Matthew Gribble (third from left) speaking to students at a University of Alaska lab.
I am grateful to the Society of Toxicology (SOT) for the opportunity to participate in the Domestic ToxScholar Program and visit the University of Alaska Anchorage, through a visit coordinated by local host Micah Han, to share information about the field of toxicology with undergraduate students. The best part of this visit was the personal conversations with students currently working in biology labs who had not yet thought about toxicology as a pursuit for graduate school and beyond, but were very excited when told about the kinds of opportunities available in this field. My contact at the university, Micah Hahn, provided invaluable guidance on how to coordinate students for a visit— adhering to the school’s standard schedule helps ensure that students may have a sense of the upcoming talk even if they aren’t paying close attention to flyers advertising the specific event. I also was able to use this visit as an opportunity to engage with two tribal healthcare organizations about toxicology issues and think that there are great opportunities for future partnerships between the SOT and Native communities around issues of local interest.
I hope others in the SOT will continue to participate in this great outreach program.
Dr. Gribble’s visit to the University of Alaska Anchorage was administered by the Committee on Diversity Initiatives and additional information about the ToxScholar Program can be found here. ToxScholar funds still remain for this year and applications can be submitted at any time.