Dr. Mary Beth Genter’s efforts to increase public awareness of toxicology-related issues have earned her the 2019 SOT Public Communications Award.
Dr. Genter received her PhD from Duke University and has since remained a force in the educational and scientific communities. Currently a professor with the University of Cincinnati Department of Environmental Health, Dr. Genter also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Toxicology, a position she has held for 10 years.
Dr. Genter’s commitment to bolstering the impact of toxicology via public communications is not limited to specific industries, professions, or age groups; those that benefit from her awareness efforts include toxicologists, nonscientists, and high school students. Dr. Genter has spent her entire career educating the public about toxicology, as demonstrated by her service early in her career as a toxicologist with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, a role she acquired through her position, at that time, as an NC State University faculty member. Her service with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension brought Dr. Genter to many of North Carolina’s counties, where she spread information on local food and water quality and pesticides’ effects on health. Additionally, Dr. Genter has spent nearly 20 years as an instructor in the Cincinnati branch of the International Chemical Workers Union. Through this service, Dr. Genter regularly teaches individuals working in industrial environments about fundamental issues of toxicology as they relate to the chemicals with which these individuals may come into contact. This work has allowed Dr. Genter to spread public awareness of toxicological issues to more than 1,000 nonscientists.
Dr. Genter’s sphere of influence extends also to high school students and teachers. Her National Institutes of Health subcontract with Miami University through the National Center for Research Resources has allowed Dr. Genter to create educational materials geared toward middle and high school audiences on topics that range from chemical safety to indoor pollution to hand washing. All this is in addition to educating her own students at the University of Cincinnati, where her lab focuses on neurotoxicology and the effect of toxicants on olfaction.
Dr. Genter has been an SOT member since 1986 and is a current Council member. Her work has been published in many journals, and she has co-authored numerous book chapters.
