TY - JOUR
T1 - The toxicology education summit
T2 - Building the future of toxicology through education
AU - Barchowsky, Aaron
AU - Buckley, Lorrene A.
AU - Carlson, Gary P.
AU - Fitsanakis, Vanessa A.
AU - Ford, Sue M.
AU - Genter, Mary Beth
AU - Germolec, Dori R.
AU - Leavens, Teresa L.
AU - Lehman-McKeeman, Lois D.
AU - Safe, Stephen H.
AU - Sulentic, Courtney E.W.
AU - Eidemiller, Betty J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The Toxicology Educational Summit was supported by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) grant R13 ES021130 and NIEHS Director’s Funds, as well as by the Society of Toxicology Council.
Funding Information:
The future of toxicology will only be as strong and vital as the students and new professionals recruited into the profession. It is essential not only to recruit the best and brightest undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees into toxicology as a profession but to also broaden the discipline to include scientists in fields with different skill sets, such as chemistry, medicine, public health, engineering, physics, biostatistics, and others. Another critical goal should be to recruit and retain a diverse population of new toxicologists domestically and from around the globe with attention to providing opportunities for many underserved populations. This will enhance recognition of toxicology in other fields and raise the perception of toxicology as a viable and productive career option as well as respond to global trends and economic drivers. Recruitment to toxicology should be part of the broader recruitment of students into advanced careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that has been identified as a national priority for maintaining the global role of the United States in science and technology. There are major initiatives led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance general STEM education from K-12 programs through the undergraduate levels. In addition, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and specifically the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) have led efforts to raise interest and participation in health sciences including toxicology through their funded centers, training grants, and K-12 education programs. The Environmental Protection Agency, Departments of Energy and Defense, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Howard Hughes Medical Research Foundation, and other industrial and private foundations play important roles in education programs that include various toxicology-related components. Strengthening linkages between SOT and NIEHS, other federal and international regulatory agencies, industry, and nongovernment organizations and foundations will be important for maintaining the future success of the recruitment process as well as retention of the next generation of toxicology professionals. Beyond sparking the interest of students at the K-12 levels, the vast undergraduate and community college systems should be recognized as important venues for increased recruitment and curricular development. The community college systems should be recognized as a new and important source for recruitment, because their trainees are often directly employed in toxicology and environmental health professions, and many community college graduates go on to complete advanced undergraduate and graduate training.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - Toxicology and careers in toxicology, as well as many other scientific disciplines, are undergoing rapid and dramatic changes as new discoveries, technologies, and hazards advance at a blinding rate. There are new and ever increasing demands on toxicologists to keep pace with expanding global economies, highly fluid policy debates, and increasingly complex global threats to public health. These demands must be met with new paradigms for multidisciplinary, technologically complex, and collaborative approaches that require advanced and continuing education in toxicology and associated disciplines. This requires paradigm shifts in educational programs that support recruitment, development, and training of the modern toxicologist, as well as continued education and retraining of the midcareer professional to keep pace and sustain careers in industry, government, and academia. The Society of Toxicology convened the Toxicology Educational Summit to discuss the state of toxicology education and to strategically address educational needs and the sustained advancement of toxicology as a profession. The Summit focused on core issues of: building for the future of toxicology through educational programs; defining education and training needs; developing the "Total Toxicologist"; continued training and retraining toxicologists to sustain their careers; and, finally, supporting toxicology education and professional development. This report summarizes the outcomes of the Summit, presents examples of successful programs that advance toxicology education, and concludes with strategies that will insure the future of toxicology through advanced educational initiatives.
AB - Toxicology and careers in toxicology, as well as many other scientific disciplines, are undergoing rapid and dramatic changes as new discoveries, technologies, and hazards advance at a blinding rate. There are new and ever increasing demands on toxicologists to keep pace with expanding global economies, highly fluid policy debates, and increasingly complex global threats to public health. These demands must be met with new paradigms for multidisciplinary, technologically complex, and collaborative approaches that require advanced and continuing education in toxicology and associated disciplines. This requires paradigm shifts in educational programs that support recruitment, development, and training of the modern toxicologist, as well as continued education and retraining of the midcareer professional to keep pace and sustain careers in industry, government, and academia. The Society of Toxicology convened the Toxicology Educational Summit to discuss the state of toxicology education and to strategically address educational needs and the sustained advancement of toxicology as a profession. The Summit focused on core issues of: building for the future of toxicology through educational programs; defining education and training needs; developing the "Total Toxicologist"; continued training and retraining toxicologists to sustain their careers; and, finally, supporting toxicology education and professional development. This report summarizes the outcomes of the Summit, presents examples of successful programs that advance toxicology education, and concludes with strategies that will insure the future of toxicology through advanced educational initiatives.
KW - Education
KW - Toxicology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84861464975&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84861464975&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/toxsci/kfs111
DO - 10.1093/toxsci/kfs111
M3 - Article
C2 - 22461448
AN - SCOPUS:84861464975
SN - 1096-6080
VL - 127
SP - 331
EP - 338
JO - Toxicological Sciences
JF - Toxicological Sciences
IS - 2
ER -