Dr. Gray is Professor and Head of the Department of Chemical & Environmental Sciences at the United States Coast Guard Academy. He primarily teaches undergraduate courses in toxicology, microbiology, chemistry, and biochemistry to students majoring in Marine and Environmental Sciences, the second-ever ABET-accredited undergraduate program in Natural Sciences.
Dr. Gray is passionate about toxicology education and has been continuously involved in education-focused SOT activities since 2008. He led the Undergraduate Education Subcommittee in 2014–2015 and served on its successor, the Faculty United for Toxicology Undergraduate Recruitment and Education (FUTURE) Committee. He chaired the Learning Objectives Work Group to create the Undergraduate Toxicology Learning Framework, a tool which helps faculty build undergraduate toxicology courses by providing learning goals aligned with AAAS’s Vision and Change framework. He is SOT’s appointed Co-Editor of Toxicology for the pedagogical journal CourseSource which produces teaching modules for use in the undergraduate science classroom. Dr. Gray is passionate about evidence-based teaching practices and has volunteered with the undergraduate education program since 2008. As part of the ToxMSDT module development team, he is creating online modules to introduce undergraduate students to toxicology, including a new iteration of ToxTutor. His efforts to promote undergraduate education extend to the regional level, where he co-led the development of an undergraduate breakout session in NESOT and inspired the creation of a regional chapter grant program. Dr. Gray's dedication to undergraduate education was honored with SOT's Undergraduate Educator Award in 2018. He is a past Councilor and President of NESOT and served as Chair of SOT's Awards Committee from 2022-2023. He currently serves as Councilor (2025-2028).
Dr. Gray is the Principal Investigator of a National Science Foundation IUSE grant involving six SOT members to develop a C. elegans-based Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) to expose more students to undergraduate toxicology research. His research interests include exploring the mechanisms of microplastic and oxidative stress toxicity in C. elegans and developing microbial biocides for fuels. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the scientific component of the US Coast Guard's surveillance testing program, establishing wastewater testing at four training locations. He also integrated SARS-CoV-2 into his biochemistry laboratory curriculum. For these efforts, he was honored with the Civilian Employee of the Year award and the Meritorious Team Commendation Award.
Goals for SOT
My first goal is to contribute to SOT's mission of building a diverse community of skilled toxicologists by supporting the growth of regional chapters. Regional chapters often serve as an individual's first point of contact with the Society of Toxicology, providing a crucial pathway towards SOT's strategic goal of fostering mentoring and networking opportunities for all career stages. By offering relatively low-cost platforms for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students to present their research, regional meetings contribute to the growth of the toxicology field. SOT can support these vital groups by recognizing successful regional programs and encouraging their adoption across other chapters. Regional chapters can also adapt national initiatives like 'Lunch with an Expert' and undergraduate education programs to their local meetings. For instance, an upcoming SOT platform session will showcase successful undergraduate programs from four regional chapters to inspire broader implementation. Regional programs have the potential to reach hundreds of undergraduates, including those from smaller institutions or underrepresented groups, who may consider a career in toxicology. They also provide a critical mentoring component and allow for more frequent in-person interactions of SOT members of all career stages and a training platform from which future national SOT leaders can be identified.
My second goal is to continue to strengthen the student programs at the national SOT level which have inspired a generation of SOT leaders. This includes not only student programs themselves but also programs that support faculty and mentors who work with students. I owe my career to SOT’s education community, the work that we accomplished, and the colleagues and friendships that I’ve gained from working on them. I am committed to supporting these programs to ensure that future generations of toxicologists benefit from them as well.