By Richard S. Pollenz, Education Committee Chair
Undergraduates who attend this year’s Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting can participate in a Scavenger Hunt. The event is intended to promote networking with scientists, and students will engage with the presenters while they are visiting poster and scientific sessions to have their Scavenger Hunt Cards signed. Scavenger Hunt Cards can be printed from the Annual Meeting website or picked up from Registration or the SOT Headquarters Office.
Completed cards are due back Tuesday afternoon, March 24, 2015, with prizes going to the first 100 turned in completed. Cards may be returned during the Undergraduate Student meeting or to Registration or the SOT Headquarters Office. The Undergraduate Education Subcommittee has organized this activity and appreciates those meeting attendees who sign cards for undergraduates when approached. The Undergraduate Subcommittee also is hosting a meeting for undergraduate students at 4:00 pm–5:00 pm on Tuesday in Room 14A.
All undergraduates who register for the Annual Meeting also can register for the Sunday Undergraduate Education Program. Organized by the Committee on Diversity Initiatives (CDI), the Sunday schedule includes special lectures on toxicology topics and a case study as well as breakout groups exploring ways to be successful when applying to graduate school, time with academic program directors and internship hosts, and roundtable discussions with toxicologists in different employment sectors.
The Education Committee also selected a number of students who will receive special accolades for their abstract submissions and other accomplishments. Fourteen students will be recognized with the Pfizer SOT Undergraduate Travel Award and two students who earned internship support from SOT last summer have received the SOT Undergraduate Intern Travel Award. These students will display identifying ribbons on their posters and meeting attendees are encouraged to look for these ribbons and engage these scientists in discussion of their work. In addition to funding from Pfizer and SOT, the SOT Endowment Fund also supports these awards.
The Education Committee works with the CDI to integrate the various SOT activities directed toward undergraduates, including the Undergraduate Education Program, Domestic ToxScholar Grants, and support for internship experiences. The Undergraduate Education Program at the Annual Meeting serves as the centerpiece to introduce students to the science of and careers in toxicology. Other SOT activities support continued interactions with students to encourage pursuit of careers in toxicology.