Prof. Roya Bahreini and the UCR Salton Sea Task Force Envision Scientific Solutions to the Salton Sea's Problems

Roya Bahreini, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and an ETOX faculty member, and other members of the UCR Salton Sea Task Force have recently released a special report on the crisis at the Salton Sea and the vital role of science in addressing the related environmental problems. The report addresses anticipated water, air quality, ecological and human health problems associated with the shrinking lake and also discusses potential geothermal and mining opportunities.  Key points from the report and responses to common questions can be found in the UCR News article on the report. The result is an excellent report that hopefully will help direct California policy makers as they work to address the Salton Sea's problems. [The above photo of an obsolete dock at Desert Shores was taken by Caroline Hung and is on the cover of the report.]  

EPA Positions Available Based in San Francisco

The Superfund and Emergency Management Division in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 San Francisco Office has job opportunities for Remedial Project Managers posted at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/612513800. These job opportunities are for numerous positions based out of San Francisco for Remedial Project Manager positions working on abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation, other Superfund Sites on the National Priority List and Federal Facilities cleanups in Arizona, Nevada, California. Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands  To qualify for the position, applicants must meet the physical or life science education requirements and the related specialized experience described in the USAJOBS.gov announcement.  The positions are open to US citizens and the EPA is accepting applications for these positions only between Sept. 3-15, 2021.  

Yujie Men Wins Prestigious NSF Career Award

Assistant Professor Yujie Men of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering and an Environmental Toxicology Program faculty member, has been awarded a prestigious Career Award from the National Science Foundation. The award funds research that is expected to provide a foundation for the faculty member's career in integrating education and research. As described in the InsideUCR news release, Men's project focuses on understanding how micropollutants affect the development, proliferation and transmission of antibiotic resistance under environmentally relevant conditions. More details can be found in the news release link above. Our congratulations to Dr. Men on this award and recognition.   

Environmental Toxicologist or Biologist Position at US FDA

The US Food and Drug Adminstration's Center for Veterinary Medicine is searching for an environmental toxicologist or biologist to help conduct "scientific evaluations and regulatory reviews prepared to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This includes review of environmental assessments, terrestrial and/or aquatic ecotoxicology studies (e.g., soil microorganisms, plants, earthworms, dung fauna, algae, aquatic invertebrates, fish), and other data (e.g., environmental fate, transport, and exposure data) submitted by applicants of new animal drugs, feed/food additive petitions, and other types of applications." The position is in Rockville, Maryland and it available immediately.  More information can be found here. Our thanks to ETOX alumnus, Wesley Hunter, who forwarded the information to ETOX professor Jay Gan.   

Toxicologist Positions at the Institute for In Vitro Sciences

The Institute for In Vitro Sciences is looking to fill several open toxicologist and other positions in its Gaithersburg, Maryland location.  The positions include a toxicologist/study director position, a toxicologist position, a biologist position, and  respiratory toxicologist positions.  More information can be found here.  Our thanks to UCR alumna Dr. Careen Khachatoorian for directing the information to us.  

EPA Superfund Positions in Several Western States

Below is a message that I received from Emily Pimental of the USEPA. 

On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, the Superfund and Emergency Management Division in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 San Francisco Office will have job opportunities for Remedial Project Managers posted at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/609284600. These job opportunities are for numerous positions based out of San Francisco for Remedial Project Manager positions working on abandoned uranium mines on Navajo Nation, other Superfund Sites on the National Priority List and Federal Facilities cleanups in Arizona, Nevada, California. Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands  To qualify for the position, applicants must meet the physical, life, or related engineering science education requirements and the related specialized experience described in the USAJOBS.gov announcement. Please forward this notice to any relevant contacts, professional organizations, or other interested parties. 

These positions are only posted and accepting applications for a limited time (only 10 business days – from August 3-16, 2021), so please distribute notice of this announcement immediately, and apply early on USAJobs.gov to ensure applications are submitted correctly with all the required documents.   

Interested applicants need to setup their USAJobs.gov account and obtain and upload their most up-to-date resumes, academic transcripts, and other needed documents to their USAJobs.gov profile. Applicants can find the job announcement on USAJobs.gov at https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/609284600 or by searching for “Environmental Protection Agency” in the Keyword field and “San Francisco, CA” in the location field. If the post does not appear, this means the job announcement has not been posted yet and the application period has not yet been opened.  

For additional information on this position, please visit the job announcement linked above.  

Martins-Green and Martinez, Faculty Mentors to Two New Goldwater Scholars

Shayan Saeed and Ryan Gates, two UCR undergraduate students have been selected as Goldwater scholars.  The Goldwater scholarship is one of the most prestigious honors given to undergraduates in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.   Shayan Saeed has worked for the past two years in the laboratory of Professor Manuela Martins-Green and Ryan Gates has worked in the lab of Ernest Martinez.  Both faculty mentors are members of the ETOX Graduate Program faculty.  More information about the scholarships and the students can be found on the UCR News website.  Our congratulations to Shayan and Ryan for these prestigious awards as well as Drs. Martins-Green and Martinez for this recognition of their mentees.