Graduate StudentResource Center



What is Lunch & Learn?

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. They also say that knowledge is the food of the soul. What if you could have both?

Lunch & Learn is a monthly informal seminar series that provides grad students with two important things: free lunch and a chance to socialize with and learn from their peers from across the campus.

The series is co-sponsored by the Graduate Division, the Graduate Student Association, and the Library, and each event features 15-minute talks by two graduate students – one from a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and one from a SHEF discipline (Social Science, Humanities, Education, and Fine Arts).

However, unlike traditional seminars and lectures, Lunch & Learn encourages speakers to communicate their topic in whatever way they feel most comfortable, welcoming anything from PowerPoint slides to fireside chats to hands-on demonstrations.

Community Agreements for Attendees:

Sounds great! When can I attend?

Lunch & Learn runs year-round (even in the summer!) and happens once a month, except in December and April. These are advertised on the GSRC Shoreline page, typically 2-3 weeks in advance.  

We ask attendees to RSVP on Shoreline ahead of time. For the foreseeable future, these events will be held in hybrid format, both in-person and on Zoom. Because of COVID-19 safety concerns, there will be a limited number of in-person spots available.

I think I'm interested in being a presenter. Tell me more!

What is it about your research that motivates you to get up every morning (even on weekends) and go in to the lab, the library, or your field site? What are the parts of your research that you may not get to talk about as much? Well, we want to know!

Lunch & Learn offers you the opportunity to present your research the way you want to a smart, friendly, and non-specialist audience of your peers. It's great for practicing public speaking and expanding your CV. We are currently seeking speakers for our upcoming events, so sign up today to present at an upcoming Lunch & Learn!

Need inspiration? Check out information on our past Lunch & Learns

• Remember the goal of the talk: to practice public speaking, expand your C.V., and help you experiment with the use of interactive tools on Zoom like polls
• Avoid jargon: you will be presenting to a non-specialist audience of your peers
• Be mindful of time: please ensure you do not go over your 15-minute time allotment
• 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

Where can I practice? 

The Graduate Student Resource Center team is happy to help you do a dry run of your presentation on Zoom as well as to help you set up live polls and other features for your presentation.

UCSB 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 here. 

Upcoming Lunch & Learns                 

• Friday, October 13, 2023
• Friday, November 17, 2023
• Friday, January 26, 2024
• Friday, March 8, 2024
• Friday, April 26, 2024
• Friday, May 17, 2024

Questions?

Email Adrienne Tsikewa, the Graduate Programming Assistant.