A Message from the Student
Advisory Committee (SAC)
Dear Students,
Welcome to the Fall edition of the SOTudent
e-Letter, a biannual publication distributed
by the Society of Toxicology’s Student
Advisory Committee (SAC). In this edition
you will find out a little about SAC and what
we do, updates on student membership in
your regional chapter, and how you can
apply for SOT student member awards.
Also in this issue is a short preview of some
exciting activities and opportunities waiting
for students at the 2004 meeting in
Baltimore! Be sure to write these down!
I look forward to seeing all of you in
Baltimore!
James Luyendyk
SAC Chairperson
A little on SAC
Who?
Each Regional Chapter has one SAC
representative selected using the Regional
Chapter’s own criteria. Thus, the SAC is a
diverse committee made up of graduate
students from ALL regional chapters. How
can you become an SAC representative?
Contact your local rep to find out!
What do we do?
Have you ever attended the Student Mixer
at the National SOT meeting? Have you
signed up for the Lunch with an Expert
Program? Did you use the Student Event
Planner last year at the National meeting? If
so, you might be familiar with some of the
activities that SAC coordinates or endorses!
SAC also represents the SOT student
membership on the following National SOT
committees:
-
Membership Committee
A message from our current
representative, Jim Luyendyk:
As
student
representative
to
the
membership committee, I am responsible for
bilateral communication between the SAC
and the SOT Membership Committee.
Frequently, the Membership Committee
asks me to poll the SAC on issues relating
to student membership. Recently the SAC
was asked to contribute ideas relating to
recruitment and retention of the SOT student
membership, application procedures, and
student membership dues.
If you have any questions concerning
student membership, I would be more than
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willing to bring these issues to the attention
of the membership committee and the SAC.
Please
contact
me
by
email:
Luyendyk@msu.edu
-
Continuing Education Committee
A message from our current
representative, Amy Wang:
The student representative to the Continuing
Education (CE) committee advocates
students’ needs and interests, helps recruit
student volunteers for CE courses at the
annual SOT meeting, and facilitates
communication between the CE committee
and the SAC/SOT Student Membership.
As student representative during 2002-2003,
I suggested that student CE course
volunteers receive the course syllabus
packet of their choice. This idea was well
received and implemented at the 2003
annual meeting. In addition, other activities I
am involved with include suggesting CE
course topics of interest to the student
membership, advertising CE volunteer
opportunities on the web, SOTudent enewsletter and other locations, and
providing feedback regarding CE courses
and volunteer experience to CE committee.
SAC continues to receive fantastic input
from the CE committee. In fact, the CE
committee has readily utilized this newsletter
to interest students in volunteering to help
with continuing education courses at the
National SOT meeting!
-
World Wide Web Committee
A message from our current
representative, Sachin Bendre:
The SOT WWW (World Wide Web) Advisory
Committee makes recommendations to the
SOT Council on how to maintain a useful
and functional SOT website. As student
representative, I represent SOT student
members and convey our interests
concerning the SOT website to the WWW
Committee. This year the WWW Committee
has been very active upgrading and
improving the SOT website. The WWW
Committee
submitted
several
recommendations to the SOT Council, which
were approved. Some pertinent items
include:
1) Design of a mouse pad with a SOT
logo, for free distribution at the next
annual SOT meeting.
2) Featuring information from each
specialty section and regional chapter
on the SOT website.
3) Design a questionnaire to get
member
feedback
about
the
usefulness of the website (Make sure
to complete the survey to get your
free mousepad!!)
4) Creation of a website focus group to
discuss the quality and navigability of
the SOT website and to troubleshoot
the problems. This focus group will
include members, non-members and
3 student representatives.
As a student representative I was asked to
ensure that the information in the student
sections of the Web site was current and to
make suggestions to change/ improve
student use of the SOT Web site.
As a SOT student member, if you have
comments about the SOT website, please
feel free to contact me:
SBendre@nctr.fda.gov
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-
Education Committee
Current representative: Tim O’Brien
-
Women in Toxicology
Current
representative:
Murray
Ashley
Background on the Education Committee:
The Education Committee is concerned with
ways the Society can advance education in
toxicology. This committee oversees the
student award programs, such as Graduate
Travel Awards and Graduate Fellowships.
Other activities include developing and
disseminating career materials, including the
Resource Guide to Careers in Toxicology,
encouraging toxicology internships, and
sponsoring grantsmanship sessions at the
SOT Annual Meeting.
