Ideas That Connect. Stories That Inspire.

Communication is one of the most valuable skills you'll develop in graduate school. Join graduate students and postdocs as they share an idea, story, lesson, or research topic they're passionate about, all in five minutes with one slide. Discover new perspectives, sharpen your own communication skills, and experience how compelling ideas can inspire across disciplines.

Presentations should relate to your academic, professional, creative, or personal experiences in a way that offers insight, inspiration, or learning for the graduate community. We hope you can join us!

The event is co-sponsored by the Graduate Division and the Graduate Student Association.

Program at a Glance

  • 5–7 minute presentations
  • One slide
  • Up to 10 graduate student and postdoctoral speakers
  • Audience Q&A and discussion
  • Pizza and salad lunch provided

Visit Shoreline to view upcoming Lunch & Learn events.

Some of the most memorable presentations are the shortest. Lunch & Learn gives graduate students and postdocs the opportunity to practice communicating with clarity and confidence through a 5–7 minute talk using just one slide. With room for 10 speakers, it's a great way to strengthen your public speaking skills while sharing ideas with the graduate community. Pizza and salad will be served!


Interested in presenting at an upcoming event?

We will send out a call for speakers through the weekly newsletter.

 

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Graduate students seated around tables during a presentation, with one participant in the foreground raising a hand to ask or answer a question. Other attendees listen attentively in a bright meeting space with large windows in the background.

FAQs

The Professional Development team is happy to help you do a dry run of your presentation ahead of time. You can email gsrc@graddiv.ucsb.edu to set up a time.

The Library also has a Presentation Practice Room available for reservation by UCSB students, faculty, and staff. Located on the 1st Floor Mountain Side (room 1506), the space allows you to practice, refine, and record oral and multimedia presentations for classes and seminars, conferences, teaching preparation, Lunch & Learn, Grad Slam, thesis defenses, and other events. Learn more.

  • Remember the goal of the talk: We want the presenter to gain practice in public speaking and to receive constructive feedback from their peers in an informal environment.
  • Encourage your peers: Share positive feedback in the chat and/or express your support for their talks.
  • Be self aware: Avoid language that might be racist, sexist, cissexist, transphobic, homophobic, acephobic, classist, ableist, ageist, sizeist, ethnocentric, and/or anti-religion. GSRC staff are happy to discuss this further if folks need clarification on any of these categories or would like to discuss strategies for using inclusive and supportive language.
  • Focus on the Purpose: This is an opportunity to develop your public speaking skills, strengthen your CV, and experiment with new presentation styles, topics, and ideas in a supportive environment.
  • Speak to a Broad Audience: Your audience will include graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from many disciplines. Minimize discipline-specific terminology, and when technical language is necessary, explain it in a way that is accessible to a general audience.
  • Respect the Schedule:Please keep your presentation within the allotted 15 minutes to ensure all presenters have an equal opportunity to share and there is time for audience discussion.
  • Communicate with Respect: We welcome a diversity of perspectives and experiences. Please communicate thoughtfully, engage in respectful dialogue, and avoid language or behavior that is discriminatory, demeaning, or harassing toward others. If you have questions about using inclusive and supportive language, GSRC staff are happy to help.

Questions? Email our Programming Peer.