Effective communication is a vital skill for today’s increasingly technological, globalized, and digital world. Located on the first floor of Wyman Park Building, the CLE’s Technical Communication Lab serves as a resource for all JHU undergraduate and graduate students seeking to improve their technical writing, oral communication, and data visualization capability.
Please read the descriptions of our services below—online and in-person consultations are now available!
Our Services
Technical Writing Consultations
TCL consultants are eager to provide feedback on technical, scientific, and job-oriented writing at any stage of the drafting process, from planning to proofreading. Bring what you have, and leave with ideas for how to move the project forward.
Presentation Practice Sessions
Deliberate practice is the best way to ease anxiety about public speaking. TCL consultants are ready to help you prepare however you need: brainstorm an audience-friendly takeaway, craft a memorable narrative, rehearse your delivery, review slide design—and more!
ESL Consultations
If you are a non-native speaker of English and would like help with grammar, speaking skills, pronunciation, or idiomatic phrases, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with one of our consultants.
Interview Practice
If you have an upcoming interview for an internship, job position, or school program, our consultants can help you prepare, practice, and ease any anxiety you might have about the interview process.
Meet the Consultants
Cara Dickason: Technical Writing and Interview/Presentation Practice
Cara Dickason is a lecturer in the Center for Leadership Education’s Professional Communication Program teaching oral presentations and professional writing. Prior to joining JHU, she taught writing for the media at Goucher College. As a Graduate Writing Fellow at Northwestern University, she led interdisciplinary writing workshops and consulted on research and writing in STEM fields. She is passionate about helping students and researchers communicate complex ideas to broad audiences.
Denise Link-Farajali: ESL and Technical Writing Consultations
With a Master’s Degree in Foreign Language Instruction from SUNY Buffalo and an undergraduate education in French and International Relations, Denise Link-Farajali has spent the last 21 years lecturing and consulting at JHU. She has devoted 41 years of her professional life to teaching and managing programs at several area universities and to helping students from all over the world reach their goals.
Shiyu Pan: Presentation Practice and Interview Practice Consultations
Shiyu Pan is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Management with a technical focus on Civil Engineering. With a background in Architecture during her undergraduate studies, she is passionate about infrastructure construction and sustainable development. She aims to contribute to the real estate development and construction industries by helping to create healthier urban environments. She is skilled in presentation design and excels in body language and personal interview techniques. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, photography, and art.
Rohan Philip Verghese: Presentation Practice and Interview Practice Consultations
Rohan Philip Verghese is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Management at Johns Hopkins University, following his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. With prior experience as a Supply Chain Manager at an e-commerce firm in India, he aims to transition into a career in management consulting. Rohan brings a strong foundation in operations and logistics, along with leadership experience from his professional background. An avid basketball fan, he enjoys both playing and watching the sport, and has a deep appreciation for music.
Contact Us
Technical Communication Lab
3101 Wyman Park Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
FAQs for Students
Currently, the Technical Communication Lab offers help with Technical Writing, English as a Second Language, Presentation Practice, and Interview Practice. You can find more information on each of these types of consultations on our website.
We help with all kinds of technical communication, such as research papers, job applications, conference presentations, or scientific posters. We do not help with creative writing. If you are working on a creative essay, we recommend making an appointment with JHU’s Writing Center instead.
While our consultants are happy to discuss grammar and mechanics with you, we are not an editing service and our consultants will not just “fix” every mistake in your paper. We believe that writing is a process and that you must learn to actively edit your own writing.
The Technical Communication Lab serves all JHU undergraduate and graduate students seeking to improve their technical writing, oral communication, and data visualization capability.
To make an appointment, simply choose the type of consultation you want and pick from the available dates/times. Once you find the appointment you want, you will fill out the registration form and receive an email with important information for your consultation, including zoom links for online sessions. You will also receive an email reminder one day before your consultation.
Bring whatever you have to work on, including notes, drafts, and/or any visuals. If you want to work on a class assignment during your consultation, bring any assignment sheets, prompts, or instructor comments. If you want to work on something that is not course-related, bring any guidelines or background information that would help the consultant.
Come with specific goals, an open-mind, and reasonable expectations for what can be accomplished in a 45-minute session. If you are working on a longer project, such as a research paper or conference presentation, you may need to book more than one consultation.
At the beginning of the session, you will meet your consultant, explain what you want help with, and set goals for the consultation. During the main part of the consultation, the consultant will help you with your class assignment, presentation, technical writing, or other activity. Feel free to ask questions and have an open discussion with the consultant. At the end of each consultation, the consultant will review what you discussed and come up with next steps to continue working on your project. If you want the consultant to email your instructor with a brief overview of what you worked on, please include your instructor’s email when you register for your appointment.
Yes, we offer English as a Second Language and Technical Writing consultations only over zoom. We offer Presentation and Interview Practice consultations over zoom or in person. When you make an appointment, you will choose whether you want to meet these consultants in person or over zoom. After you make an appointment, you will receive an email with a Zoom link. Click on the link at your appointment time.
Yes! For a group consultation, only one group member needs to book the appointment. You can then send the invite to other group members or just share the zoom link or physical location them.
Our office is located on the first floor of Wyman Park Building in room 100N.
Please contact our manager, Amanda Hilliard, at [email protected] with any questions or concerns. We’re happy to hear from you!
FAQs for Faculty
We currently offer help with technical writing, English as a Second Language, presentation practice, and interview practice. To make an appointment, student must choose the type of consultation they want and pick from the available dates/times. Then, they will fill out the registration form and receive an email with important information for the consultation, including zoom links for online sessions.
We are so pleased when instructors recommend our services to their students. However, we have a limited number of consultants and appointments available each week. If you have a smaller class, we can probably accommodate all your students, but it might be more difficult for us to accommodate a large class. Students may get frustrated if they cannot find an appointment during a busy time of the semester, so instead of requiring all students to use the Technical Communication Lab, we suggest offering extra credit for using our services.
When students register for an appointment, they can request a report to be sent to you after their consultation. For this service, students must write their professor’s email address on the registration form when they book an appointment. You will receive an email report with brief details about the consultation. You do not need to reply to this email.
All our consultants are either graduate students in JHU’s Master of Science in Engineering Management program or lecturers in the Center for Leadership Education at the Whiting School of Engineering. While we cannot critique student work for subject-specific content, we can help students communicate more effectively for both technical and non-technical audiences. You can find more information about our consultants on our website.
We are also interested in collaborating with you! While we may not be able to accommodate all requests, please reach out to our manager, Amanda Hilliard, at [email protected]. You can also contact us with any questions or concerns you might have about our services. We’re also available to visit your class to discuss the Technical Communication Lab with your students.