The environmental challenges posed by Superfund chemicals are higly significant and affect several aspects of human life.
The aim of the University of Kentucky Superfund Program is to study the effects of nutrition as a modulator of toxicity of Superfund chemicals, the detection of these chemicals and their remediation. Environmental problems, such as those present at Superfund sites, are complex and require an interdisciplinary approach to address them. Therefore, we are establishing a training program to educate the next generation of scientists and engineers in a way that does not only promote strong disciplinary training, but also encourages them to become interdisciplinary thinkers, and be effective communicators. The goals of the Traininig Core are (i) to provide thorough training of students in their specific field, (ii) to instill basic knowledge about socioeconomic, law, scientific and ethical aspects, and (iii) to enhance the ability of students to communicate with other scientists and the general public. The latter will be accomplished in coordination with the Community Outreach and Research Translation Cores. The Training Core builts on successful collaborations among the Superfund faculty, who will serve as research mentors of the trainees through one of the seven research projects of the SBRP program. In addition to interdisciplinary research, the trainees will be expected to fulfill coursework requirements in their home departments, which will be supplemented with a series of couses in Environmental Systems, a course on ethics, and a course in Nutritional Sciences. The Training Core will fund three student traineeships during each calendar year. It will also provide travel funds to student trainees and postdoctoral scholars to present their research at scientific conferences. Emphasis will be 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 will be measured through a regular evaluation process.
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