Women in Engineering Virtual Event at the IEEE IUS 2020

52 attendees gathered at the virtual Women in Engineering event at IUS this year. Felice Frankel, a science photographer and a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gave a talk on strategies for visual and graphical communication of research. She discussed approaches to promote visual expression through concepts and photography.

Felice Frankel showed numerous examples of her work, and of others, to demonstrate the power of visual expression of scientific concepts.

The attendees were then split into breakout sessions, where the topics of conversation varied. Some attendees used this opportunity to show their work and brainstorm strategies on visually presenting it. We discussed what makes a good photo for a journal cover. Others discussed how to relate highly technical concepts to lead audiences through visual metaphors. For example, in one case, the concept of acoustic clutter obscuring the conspicuity of fluid-filled breast cysts was likened to a game of pinball, whereas a clutter-free depiction of the cyst was likened to bowling.

Attendees then regrouped and debriefed. Felice Frankel gave tips on data presentation and answered questions from the audience.