The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) was host to 4,000+ participants in 2018, including undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, faculty, program directors, and administrators. The conference was held from November 14 to November 17 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Students attend from colleges and universities across the country to present research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines because the conference encourages students to pursue advanced training in STEM.
To support these efforts, SOT partners with ABRCMS to provide education and mentoring opportunities. This year, Ofelia A. Olivero, PhD, of the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland, presented an educational seminar titled, “Transplacental Genotoxicity of AIDS Therapy.” Dr. Olivero’s presentation was well attended and had many students asking questions well beyond the allotted room availability. As a result, students gathered outside the presentation hall, where they continued the discussion.
In addition to the educational seminar, SOT hosted a booth exhibit for the duration of the conference to ensure attendees could have a chance to better understand the mission and goals of the SOT Committee on Diversity Initiatives (CDI). This year, there were 69 recorded visitors to the SOT booth that expressed interest in knowing more about toxicology and/or learning how they could participate in the mentoring programs, and every guest was greeted by Bob Young, MS, or Christopher Stewart, PhD.
This year’s meeting was a success for the CDI because we talked to students who had applied for CDI mentoring programs, informed students about possible networking opportunities, and recruited faculty members as CDI contact points for their institutions.