The Research Office will welcome Fox 2 News anchor Roop Raj for the first Soundings Series event of the semester on Monday, March 4 from 8-10 a.m. in Oakland Center Banquet Room B.

“You’re on TV! Now What?” will allow researchers to gain hands-on experience with media interviews and interacting with TV anchors. Attendees of the “Nuts and Bolts” session will be filmed while being interviewed, allowing them to see their TV presence and learn the “do’s and don’ts of media interviews.”

Raj will show researchers how to interact with the media so they can publicly share their work. Dr. David Stone, Oakland University chief research officer, said he hopes Raj can give researchers insight into how they can connect to the TV media when trying to publicize their research.

“It’s rare that faculty get some on-camera experience without getting interviewed on television,” he said. “He’ll bring insider understanding of what the television media is looking for.”

Raj has been part of the media for 28 years, starting as a government access station public-affairs talk show host at 14 years old. After working as a reporter, anchor and weatherman at NBC in Flint for four years and then working in New Orleans as a morning anchor and reporter for seven years, Raj returned to Detroit, his hometown, according to Raj’s FOX profile.

At Fox 2 in Detroit, Raj anchors the 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. newscasts. Coming to OU will allow Raj to share his acquired knowledge with researchers.

Leanne DeVreugd, program assistant for Women in Science, Engineering and Research (WISER), said there was a reason Raj was chosen to lead the session.

“Raj is well-known in the community and he is excited to share his knowledge and expertise,” DeVreugd said. “We are thrilled to work with him to provide faculty with the opportunity to learn about the media and interviews.”

Knowledge of communicating with the media is an important part of research presentation, according to Stone.

“Our faculty has lots of experience in a wide range of disciplines,” he said. “It’s as important now as it’s ever been that researchers and scholars be able to take what they have learned and discovered and convey that information to the public in ways that they can hear, understand and act on.”

For the next event of the series, English Professor Kathy Pfeiffer will conduct a “Nuts and Bolts” session on Wednesday, Feb. 13 from 3-4:30 p.m. in Oakland Center Ambassador Rooms (157-158).

DeVreugd said the Soundings Series pushes to help get researchers ready to share their work.

“It is important for research to be shared with the academic community as well as the general public,” she said. “When researchers have media knowledge, they can adapt their message and easily share their research and scholarship with a wider audience. Through the Soundings Series, we aim to provide faculty with the tips and tools to become community-engaged scholars.”

To RSVP for the Raj event, email DeVreugd at [email protected] or fill out this form. More information for Soundings Series events can be found here.