Skills Training for Water Resources Professionals

DBS&A hydrogeologist Gus Tolley, PhD, PG will present “Reducing Communication Turbidity: Simple Ways to Improve Your Technical Writing and Oral Presentation Skills” on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, for the online Groundwater Resources Association (GRA) of California GRACast.

Dr. Tolley has expertise in groundwater hydrology, numerical modeling, database development and management, geospatial analysis and mapping, basin characterization and conceptual model development, and automated workflow development.

Presentation details:

Effective communication of technical information is a vital skill for all water industry professionals. Most project deliverables include a written technical memo or report, which can range from a couple to several thousand pages depending on the nature of the project. In addition to written deliverables, technical staff are often required to present project updates and/or conclusions to clients, public agency boards, stakeholders, and other water industry professionals (for example, at the 2025 Western Groundwater Congress being held October 6-8 in San Diego, CA).

The first half of this talk will focus on general approaches for writing and organizing technical documents, while the second half of the course will focus on preparing and delivering oral presentations. Differences between the two mediums will be discussed, with tips and tricks for each provided.

GRA members may register here.