Communications Resources

The Office of Communications provides a number of key resources and services to faculty members seeking to communicate about their research, special events, and other related accomplishments.

IMPORTANT TOOLS:

Templates for PowerPoint and Word
Branded Zoom backgrounds
Headers for your LinkedIn page
Email signature templates
Self-service photo booth where you can get professional quality photos is located in the student lounge on the 2^nd floor of Kresge (no reservation needed).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

RESEARCH PROMOTION

Will you help me draft an op-ed about my research?

We will gladly provide a consultation at any time. If bandwidth allows, we will help drafting an op-ed. If you have an idea you’d like help turning into an opinion piece, please reach out to Stephanie Simon to discuss.

Can I get a press release written about my research?

We regularly cover faculty research and would love to learn about your work. A couple guidelines to keep in mind:

We write press releases about peer-reviewed, published research. Please get in touch with us as soon as the paper is accepted; we typically need a few weeks’ notice to produce a press release.
Formal press releases are not the only way to get the word out about your research. We also do Q&As with faculty, write feature stories about your work, and publish short synopses of faculty publications.
We’ll work with you to find the best approach; to discuss, please reach out to Todd Datz and Maya Brownstein.

MEDIA SUPPORT

A journalist has asked me to do an interview. Where can I go for support?

We recommend starting with the self-paced media training module and accompanying worksheet from the Center for Health Communication. (The Center also has a growing resource library and a monthly newsletteroffering tips on best practices for health communication.) For individual consultations about media requests, please contact Maya Brownstein or Todd Datz

A camera crew wants to come to campus to film me. Is that allowed?

Yes, but they need to follow detailed guidelines and must be accompanied while on campus. To arrange, please reach out to Maya Brownstein or Todd Datz.

EVENT SUPPORT

Can I use the Harvard Chan Studio for an event?

The Harvard Chan Studio on the 10^th floor of Kresge can be used for high-profile livestreamed events, as well as programs produced by the Office of Communications. The team that provides technical support for these events has other responsibilities as well, so we cannot guarantee the Studio will be available for your event. In some cases, you may be able to achieve the same goals through Zoom webinars that do not require the Studio’s equipment. To inquire about using the Studio, which seats an audience of 35, reach out to Christina Roache or Nick Martel.

How can I publicize an event I’m organizing on campus?

We have many avenues for promoting events:

Submit the event to the Harvard Chan School calendar

Submit it to the Harvard Medical School calendar
Submit it to the Gazette calendar
Submit a digital promotion request to get it featured in newsletters, the campus digital screens, and homepage calendar listings
Submit it to Student News
Submit it to Staff Heads Up
Reach out to Karen Feldscher to suggest it for potential news coverage
Make posters and put them up on bulletin boards around campus

How do I request professional photography services?

We cannot guarantee that our photographer will be able to cover every event, but we encourage you to use this photographic services request form. You can also consult our photo guide for tips on taking your own photos, as well as links to Harvard Chan School’s stock image libraries. For questions, email Kent Dayton

DIGITAL SUPPORT

How do I update my faculty profile?

Faculty profiles are automatically created for new academic appointees. To add photos, a bio, or other details, review this guide to updating Catalyst and our FAQ. For a step-by-step demonstration, you can watch this on-demand webinar. We also recommend checking out our tips and tricks for writing a good faculty profile. For questions, contact Digital Communications.

Can I get support in building a website for my lab or center?

IT and Communications are happy to consult with faculty about their web needs. Review our process for site creation and our site maintenance policies. For questions, contact Digital Communications.

I keep hearing about “digital accessibility” but I don’t know where to start.

All Harvard digital content must follow the University’s digital accessibility policy. This includes course content, emails, websites, and documents like PDFs. Digital Accessibility Services offers on-demand and instructor-led trainings as well as regular office hours. Questions? Reach out to Anna Fisher-Pinkert and Guillaume Molter.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Does Harvard have best practices for social media?

Yes! Harvard-wide guidance can be found here. We also have Harvard Chan-specific guidance, including what types of content we post to our flagship channels. For questions, email Yna Aggabao.

CREATIVE SUPPORT

Do you provide help with graphics and PPT decks?

Our creative team generally focuses on school-wide and major departmental needs; we typically do not provide graphics or design work to individual faculty members. We can connect faculty with freelance support for a variety of project types, and advise on our design and branding guidelines. For questions, reach out to Ben Wallace.

I want to use the Harvard Chan School logo/name. What are the rules I have to follow?

Explore our design and branding guide for information on using our school’s name, ordering swag, and for downloadable versions of our logos. Questions? Email the creative team.