[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/jay_ingram.jpg” caption=”Jay Ingram, centre, and students, from left, Marie-Pierre Schippers, Jessica Phillips-Silver and Carl Gaspar, look for beavers around his Muskoka Cottage. Photo credit: Elliott Beaton”]While five McMaster students chilled out at Jay Ingram's Muskoka cottage, they were really learning how to communicate about science.

Students Elliott Beaton, Graeme Moffat, Marie-Pierre Schippers, Reuven Dukas, Jessica Phillips-Silver and Carl Gaspar were invited by the co-host and producer of the Daily Planet, as part of his annual retreat. Every year, Ingram selects journalists or university students to spend a weekend at his cottage discussing issues relevant to their field and how to properly communicate science.

“Jay helped us understand how we can communicate our science so it is interesting to the public, as well as how to make it publishable,” said Beaton, a fourth-year psychology PhD candidate. “He taught us how to distill it so it's intelligent to the public and still maintains accuracy.”

But he did so a relaxed environment, Beaton added. “It was very relaxing. We would eat, go out for a walk, come back, have a drink and talk about science in an unstructured fashion. It really allowed for a lot of free-flow of conversation.”

Ingram also took the students beaver and bird watching, and as an avid photographer, Elliott wandered around snapping photos.

Beaton, who grew up listening to Ingram on Quirks and Quarks and the Daily Planet, was honoured to be invited to the weekend retreat. “He is so well-read about science, and so broadly well-read that he could speak on anything we brought up. And we were all from such broad fields.”

The other participating students included Graeme Moffat, first-year master's psychology; Marie-Pierre Schippers, first-year master's biology, Jessica Phillips-Silver, third-year psychology PhD candidate and Carl Gaspar, fourth-year psychology PhD candidate.

This is the first time McMaster students have participated in the program. Students were invited to write a 200-word essay on why they wanted to attend the weekend retreat.

Beaton says he now has a better understanding about the importance of communicating his work. “Understanding how to communicate research is an important aspect of a scientist's career,” he said. “Jay recognizes that journalism is a tool for education.”

Ingram received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from McMaster University last fall.