-
Placement Committee
Current
representative:
Radcliffe
Pheona
Background on the Placement Committee:
The Placement Committee consists of nine
members and organizes an on-line forum for
the exchange of information regarding
positions
available
and
qualified
toxicologists seeking positions. An active job
posting and message center is available at
the Annual Meeting, and advertisements in
the Society newsletter are offered at
reasonable cost through the Headquarters
Office. Recently, the Committee has been
charged with:
-
-
Identifying future training needs.
Conducting and publishing surveys
that identify future employment trends
in toxicology.
Identifying the needs of the
unemployed,
self-employed
and
retired, and developing programs to
meet those needs.
Background on the Women in Toxicology
Specialty Section:
The Women in Toxicology (WIT) Specialty
Section was established to focus on the
needs of women within the field of
toxicology. Modeled after existing women in
science organizations, WIT's mission is to
(1) promote the recruitment and retention of
women to a profession in the toxicological
sciences; (2) provide leadership for career
development opportunities for women
toxicologists; (3) promote and recognize the
accomplishments of women toxicologists.
Key issues reflect the mission and goals,
including the promotion of education in the
sciences, mentoring, increased visibility and
leadership roles of women within the SOT.
Student Awards!
Don’t miss out!
Be sure to take a few seconds to visit the
following website for information on how to
apply for awards like:
-
Graduate Travel Awards!
Graduate Fellowship Award!
Colgate-Palmolive Award for Student
Research Training!
Regional Chapter Awards!
Specialty Section Awards!
http://www.toxicology.org/Information/Award
sFellowships/awards.html
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Extra Extra! Read all about it!
Only once every three years!
Robert L. Dixon International
Travel Award
This award honors 1982-1983 SOT
President Robert L. Dixon, and recognizes
his commitment to the professional
development of students.
The Toxicology Education Foundation
announces availability of the Robert L. Dixon
Award for a graduate student in reproductive
toxicology to attend the International
Congress of Toxicology Meeting in Finland
next summer. The value of the award is
$2,000. Applications are due October 9,
and the form can be printed from
http://www.toxicology.org/MemberServices/f
ormsapps/Dixonaward2004.pdf
Regional Chapter
Announcements
Gulf Coast Chapter
The Gulf Coast Chapter of SOT would like to
extend an invitation to all SOT student
members to attend its annual regional
meeting, which will take place in Galveston,
TX on October 17th and 18th (Friday and
Saturday), 2003. The sessions and
symposia will take place on the University of
Texas Medical Branch campus, and are still
in the planning stages. A website will soon
be available that will include: registration
and abstract submission schedules; housing
information; travel award applications and
deadlines. For more information, or
questions regarding the meeting, contact
DanyelTacker at dptacker@utmb.edu.
Mid-Atlantic Chapter
Come join us on October 7, 2003 for our
next meeting at the Ramada Inn in East
Windsor, New Jersey. The topic for the
symposium is “Pharmaceuticals in the
Environment, Risks and Realities”. There
will be a student luncheon with a working
toxicologist where students will have the
opportunity to ask questions and find out
what a career in toxicology entails. The
meeting will be held from 9am – 4pm.
Michigan Regional Chapter
Be watching your mailboxes for further
details on the MISOT Fall meeting. The topic
of the meeting is “Genomics, Proteomics,
and Metabonomics: Putting “omics” into
Perspective.” Students will be able to
present recent work during a poster session,
as well as apply for a $500 award.
Questions about the Fall meeting or about
MISOT student membership can be sent to
Luyendyk@msu.edu
Midwest Regional Chapter
The Midwest Regional Chapter of the SOT
had a successful 2003 Spring Meeting. The
topic of this joint meeting, in collaboration
with the Midwest Teratology Society, was
“Evaluating Risks to the Developing
Conceptus.” The MRC-SOT presented two
student awards at this meeting. The Victor
A. Drill Award, offered to the best student
poster, includes a free trip to the National
SOT meeting. The 2nd place prize is a cash
award for $100 toward a toxicology
textbook.
