Minority Program for Society of Toxicology Meeting

描述（由申请人提供）：毒理学协会的少数民族学生本科教育计划将包括30名本科生和5名教师顾问，他们来自科学领域代表性不足的群体。攻读科学研究生的少数族裔学生的数量远远低于他们在美国人口中的比例，毒理学学会强烈支持增加科学工作者多样性的努力。这些学生和顾问将从全国范围内的申请者中选出，他们将获得旅行支持，并于2012年3月10日至12日在加州旧金山参加为期2.5天的项目，同时参加美国毒理学学会（SOT）年会。该项目的目的是：1)提高本科院校理科本科生和理科导师对毒理学职业选择和机会的认识；2)提高本科学生对研究生生物医学教育的兴趣，并激励学生获得与毒理学相关的研究经验。参与者将听到毒理学家的特别精选讲座，他们的工作体现了高知名度的不同研究兴趣，参加研究海报会议，并与学术项目主任和实习赞助商会面。参与者被分配到由研究生同伴导师和毒理学家主持导师组成的小组，他们提供非正式的互动和指导。潜在的职业选择将在小组讨论中进行审查，该小组讨论将邀请毒理学家分享不同就业部门（学术界，政府和工业）的经验。该计划是基于22年本科教育计划历史上的经验，评估和改进活动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Society of Toxicology's Undergraduate Education Program for Minority Students will include 30 undergraduate students and 5 faculty advisors from groups that are underrepresented in the sciences. The number of minority students 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 2.5-day program March 10-12, 2012, in San Francisco, CA, in conjunction with the Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting. 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 lectures from toxicologists whose work exemplifies high profile diverse research interests, participate in research poster sessions, and meet with academic program directors and internship sponsors. Participants are assigned to small groups, composed of graduate student peer mentors and toxicologist host-mentors who provide informal interaction and mentoring. Potential career choices are examined in a panel discussion will featuring toxicologists who share 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 22-year history of the Undergraduate Education Program. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Toxicology is a discipline and profession that is dedicated to identifying the adverse effects of chemical, physical and biological agents on living organisms and the ecosystem, and to prevent and ameliorate such adverse effects. The SOT Undergraduate Education Program for Minority Students supports a critical need during the undergraduate years to encourage students to apply to graduate school in the biomedical sciences and strengthen the pipeline of future toxicologists. Apart from further developing the talent pool, this program benefits public and environmental health by advancing research to protect society and the environment from adverse health risks resulting from exposures to hazardous agents.