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Call for Volunteers for the 2023 SOT Undergraduate Diversity Program: Applications Due January 17

By Karilyn Sant posted 12-20-2022 10:56

  


The SOT Committee on Diversity Initiatives (CDI) is seeking volunteers to assist with the 2023 Undergraduate Diversity Program (UDP), March 18–20, 2023, in conjunction with the 62nd SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in Nashville, Tennessee. UDP is an award program that provides the opportunity for promising undergraduate science majors interested in research careers to learn about the breadth of toxicology, career opportunities in the field, and the requirements for graduate school.


There are several volunteer roles open to SOT members:

  • Mentor or Peer Mentor on a continuing basis for the UDP students
  • Mentor or Peer Mentor for groups of undergraduates on Sunday morning
  • Leader of a poster group on Monday afternoon
  • Academic program breakout facilitator on Sunday afternoon
  • Career roundtable facilitator on Sunday afternoon


Details for each role follow.

Host and Peer Mentors

The UDP awardees will be organized into groups, and each group has a Host Mentor and a Peer Mentor (graduate student or postdoc) who serve as important connectors for these students from Saturday evening through Monday. As they develop rapport with their mentors, students explore questions about toxicology and learn what careers in this field are like, how to succeed, and strategies for work-life balance in science.

CDI will hold a Mentor Orientation webinar in January that will review mentoring information and tips to help volunteers connect with their group of students in advance.

CDI also is seeking volunteers to serve as a Host Mentor or Peer Mentor only for the Sunday portion of the Undergraduate Education Program, which is open to any undergraduate student who registers for this event on the Annual Meeting Registration Form. Mentors recruited only for Sunday are linked with these students.

Volunteers interested in participating as Mentors are encouraged to complete the brief application form to indicate their interest and availability before January 17. There are a limited number of mentor positions available; those who volunteer will be notified later in January of the outcome.

Poster Group Leaders

CDI also is looking for Poster Group leaders to facilitate visits to Scientific Sessions and posters by the UDP participants on Monday afternoon. Each leader will serve as a facilitator for a group of about five students from 1:30 pm to 3:15 pm.

Volunteers interested in participating as Poster Group leaders are encouraged to complete the brief application form to indicate their interest and availability before January 17. There are a limited number of Poster Group leader positions available; those who volunteer will be notified later in January of the outcome.

Career Roundtable and Graduate School Facilitators

On Sunday, March 19, CDI will host Career Roundtables and Graduate School Breakouts for the undergraduate students participating in the Undergraduate Education Program. For the Career Roundtables, CDI is seeking career toxicologists in academia, industry, or government who would be interested in talking informally with undergraduates about different career paths and exploring how toxicologists manage work-life balance. For the Graduate School Breakouts, CDI is seeking academic graduate program advisors and graduate students to informally talk about what life is like in graduate school and how to be successful in applying.

If you are interested in more information or would like to volunteer as a Career Roundtable or Graduate School Breakout facilitator, please contact Jenna Hartsell by February 3, 2023.

CDI thanks you for your commitment to and interest in supporting the next generation of scientists.

Questions? Contact Jenna Hartsell at SOT Headquarters.


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