Communicating as a Scientist

As an accomplished research faculty member at ­Purdue University, Zhenhua Zeng, Ph.D., knows how important Toastmasters is for technical experts who may not have had much communication training. Growing up in the Henan province of China, English was not his native language. He didn’t want to just “nod and smile” and pretend to understand English speakers. He wanted to advance his learning.

Zeng, who researches first-principles-based modeling of hydrogen fuel cells and water electrolysis, joined Toastmasters in 2013. Today, he works closely with the U.S. Department of Energy and industry partners, such as Honda, Toyota, General Motors, and 3M, to advance green hydrogen energy technology. His work has been published in journals, such as Science and Nature, and has been cited in thousands of studies.

He credits Toastmasters with developing his communication skills. Zeng, who earned his Ph.D. at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in China’s Liaoning province, first moved to the United States in 2012, where he continued his postdoctoral research at the Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois. Here, he joined the Argonne Toastmasters club.

“I have always aspired to be a public speaker, but more importantly, I want to improve my English,” Zeng says. “Learning it has been difficult. But I’m committed to it because I know it will help me personally and professionally. Today, when I present my research at many international conferences, I use the skills I learned from Toastmasters meetings to prepare. I rarely use notes or words on slides. I also chair international symposiums often and have learned how to introduce speakers and their titles gracefully instead of just reading them.”

Zeng also credits Toastmasters with helping him develop his leadership skills. In 2013, he started his research at Purdue University and joined the Toastmasters at Purdue club two years later. He served as the 2023-2024 Club President.

“Learning how to be an effective communicator and leader is what’s most important to me,” says Zeng. He is passionate about this. “In my heart, I know I want to improve. Great leaders inspire others, and when I work with faculty, staff, and students, I want to be engaging and motivating. Improving those skills is an endless process.”

One source of inspiration is the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, which he reads several times a year. During his time as Vice President Education (VPE), when busy members were hesitant to commit to meeting participation, he applied the principles.

“I used Principle 1, ‘Be Proactive,’ to schedule members’ speeches well in advance. With Principle 2, ‘Begin With the End in Mind,’ I helped members plan their speeches to envision their future achievements. By using Principle 3, ‘Put First Things First,’ I ensured we had at least one speech at every meeting. During my tenure as VPE, we gradually increased from one speech per meeting to three.” With his leadership, his club was back to steady member attendance within six months.

In addition to his communication and leadership skills, Zeng has also gained other tools that he can apply to his work. By using active listening skills he learned through Toastmasters, he has no problem asking someone to repeat or write down something they said that he doesn’t understand. He has also worked with a language coach to improve his pronunciation, something he focuses on frequently, especially during speech contests.

As Zeng looks to the future, his desire to inspire is powerful. Having proudly seen some of his students excel in their careers and win notable awards and phenomenal opportunities, he knows his work of helping others unleash their potential.

What advice would he give to other Toastmasters? “Dig into what Toastmasters offers! It really works! Don’t be superficial or casual with it. Put in the effort by giving well-prepared speeches and useful evaluations and watch how it can boost your career!”

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