Society of Toxicology Undergraduate Diversity Program

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Project Summary The Society of Toxicology’s Undergraduate Diversity Program will support travel for about 35 participants, approximately 30 undergraduate students from groups that are under-represented in the sciences and 5 faculty advisors who have strong potential to encourage students from these groups to pursue career paths in the biomedical sciences. The number of students from some demographic groups who are pursuing graduate school in the sciences is far from parity with their proportion among the US population, and the Society of Toxicology strongly supports efforts to increase the diversity of the scientific workforce. Selected from a national pool of applicants, these students and advisors will receive travel support and participate in a 3-day program March 13-15, 2021, in Orlando, FL, in conjunction with the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting March 14-18, and at the subsequent meetings in San Diego (2022) and Nashville (2023). The aims of this program are to 1) increase awareness of undergraduate students majoring in science and science advisors at undergraduate institutions about career choices and opportunities in toxicology and 2) increase interest of undergraduate students in graduate biomedical education and motivate students to obtain research experience especially that pertinent to toxicology. Participants will hear specially selected presentations by high profile toxicologists whose work exemplifies diverse research interests, engage in research poster sessions, and meet with academic program directors and internship sponsors. Students are grouped into mentoring teams including graduate student peer mentors and toxicologist host- mentors who provide informal interaction and mentoring during the presentations, scientific and poster session exploration, and other activities. Potential career choices after the PhD are examined in roundtable discussions featuring toxicologists who share their experiences in different employment sectors (academia, government, and industry). The program is based on the experience from, and evaluation and refinement of, activities across the 31-year history of the SOT Undergraduate Diversity Program. Other activities supplement this program, including ToxScholar visits to campuses and support for summer internships. SOT is committed to activities for increased inclusiveness and diversity in toxicology and the biomedical sciences.