In 2017, SOT Council charged the Undergraduate Consortium Task Force (UCTF) with creating a pilot program to enhance relationships with a select group of undergraduate institutions to increase recruitment of students to toxicology. This past March, UCTF was planning to host 14 students and seven advisors from the consortium universities in Anaheim for the 2020 SOT Annual Meeting. Although the meeting was canceled, UCTF presented a virtual career panel on April 15 to introduce toxicology and discuss possible career paths in toxicology to connect the consortium students and advisors with toxicologists. Attendees included students, faculty, and staff from six of the nine consortium institutions.
Panelists included:
- Antonio T. Baines, PhD, UCTF Chair and panel moderator, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC
- Kim Boekelheide, MD, PhD, Brown University, Providence, RI
- Tiffani K. Brabham, DVM, PhD, DABT, Teva Pharmaceuticals, West Chester, PA
- Sarah Campion, PhD, UCTF, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT
- Jodi A. Flaws, PhD, UCTF, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Barbara L.F. Kaplan, PhD, UCTF, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
- Marquea D. King, PhD, UCTF, USDA, Beltsville, MD
Each contributed salient points about the multiple paths to toxicology and reinforced the value of SOT for career advancement. Several SOT Champions, the SOT member responsible for communication between SOT and a specific campus, also participated and provided career insights. Based on the in-depth and insightful questions that were asked by students and advisors, the webinar was a success. Students have already contacted the panelists for mentorship. Through the three years of hard work and dedication by the members, UCTF has definitely met its charge.
SOT Council has passed the UCTF recommendations to the Faculty United for Toxicology Undergraduate Recruitment and Education (FUTURE) Committee and the Committee on Diversity Initiatives (CDI) for implementation into their activities for undergraduates and to maintain the campus relationships that were strengthened by UCTF.