| UC Toxics News: Winter
2005
Since its creation in 1985, Jerry Last has provided exceptional leadership and direction to the TSR&TP. Over this 19-year run, the program has supported the research of nearly one thousand graduate students. These students have had a positive impact on toxic substance research in academia, industry and government labs, and have been intimately involved in the development of toxics policy within state and federal agencies. In addition, lead campus programs have brought together faculty from multiple campuses and departments to address toxics problems that are inherently multi-disciplinary. This multi-campus approach continues to be a hallmark of the program. Overall, Jerry’s stewardship has resulted in a program that fosters collaboration and demands scientific excellence. It is with great pleasure and anticipation that I step into the role as director. I am grateful that Jerry has left a sound program in place and look forward to his continued involvement as the UC Davis representative on the executive committee. As a member of the executive committee and later as an associate director, I have been involved with the TSR&TP for more than a decade. The breadth of research and the dedication and enthusiasm of the faculty and students involved in the program have always impressed me. My research interests in environmental chemistry and toxicology are broad and encompass many of the activities that are supported by the TSR&TP. Throughout my graduate work at UC Davis and my career at LLNL I have worked on problems ranging from the environmental fate of toxicants to aquatic toxicology and human health. I am particularly intrigued by problems that require multidisciplinary approaches. Accordingly, I find the opportunity to facilitate interactions within the vast intellectual and technical resources of the University of California and the National Laboratories to be exciting and full of possibilities. The need for proactive research and sound education programs in toxic substances is essential as much today as it was 19 years ago. In spite of budget reductions that have impacted all UC-funded research programs, the TSR&TP remains well funded and vigorous. The most significant change to the program is resulting from an internal decision to open competition for new lead campuses. Until recently, lead campus programs did not have ending dates. Last year, in order to create new opportunities and to stimulate the involvement of new faculty, the executive committee elected to sunset each of the four existing lead campuses at a rate of one per year. Lead campus programs will now be limited to a duration of six-years. The program’s intention is to provide sufficient time and funding for a lead campus to achieve success by establishing a track record of research, implementing new courses and workshops, and acquiring extramural funding. This approach also will ensure that funding for new lead campuses will be available every few years. It is our hope that this system will enable the program to respond to emerging issues with innovative approaches to toxic substance research. Understanding and predicting the impacts of toxic substances remains as challenging as ever. Accordingly, the TSR&TP will need to be responsive and proactive in providing the scientific foundation required for meaningful risk management and policy decisions. As director, I need to be aware of ongoing and emerging research in the UC system. Over the course of the next year, I plan to visit each campus to interact with faculty and students to get up to date on research programs and to discuss the potential for new research areas. I look forward to these interactions and the opportunities that will arise from them.
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