North Carolina Higher Education Faculty and Mentor Network

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The logo for the North Carolina Higher Education Faculty and Mentor Network consists of an outline of the state of North Carolina. Within this outline is an orange line drawing that has a circle in the center connected to other circles of varying sizes through thin straight lines. Below this image across three lines of text is Society of Toxicology/NCABR Faculty, Mentor, Student Communication Outreach.

As part of the current SOT Strategic Plan to increase the Society’s influence through science communication, SOT has partnered with the North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR) to create the North Carolina Higher Education Faculty and Mentor Network to develop a two-year outreach program to undergraduate science educators in North Carolina (NC).

Program Objectives

  • To increase the usage of curriculum materials in NC undergraduate science courses that address the importance and meaning of toxicology.
  • To increase NC undergraduate student usage of SOT educational and mentoring resources.
  • To increase NC undergraduate student involvement in local and national SOT programs.
  • To increase awareness of toxicology as a career opportunity among undergraduate educators and students.

Program Resources

Among the activities of the network are several webinars of broad interest to faculty that provide information about toxicology and opportunities for undergraduates.

SOT Resources Relevant to Undergraduate Faculty

Virtual Tour of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Advising STEM Students on Career Paths in the Toxicological Sciences

Society of Toxicology’s ToxScholar Program, Undergraduate Awards, and Upcoming Deadlines

SOT and NCSOT Meeting Updates and Teaching Innovations Discussion

Diversity in Toxicology Discussion

Curriculum Webinar 1: An Introduction to the Core Concepts of Toxicology

Curriculum Webinar 2: A Focus on Evolution

Curriculum Webinar 3: Biological Information—Toxicology and the Genome

Webinar 4. Pathways and Transformations of Toxicants, from Dose-Response to ADME

Webinar 5: Systems Toxicology

Webinar 6. Risk Assessment

Webinar 7. A Culmination of Core Concepts to Teach Toxicology

Undergraduate Toxicology Curriculum Webinar Series

Facilitators: Joshua Gray and Mindy Reynolds (co-facilitator for each topic is listed below)

  1. An Introduction to the Core Concepts of Toxicology—Chris Curran

Toxicology Core Concepts

  1. A Focus on Evolution—Jed Goldstone
  2. Biological Information—Toxicology and the Genome—Alicia Timme-Laragy
  3. Pathways and Transformations of Toxicants, from Dose-Response to ADME—Kristine Willett
  4. Systems Toxicology—Eva Oberdorster
  5. Risk Assessment—Annie Jarabek and George Woodall
  6. A Culmination of Core Concepts to Teach Toxicology—Nimrat Obhi

How to Get Involved

If you teach undergraduate students in NC, or are a NC toxicologist with a desire to promote toxicology in undergraduate education, and are interested in joining the network, please contact NCABR.

About the NCABR and SOT Pilot Program

Partners

NCABR has a long history of successful outreach to K–12 educators and students to foster appreciation of and interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. The SOT involvement in this new outreach effort includes coordination with the SOT NC Regional Chapter (NCSOT) and the SOT Faculty United for Toxicology Recruitment and Education (FUTURE) Committee and builds on the efforts of the SOT Undergraduate Consortium Task Force. Using the many educational resources of SOT, key principles of toxicology will be infused into the undergraduate curriculum in North Carolina institutions.

Project Management

The project is managed by Suzanne Wilkison, NCABR President, and Virginia Crisp, NCABR Coordinator, with input from the North Carolina Higher Education Faculty and Mentor Network Leadership Council. Leadership Council members are from NCABR, NCSOT, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, faculty from North Carolina undergraduate institutions, and several SOT members, including representation from the Undergraduate Consortium Task Force and FUTURE.