Five reasons this talk wowed me

By Shari Graydon

I adore Laleh Behjat and was eager to support her by attending her TEDxCalgary talk, but honestly, I was also afraid. The intellectual world she inhabits is as foreign and inaccessible to me as the moon. Her science and tech-oriented brain works so differently from mine that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up. 

Consider: I dropped sciences the minute I could in high school and rely on Google advice to help me update my phone’s software. She has a PhD in computer engineering and deep expertise in nanotechnology and mathematical modelling. But Laleh’s talk was brilliant. And when I said as much in a post on LinkedIn last week, tagging her and promising more in a future post, she sent me her script to make it easy for me. (Which was also brilliant.)

I’m sorry you missed it. When it’s eventually available online, I’m sure she’ll share it, so you should follow her. In the meantime, here are five things she did that wowed me. (And here I should mention, I’m not easily wowed.)

1. Laleh commanded engagement from the first word:

She started with a clearly-described, hypothetical but relatable story that was powerfully reinforced by a vivid full-bleed photograph.

2. Despite the fact that she’s an academic, she used short sentences that kept us with her, wanting to know what would come next.

3. She explained complex concepts and principles using concrete, accessible language, colourful analogies and familiar frames of reference that allowed everyone present to picture the elements and systems she was describing.

4. Her slides were exemplary: simple, illustrative and beautiful, effectively complementing her message rather than distracting or confusing her audience.

5. She was authentic, direct and funny, which made you want to hear every word.

Here’s a sample:

“I’m a computer engineer and a professor. My job is to develop software that automates the design of computer hardware. If I do my job really well, in a few years, the computers will be designing themselves. And I’m okay with that — because if a computer can take my job, at least it’ll finally answer my emails on time.”

Laleh generously claims that she’s learned a lot from Informed Perspectives/ Perspectives plurielles workshops. 

And it’s true that she’s attended quite a few, because for the past five years, she’s invited me to speak to a cohort of early-career researchers and practitioners who participate in the WISE Planet at UCalgary program she leads as a designated NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering. 

I’m honoured to think the training we deliver might have played a small role in her success. And I’m eager to support others. You can sign up here to be notified of our upcoming workshops.