This year, the winners were:
Victor A. Drill Award Winner:
Nate Matusheski – University of Illinois
“Enhancement of Sulforaphane Content and
Bioactivity of Broccoli Florets and Sprouts by
Mild Heat Treatment:
Inactivation of
Epithiospecifier Protein”
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2nd Place Award Winner:
Kristin Stewart – University of Illinois
“Molecular Recognition of Phase II
Detoxification Enzymes in Response to
Glucosinolate Metabolite Derived from
Cruciferous Vegetables: A Comparison of
Sulforaphane and Crambene”
**The MRC-SOT is excited to announce a
new student award, which will be presented
at the 2003 Fall Meeting held in October.
The MRC-SOT Young Investigator Award
is an award given to students who submit
the
best
toxicology-based
research
proposal. It is presented to students for
research training in the area of toxicological
sciences and is intended to promote
toxicology as a career path. The MRC-SOT
Young Investigator Award will consist of a
cash award of $1500, to be applied at the
discretion of the recipient, toward costs
associated with toxicological research,
education, and training. Applications will be
due by September 1st each year and
submission forms are available at:
http://www.toxicology.org/memberservices/r
egionalchapter/midwest/applications.html.
If you have any questions about this award
or if you are interested in joining or
becoming involved in the Midwest Regional
Chapter, please contact Christina Wilson at
wilsonc@purdue.edu.
Pacific Northwest Chapter
The Pacific Northwest Regional Chapter of
SOT (PANWAT) will be holding its annual
meeting on September 26-27, 2003, at the
Mount Bachelor Village Resort and
Conference Center in Bend, Oregon. The
theme for this year's meeting is the "Role of
nutrients in modifying toxic injury." Abstract
submissions for this meeting are due
September 10, 2003. Student awards will be
given for platform and poster presentations
(first and second place). For more
information on the meeting, awards, and for
registration details, please contact Marc
Fariss (fariss@mail.wsu.edu) or Carin
Thomas (cthomas@cwu.edu). For more
information about PANWAT, please visit our
website:
http://www.toxicology.org/memberservices/r
egionalchapter/panwat/home.htm
National Capital Area Chapter
On May 12, 2003, the NCAC of SOT held its
annual Spring Symposium. The title was
“Emerging Issues in Human and Veterinary
Pharmaceutical Contamination of Water
Supplies.” Integrated into the symposium
was our annual graduate student/post-doc
poster competition. Students and post-docs
from Virginia Tech, the University of
Maryland, and the Food and Drug
Administration presented their research in
both poster and short (5-minute) platform
presentations to symposium attendees and
judges alike. Monetary awards were
presented to the top 2 presenters. Thank
you again and congratulations to our student
and post-doctoral participants, Selen Olgun,
Damani Parran, Rob Mitkus, Thitiya Pung,
Vimala Vemireddi, Jerome Krough, Jorge
Loyo, and Lemuel Russell (1st prize)! Please
visit our website at
http://www.toxicology.org/memberservices/r
egionalchapter/ncac/Default.htm
North Carolina Chapter
Annual Fall Meeting, NIEHS
Thursday, October 16th 2003
111 Alexander Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Topic:Immunotoxicology/Immune
Suppression
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There will be a new postdoctoral research
award this fall. It is open to postdoctoral
fellows who are members of the North
Carolina Society of Toxicology. The winner
will receive a $200 cash prize, a
commemorative plaque, and the opportunity
to give a 20-minute oral presentation of their
research at the NCSOT fall meeting.
Runners up will receive a $100 certificate
toward purchase of a book of their choice
from a major scientific publisher. Keep
informed via the NCSOT homepage through
the
national
site
at:
http://www.toxicology.org/MemberServicesR
egionalChapter/nc/main.htm
Additional details for the Postdoc award can
be found if you click on the "upcoming
meetings" link.
South Central Chapter
2003 SCC-SOT Annual Fall Meeting
DATE:
October 9-10
PLACE:
LSU Health Sciences Center
Shreveport, LA
abstracts. If not selected for a platform
presentation, students will automatically be
placed in the poster competition, and are
thus required to have a poster prepared.
-----------------------------------------------------Here are the numbers of students in each
region who have paid Regional
Chapter dues for 2003:
ALLEGHENY-ERIE
9
CENTRAL STATES
4
GULF COAST
79*
LAKE ONTARIO
5
MICHIGAN
27
MID-ATLANTIC
29
MID-WEST
8
MOUNTAIN WEST
17
NATIONAL CAP
22
NORTH CAROLINA
29
NORTHEAST
18
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 11
NORTHLAND
6
OHIO VALLEY
0
PACIFIC NORTHWEST 17
SOUTH CENTRAL
24*
SOUTHEASTERN
23
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA N.A.____
TOTAL
SCHEDULE:
Thursday, October 9
Randle T. Moore Center
3101 Fairfield Ave.,Shreveport, LA
Southeastern Chapter
The Southeastern regional meeting will be
held on Oct. 27th at the Chattanooga Choo
Choo hotel in Chattanooga, TN. The topic is
endocrine disrupters. Awards for best poster
presentations will be $100 for first place, $75
for second, and $50 for third. For platform
presentations, three students will be
selected to compete for a $100 award.
