Core E:
Interdisciplinary Training Core

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Click here to view AVAILABLE GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL POSITIONS within the UK-SBRP program.

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Leonidas Bachas (Core Leader)
Vasileios Gavalas
Yinan Wei

Environmental problems, such as those present at Superfund sites, are complex and require an interdisciplinary approach to address them; therefore, we have established a training program to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers in a way that not only promotes strong disciplinary training, but also encourages them to become interdisciplinary thinkers, and be effective communicators. The goals of the Training Core are:

• to provide thorough training of students in their specific field;
• to instill basic knowledge about socioeconomic, law, scientific and ethical aspects; and
• to enhance the ability of students to communicate with other scientists and the general public through coordination with the Community Outreach and Research Translation Cores.

The Training Core builds on successful collaborations among UK-SBRP faculty, who serve as research mentors of the trainees through one of the five research projects of the SBRP program. In addition to interdisciplinary research, the trainees are expected to fulfill coursework requirements in their home departments, which is supplemented with a series of courses in Environmental Systems, a course on ethics, and a course in Nutritional Sciences.

The Training Core funds three student traineeships during each calendar year. It also provides travel funds to student trainees and postdoctoral scholars to present their research at scientific conferences. Emphasis is placed on identifying and recruiting motivated individuals from underrepresented groups through brochures, web pages, and presentations at minority institutions. The effectiveness of the Training Core activities is measured through a regular evaluation process.

Students funded with an academic year traineeship will be expected to complete the following training:

(a) take the required core courses for the Ph.D. or Master degree program in their discipline,
(b) perform research in one of the Superfund Research Projects or a related environmental project,
(c) attend Superfund Meetings,
(d) complete an Ethics Course (TOX 600 or an equivalent Ethics course),
(e) take one course from ES 610, ES 620 and ES 630,
(f) take NS704 and the Environmental Systems ES 600 course,
(g) perticipate in the SBRP outreach programs.

Student trainees are advised of the opportunity to earn a Certificate in Environmental Systems in addition to their degrees. This certificate is available to students who complete the following coursework: two semesters of ES 600 and two other ES courses (from among ES 610, ES 620 and ES 630). Certificate candidates also must write a specific research paper for Environmental Systems. Students receive this certificate upon graduation from their departments with M.S. or Ph.D. degrees.

To learn more about the UK-SBRP Interdisciplinary Training Core, contact Yinan Wei or complete the online application form.

STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE INTERDISCIPLINARY TRAINING CORE

Depak Ahuja (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
Xabier Arzuaga (Animal and Food Sciences)
Amol Date (Chemistry)
Robin Ehrick (Chemistry)
Sung Yom Yung (Surgery)
Stacy Law (Chemistry)
Yong Chao Li (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
Zuzana Majkova (Graduate Center for Toxicology)
Pramod Nednoor (Chemistry)
Elizabeth Oesterling (Graduate Center for Toxicology)
Huiyun Shen (Graduate Center for Toxicology)
Sandor Sipka (Surgery)
Kendrick Turner (Chemistry)
Karthik Venkatachalam (Chemistry)
Shifen Xu (Chemistry)

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