Josh LeMonte, a doctoral student in soil and environmental chemistry, is the originator and lead organizer of Pitch:90, a new student elevator pitch competition.

Nov. 12: Pitch:90 debuts

New DENIN-sponsored Pitch:90 event spotlights student research

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1:33 p.m., Nov. 7, 2014--It was an a-ha moment for University of Delaware graduate student Josh LeMonte as he listened to a friend in Houston describe how he had just won Rice University’s annual student “elevator pitch” competition.

“I just knew that this was something that we needed here at UD,” he said. “We’ve got so much great student research going on, but we needed a new way to tell everyone about it.”

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The result of LeMonte’s moment of inspiration is Pitch:90, a fast-paced speaking competition that will take place Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 6-8 p.m. in the atrium of UD’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (ISE Lab). The event is free and open to the public.

Forty student researchers will have 90 seconds each to tell a panel of judges and the audience why their research matters. The idea is to communicate the essentials about their work in the length of a typical elevator ride.

“There are no props and no slides allowed, only words,” LeMonte said. “But we’ve provided coaching to help the contestants hone their messages to make them as engaging as possible to a broad audience.”

That coach was Barbara Garland, an independent communications coach, media consultant and video producer, who offered the contestants feedback on their message and delivery during small-group practice sessions prior to the big event.

“What a dynamic group of contestants you have,” said Garland following the coaching sessions. “They represent a wide range of research being conducted at UD. It was really a pleasure introducing them to the skills required to effectively communicate research to a diverse audience and to create the most accessible and lasting impression. I’m really looking forward to hearing their final pitches.”

LeMonte and fellow graduate students Audrey Gamble, Autumn Starcher and Chris Russoniello have worked together to organize the competition. They have assembled sponsors, prizes and a distinguished panel of about 20 judges drawn from UD faculty, staff and administrators as well as community members from throughout Delaware.

The judges will have their work cut out for them as they try to keep up with the lightning pace of the competition. Several breaks are anticipated to let everyone catch their breath and refresh themselves with food and drink.

At the end of the night, one student will walk away with the $500 grand prize, and four others will receive lesser cash prizes. All contestants and judges will receive Pitch:90 T-shirts and flash drives as thanks for their participation. Each contestant will also be able to look back on his or her presentation since the entire event will be videotaped and made available as inspiration for future contestants.

“We definitely hope this will become a tradition here at UD,” said LeMonte, who will also serve as master of ceremonies for the event. “Being able to clearly communicate what we’re doing in a nontechnical way is an important skill, and this program is a fun way to encourage people to develop that skill. We hope lots of people will attend to cheer everyone on.”

The Delaware Environmental Institute is the primary sponsor of Pitch:90 but the event has also received financial support from local restaurant Klondike Kate’s.

Article by Beth Chajes

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