Phillip Wages received his BS in Toxicology from Ashland University and his PhD in Toxicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As of 2016, he has been completing his postdoctoral research work at Vanderbilt University in the Chemistry Department. He studies the role of cholesterol in neuronal development and how environmental exposures could contribute to neurological disorders by targeting cholesterol metabolism. He currently serves as the Postdoctoral Representative of the Clinical and Translational Toxicology Specialty Section of SOT.
Nearly everyone at one point or another will serve on a committee due to their existence in nearly every professional sector and group as well as those that are composed of members from multiple institutions. Many SOT Committees appoint ad hoc representatives for their perspectives as early-career scientists. As a member of the SOT Postdoctoral leadership, I encourage all SOT Postdoctoral Scholars to take advantage of these opportunities and recognize the value of participating in the committees of professional Societies to build personal networks and to take part in societal leadership.
In the course of creating, planning, or executing a program or initiative there is no better means towards success than through committee work. Committees of all forms allow for distribution of duties on a volunteer and temporary basis. This approach leads to goals being completed in a timelier manner than if a single person organizes an entire initiative or delegates tasks to an uninvolved friend. However, it is also my experience that some committees exist with no clear purpose or objective. The clearest indication you have found yourself on one of these committees is how everyone talks about “nothing” and the meetings last longer than one hour. Although these are difficult to avoid, you can either be industrious and create a purpose for these committees or alternatively plan your experiments so that the meeting only takes one hour of your time.
For individuals who believe committee work is ineffective, I challenge them to plan an all-day visiting speaker event by themselves. I would hazard a bet that the event would go poorly. Not because one person is unable to schedule a stellar itinerary that was logistically perfect, but because the event was planned by a single mind. The most effective part of a committee is that it brings varying ideas, experiences, and expertise to accomplish a singular goal. When every member of the committee is actively participating in the group the end product is most assuredly more successful than if a single person were to attempt it. Not only is this because the collaborative process tends to produce better results but I have found that the more minds involved on a project the less unexpected occurs.
To expand on the importance of having a diverse membership I want to bring your attention to an individual who frequently shies away from committees: the postdoctoral scholar. Even though they may want to spend more time at the bench or in the field, postdoctoral scholars tend to be ideal members for committees. They have experience multitasking and time management from successfully completing their doctoral studies, while at the same time scholars are beginning to test the waters of leadership. Additionally, they tend to put forth grounded suggestions that emulate the strategies of their mentors but also have a bit of creativity reminiscent of their days as a graduate student. Basically, postdoctoral scholars provide committees the best of both worlds.
I have mentioned a few of the reasons why committees are good and I am sure there are other reasons as well. I prefer face-to-face meetings because it seems you can accomplish more in a shorter period of time and there is more active participation since there is less hesitancy to offer ideas and suggestions as facial cues reduce verbal interruptions.
The PDA is an example of a group that works through committees and has a significant positive impact on the professional development of toxicologists. SOT is committed to having the postdoctoral perspective in the planning and developing of activities.