Nicole Sparks Receives Major NIH Award

Nicole Sparks, Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the UC Irvine and ETOX alumna has received a prestigious $1.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award (MIRA, R35) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to investigate epigenetic and molecular pathways underlying developmental disorders.  It is anticipated that her research will provide insights in how stem cells can be used to repair or regenerate damaged tissue.  More information on Nicole's research and the award can be found on the UC Irvine Public Health website. Our congratulations to Nicole on this impressive award and its recognition of the potential of her ideas and research.  

Theodore Hullar, UC Riverside’s 5th Chancellor and Environmental Toxicologist, Dies at 90

Theodore Hullar, UC Riverside’s 5th chancellor and an environmental toxicologist passed away on Sept. 28, 2025 at 90 years of age. Prior to coming to UCR, Dr. Hullar had been an environmental toxicologist at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and later served as director of Cornell University’s Agricultural Experiment Station. While he was at UC Riverside, he supported the establishment of our Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program.  In 1987, he left UC Riverside to become the Chancellor at UC Davis and was a member of the Environmental Toxicology Department on that campus.  More information about his life can be found in a UCR News article and in an article in the Sacramento Bee.  [The photo above is from the Sacramento Bee article.]

Toxicologist Positions in the California EPA and the Department of Pesticide Regulation

The California EPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) are searching for candidates to fill multiple positions at the two agencies.  The DPR is searching for a Supervising Toxicologist (Human Health Assessment Branch Chief) and an Associate Toxicologist.  Both are located primarily in Sacramento, California and have an application deadline of October 15 and 30. The CalEPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is also searching for a Senior Toxicologist (Chief of the Cancer Toxicology and Epidemiology Section) and several Cancer Toxicologists. The location for these is more flexible and applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.  More information on these positions can be on the CalCareers Website using the keyword toxicologist. 

I might mention that we have numerous alumni working at these two agencies and they seem to be content with their positions and opportunities.  

Lillian Tran Wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Lillian Tran, a current ETOX graduate student, has been awarded a three year Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The award will support her research on the environmental impacts of PFAS thermal treatment and transformation.  Our congratulations to Lillian for this nice award and recognition of her research ideas.  

Bill Jury Wins Prestigious Kirkham Soil Physics Gold Medal

Bill Jury, a retired Distinguished Professor in the Environmental Sciences Department and one of the early founding faculty members of the Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, has recently been awarded the Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Gold Medal from the Soil Science Society of America. This  international soil science medal has only been awarded 3 times at approximately eight year intervals and was given to Professor Jury for his work studying the movement of hazardous contamination in water and soil.  More information on Prof. Jury and the award can be found in a recent Inside UCR web article. Our congratulations to Bill for this impressive recognition. [The photo is from the Inside UCR article.]

First Eco-NAMs Webinar - State of the Science for Bioaccumulation

The information below was received from ETOX alumnus Wesley Hunter, a branch chief at the US FDA.   

First Eco-NAMs Webinar of New Series - State of the Science for Bioaccumulation: An Integrated, Weight of Evidence Approach

Wednesday, September 10 at 8:00-9:00 ET

The new webinar series aims to offer the most informative and up-to-date science on the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for ecotoxicity assessments (Eco-NAMs). Each webinar will consist of presentations by experts followed by a discussion period. It provides an open forum for scientists from academia, industry, non-government organizations, regulatory authorities, and other interested parties including the general public to learn about and discuss various ecotoxicity NAMs topics.

The Eco-NAMS webinar series is co-organized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, European Medicines Agency, Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan), and PETA Science Consortium International e.V.

The first webinar in the Eco-NAMs series on the use of new approach methodologies in regulatory ecotoxicology is called “State of the Science for Bioaccumulation: An Integrated, Weight of Evidence Approach.” It will feature presentations by Dr. Pippa Curtis, Senior Specialist at the Chemical Assessment Unit, United Kingdom Environment Agency (UK EA), and Dr. Michelle Embry, Deputy Director of the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI).

Additional information and registration are available at State of the Science for Bioaccumulation: An Integrated, Weight of Evidence Approach.

Mihri and Cengiz Ozkan Named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Mihri Ozkan, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and an ETOX faculty member and her husband Cengiz Ozkan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, were both elected as Fellows in the National Academy of Inventors at its 2025 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.  They are the first husband and wife couple to be induced into the Academy.  Their election recognizes their innovative contributions in sustainable energy storage, nanomaterials technologies and in other areas.  More information on the Ozkans and their work can be found in the linked Inside UCR news article.  Our congratulations to both Mihri and Cengiz for their election to this prestigious academy. [The photo above is from the Inside UCR article.]