Selection will be based on submitted
328
*Value indicates dues paid for 2002
Of all Regional Chapter student members
paid for 2003 at this time, 94% are also
members of National SOT. SOT has nearly
900 student members nationally, with 62
international student members. Just a
reminder to all that becoming a student
member of your Regional SOT chapter can
provide many advantages including awards
and the opportunity to network with future
employers.
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SOT 2004!
STUDENT SPECIALS!
Not a Student Member of SOT?
Become one today! Application information
is available online at
http://www.toxicology.org/MemberServices/
MemberInfo/member_onlineapp.html
New this year! Student registration costs
at SOT 2004 for non-members are double
this year! Submit your application for
membership today!
Already a Student Member of SOT?
Make sure to renew your dues online!
To renew your National SOT membership:
http://www.toxicology.org/script/dues.asp
If you are not a National SOT member, but
wish to renew your Regional Chapter
membership:
http://www.toxicology.org/memberservices/r
egionalchapter/regionalchapters.html
The ability to deliver an effective
presentation is a critical academic and
career skill. In this Scientific Session
Roundtable, the speakers will cover general
concepts
of
communication,
provide
practical hints for organizing and conveying
information in posters and oral presentations
of various lengths, and discuss the skills
needed to effectively answer questions and
comments from the audience.
Make sure to attend!
- Life as a Toxicologist—A Graduate
Student and Post-Doc Primer to
Careers in Toxicology
- SOT
Council
Meeting
with
Students/Post-Doctoral Fellows
Don’t forget to download and bring!
- SOT 2004 Student Event Planner
brought to you by the SAC
The SOT 2003 Student Event Planner was
downloaded by over 170 members! Don’t
leave home without it…but even if you do,
head to the membership booth to grab
another copy!
Don’t Miss Out!
Student activities and such at SOT 2004!
Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!
- Student/Post-Doctoral Fellow Mixer
Sign up using SOT 2004 registration!
- Lunch with an Expert (LWAE)
- In Vitro Luncheon
- New!
Roundtable:
Student
Symposium
on
Effective
Presentations (see description
below)
Questions, Comments &
Suggestions
The SAC would love to hear any comments
students have. If you have anything to offer,
please
contact
Jim
Luyendyk
at
luyendyk@msu.edu or Christina Wilson at
wilsonc@purdue.edu
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SAC Regional Chapter
Representatives
Allegheny-Erie: Ashley Murray
amurray@mix.wvu.edu
Central States: Susan Buist
sbuist@kumc.edu
Gulf Coast: Danyel Tacker
dptacker@utmb.edu
Lake Ontario: Pheona Radcliffe
Pheona_Radcliffe@urmc.rochester.edu
Michigan: Jim Luyendyk
luyendyk@msu.edu
Mid-Atlantic: Jessica Duffy
jessd2000@yahoo.com
Pacific Northwest: Castle Funatake
funatakc@onid.orst.edu
South Central: Sachin Bendre
sbendre@nctr.fda.gov
Southeastern: Lonnie Williams
williamslonnie@hotmail.com
Southern California: Karen Riveles
karenriv@aol.com
Contact information is posted with the
permission of the individual representatives.
If you do not see a contact for your region,
please contact the SOT Headquarters to
either obtain the contact information, or your
message will be forwarded to the
appropriate representative.
Midwest: Christina Wilson
wilsonc@purdue.edu
Mountain West: Andy Annalora
aannalora@salud.unm.edu
National Capital: Robert Mitkus
rmitk001@umaryland.edu
North Carolina: Wendy Jefferson
jeffers1@niehs.nih.gov
Northeast: Joe Lynch
jlynch61@maine.edu
Northern California: Shelley Brown DuTeaux
sbduteaux@ucdavis.edu
Northland: Tim O’ Brien
obri0150@d.umn.edu
Ohio Valley: Paul Porter
pcport01@gwise.louisville.edu
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