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1. What prompted you decide to participate in the “JSPS Science Dialogue” program?
As the graduate of a 'Super Science High School' program in the US myself, I wanted to have the opportunity to share my experience with Japanese students. Also I want to repay the JSPS for the opportunity they have given me to be in Japan.
2. To what did you give greatest attention in preparing and giving the lecture?
I tried to include many visual aids to supplement my talk. I hope this made it easier for the students to understand and stay interested. I used photos and videos as much as possible.
3. Did you find it difficult to give a lecture in English to Japanese students? Could you give some advice to future lecturers on how to facilitate communication with Japanese students?
It is difficult, especially since high school students have limit exposure to English, much less a technical lecture in English. I tried to speak slowly and clearly to make it easier to follow my talk, and supplement everything on my slides with Japanese text as much as possible.
Furthermore my host professor assisted in summarizing my talk at key intervals in Japanese to ensure that they understood as much as possible.
4. Could you give your impression with regard to participating in this program?
I enjoyed the opportunity immensely. Visiting a Japanese school was something I had never done and it was much different than what I expected. I would have liked the opportunity to see more of the school and learn more about it and the Japanese way of teaching.
5. Was it meaningful in terms of your fellowship activities?
Yes definitely, I would be happy to try it again if given the chance.
6. In what ways do you think the students benefited from the program?
I hope it gave them a chance to see the kind of work they can do as a scientist or engineer, and also give them a positive impression of higher education in my home country of the US. I tried to include as much background about my path from high school to graduate school to show them how it can be a rewarding and interesting journey.
7. Could you give some overall advice or comments to future participants in the program?
Work with your host scientist on translating as much information on your slides as possible into Japanese. Also keep in mind that as high school students, their knowledge of specific fields will be very limited. Also my experience was that the students were very hesitant to ask questions, especially at first. Be prepared for this and don't be afraid to push them a little to overcome their shyness.
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