The Career Advancement, Mentoring, and Networking Committee (CAMAN) is hosting a webinar “Should I Stay or Should I Go? Transitioning Between Industry, Academia, and Government” at 12:00 noon EDT April 25 for those considering career transitions.
Following their years of formal education, early career toxicologists typically begin their first jobs in one of three major employment sectors: industry, academia, or government. Careers in each of these sectors can be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding, but sometimes it is time to try something new. This webinar will feature three panelists who have transitioned from government positions to roles in the private sector. They will share their insights on how their experience in government prepared them for work in the private sector, their motivations for moving into a new sector, differences in work environments, and advice on identifying potential new opportunities and for thriving in a new sector. This discussion is applicable for any transition between different sectors, and for any toxicologists considering such a move, whether they are just starting out or have many years of experience.
The webinar will be moderated by Erica Dahl, SafeBridge Consultants, and Toufan Parman, Sangamo Therapeutic Inc. Panelists include Michelle Embry, HESI; Nathan Pechacek, 3M; and Ron Wange, Aclairo Pharmaceutical Development Group, Inc.
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Michelle Embry
Michelle Embry is the Deputy Director of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) and Director of HESI’s Center for Environmental and Ecological Health. She holds a PhD in toxicology and a BS from Duke University and has over 20 years of expertise in human and health and ecological risk assessment. Prior to joining HESI, Dr. Embry was a biologist at the US EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs, Environmental Fate, and Effects Division. Dr. Embry has over seventy publications in the peer reviewed literature and has served on numerous international advisory committees, including the Canadian Government Chemicals Management Plan Science Committee from 2017–2021. She served on the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America Board of Directors and was a Councilor for the SOT Exposure Specialty Section from 2021–2024. She currently serves on the US EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors Research Strategy and Implementation Subcommittee and is a co-editor of Elsevier’s newly launched NAM Journal.
Ron Wange
Ron Wange received a BS in Biochemistry from the University of California, Riverside, and a PhD in Pharmacology from Vanderbilt University. Currently, he is a Principal Consultant in the Aclairo Pharmaceutical Development Group. Prior to his position with Aclairo, he spent 20 years in the Office of New Drugs (OND) at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA). While at US FDA he served in the roles of Pharm-Tox Reviewer, Pharm-Tox Supervisor and Associate Director for Pharmacology and Toxicology. Prior to joining the US FDA, he ran an intramural research laboratory at the National Institute on Aging.
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Nathan Pechacek
Nathan Pechacek is a Senior Toxicology Specialist at 3M where he oversees a 3M toxicology testing laboratory, coordinates testing at third party laboratories, provides toxicological support to assigned businesses, and is a staff manager. In addition to his time at 3M, Nathan has experience as a toxicologist in academic (Oregon State University), regulatory (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality), and industrial (Ecolab) settings. Overall, he has 25+ years of experience in the practice of toxicology and risk assessment. In addition to this work, he is a visiting lecturer at the University of Minnesota. Nathan earned a BS in Environmental Science and Ecology from Minnesota State University-Mankato, an MS in Toxicology and Microbiology from Iowa State University, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and is active in multiple professional societies and industry trade associations related to toxicology and adjacent disciplines.