“Plant Biotechnology Science Writing and Public Communication”
$1,362
Owen Roberts, ECFWA member and vice-president of IFAJ, has been a journalist and columnist with daily, weekly and monthly print and online media for 35 years. He is also an agricultural communications instructor and a research communications director at the University of Guelph.
He has been invited as the sole Canadian communications representative to make a presentation on “Plant Biotechnology Science Writing and Public Communication” at the international University-Industry Consortium conference in Yuma, Arizona in March, 2015. He will be one of four speakers on communications; he will bring the Canadian perspective, based largely on what he knows as an active farm journalist and as the originator and coordinator of a unique student-based program at Guelph that promotes a greater understanding of agricultural research. He anticipates this will enlighten others from agricultural universities and industry about how they too can work cooperatively to involve young people in plant biotechnology communication in Canada. He will be able to prepare stories and columns from the material he collects at this conference, to present at a CFWF annual conference and at classes at the University of Guelph.