The strategic communications team in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences can help with various communications needs in the schools of the health sciences, ranging from communication planning and consultation to execution.
How to request help from our team
Please use our intake form to submit requests here
Team member contact information
| Michael Aubele | Associate Editor, Pitt Med | mia97@pitt.edu |
| Angela Burrows | Associate Vice Chancellor, Strategic Communications | angelaburrows@pitt.edu |
| Elena Cerri | Art Director, Pitt Med | egcerri@pitt.edu |
| Brandon Copp-Millward | Web Producer and IT Liaison | bam76@pitt.edu |
| Micaela Corn | Senior Communications Specialist | mfc19@pitt.edu |
| Andrew Doerfler | Senior Editor, Pitt Med | amd451@pitt.edu |
| Elvira Hoff | Executive Writer | elvira.hoff@pitt.edu |
| Phoebe Renda | Writer and Project Manager | pmi3@pitt.edu |
| Erica Lloyd | Editor-in-Chief, Pitt Med | lloydel@pitt.edu |
| Nicole Matthews | Social Media Manager | nlm90@pitt.edu |
| Christina Murzynski | Administrative Assistant | cmm380@pitt.edu |
| Maureen Passmore | Managing Editor | passmore@pitt.edu |
| RJ Thompson | Manager of Multimedia and Digital Strategy | rjt49@pitt.edu |
| Roberta Zeff | Director, Strategic Communications | robertazeff@pitt.edu |
Resources and best practices for science communication
Best Practices
- Know your audience
- Know your material and your communication goal
- Start with the most important information
- Avoid jargon and keep it simple
- Focus on the bigger impact – why does this matter?
Resources
- Tips for science communication and presentations
- Tools for communicating science
- Advice for word choice and avoiding jargon
- Tips for plain language summaries
- Brainstorming your message
Pitt-Specific Resources
- University Communications at Pitt: Social Media
- The Center for Teaching and Learning’s Center for Communication
- Digital Accessibility from the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Media Relations at Pitt
Media Requests
If you receive a request for a media interview, we’re here to help – we can connect you with the appropriate media relations resources.
Tips for Media and Interview Prep
- Talk in soundbites
- Keep your responses concise and clear
- Prioritize your top 3 messages and repeat them if appropriate (redundancy is not a bad thing)
- Take control
- Your responses should steer the course of the conversation
- Take a few moments to gather your thoughts
- Prepare for tough questions: Rehearse difficult answers with your team
- Be polite and professional
- It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers. You can tell the reporter you’ll get back to them.