, and a description of a future research program. Yet few postdocs or grad students receive training or practice in giving a chalk talk, and students and postdocs are seldom invited to attend chalk talks by faculty candidates. This workshop by Erik Snapp will cover the basics of chalk talk design and preparation.

Erik Snapp, Ph.D. is Director of Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Research Campus. He is the author of the article, "How to Design a Chalk Talk, published in Molecular Biology of the Cell, as well as the free ebook: Strategies for Obtaining a Faculty Position in the Biomedical Sciences: Views from Both Sides of the Job Search Process.

Register here.