ETOX MiniGSA Awards

The Environmental Toxicology Graduate Student Association (ETminiGSA) was formed last year for the purpose of providing enhanced interaction and communication among the interdisciplinary student body that makes up the Environmental Toxicology program. One of our first endeavors was to re-establish the Outstanding Faculty/Mentor Award. This is the second year for the reinstatement of this award, and the recipient of this years’ award has proven to be an outstanding faculty member and mentor through not only his kind words and advice, but through his actions as well. On behalf of the students of Environmental Toxicology, this award was presented to Dr. David Eastmond.


The ETminiGSA also established the ‘Student Choice Award’ for best student presentation. This award is voted on solely by the Environmental Toxicology students, and both honorable mention and first place are awarded. Honorable mention receives an Environmental Toxicology t-shirt specifically designed for the program, and first place receives a $50 Visa Gift card. This year, there was a tie for honorable mention, with both Jean-Paul Baquiran (‘Bioprospecting for Degradative Enzymes and Organisms in the La Brea Tar Pits’ working under the guidance of Dr. David E. Crowley) and Wesley Hunter (‘Using Disposable Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Fibers to Sense the Bioavailability of Permethrin in Sediment’ working under the guidance of Dr. Jay Gan) receiving the award. First place was awarded to Chris Banks (‘Uncovering the Mechanism of Action Underlying Hypokinesia Induction from the Venom of the Parasitoid Wasp, Ampulex compressa’ working under the guidance of Dr. Michael E. Adams).

Again, we would like to extend congratulations to all award recipients!