ENV 607a () / 2026-2027

Persuasive Communication for Environmental Professionals

Credits: 3 Fall 2026: Time and location TBA

This course will teach you how to write and present as a professional using an approach quite different from what academia usually offers. We will address how to communicate with the most demanding audiences by being relevant, clear, concise, credible, and captivating. The course’s writing portion draws on the bottom-line-up-front (BLUF) style the Central Intelligence Agency has used for decades to communicate complex analysis in easily understood language to
skeptical readers—a challenge that should sound familiar to environmental professionals. The course’s presentation section builds on this style and incorporates findings from psychology, neuroscience, marketing, and even Buddhism to offer a fresh approach to giving tailored, persuasive presentations. We will also discuss how to apply artificial intelligence tools to sharpen your writing and presentations. You will write three analytic papers and deliver a short
presentation based on one of them.