Student Programs & Coaching

Engineering Communication Courses​

Activate has designed our courses to meet the specific communication needs and goals of engineering students at Rice University.

ENGI 400: Presentation Skills for Engineers

ENGI 400: Presentation Skills for Engineers
Instructor: Tracy Volz

This course prepares engineering students to present complex concepts and data more clearly and confidently to various audiences. Through practice and feedback, students will become skilled at giving professional technical presentations that influence decisions and communicate value.

​ENGI 501: Workplace Communication

​ENGI 501: Workplace Communication​
Instructor: Anne-Marie Womack and Amirpooya Dardashti

Develop written and oral communication skills for engineering careers through hands-on practice with resumes, presentations, interviews, reports, and AI prompts—engaging international and domestic students with interactive activities and real-time feedback.

ENGI 600: Graduate Communication Seminar

ENGI 600: Graduate Communication Seminar
Instructor: Kamisha Escoto

This 7-week course helps graduate students build a consistent and effective writing practice. Through structured writing time and guided activities (e.g., freewriting, analyzing model papers), students will learn strategies to generate ideas, work through early-stage writing, and communicate their research clearly. Students will apply these strategies to their own writing projects at any stage of development.

Interactive Workshops

Need to design a poster that attracts a crowd? Write a cover letter that lands an interview? Write a paper that gets cited? To learn about upcoming workshops, check out the Rice Events calendar.

Here's how our Interactive Workshops can help you:

• Cover Letter Tips for Engineers: Students learn advanced strategies for crafting a persuasive job letter. We examine real examples from Rice students who were successful in their job search.
• Professional Email Communication: Students learn how to craft emails that clearly communicate their intended message, initiate email communication for networking, and frame requests that lead to desired results.
• Network Like a Pro: Students learn how to make connections, construct a personal pitch, and leverage networks to solve problems and achieve their goals.
• Design and Deliver a Technical Presentation: Students learn how to develop a communication strategy, organize an argument, project confidence, and present data.
• Handle Questions Effectively: Students learn to give direct, succinct answers to questions and manage difficult situations.

Schedule a Coaching Session

Work with a trained engineering coach to more effectively communicate your ideas and connect with your audience. Our team of coaches will work with you one-on-one to practice an upcoming presentation, prepare a poster, or improve a paper. Schedule a Coaching Session.

Become a Communication Coach

Advance your communication skills by coaching other students. Our coaching program includes in-depth training and practice in oral, visual, and written communication. Undergraduate and graduate engineering students who are interested learning more about becoming engineering communication coaches should contact us.

Future Faculty Fellows Program​

Activate contributes to the Future Faculty Fellows program, which is a selective program that prepares graduate and postdoctoral engineering students to compete for faculty positions. We lead workshops and provide feedback on job application materials. Learn more about our Future Faculty Fellows program.