The Environmental Health Sciences Seminar Series

During the last fifteen years, the Center has sponsored or jointly participated in a faculty seminar series that draws on both external and internal speakers. The Environmental Health Sciences Seminar Series is a co-production of the UTMB-CET and the SCEHM and is managed by the COEC Coordinator with direction from the Deputy Director (as described above). Seminars are intended to provide stimulus to the intellectual climate of the Center and enhance the scope and quality of individual center investigators' research. The UTMB-CET primarily sponsors seminars on its own, but has occasionally co-sponsored speakers of mutual interest with other Departments and Centers. The seminar calendar coincides with the Graduate School calendar and runs from September through May. In the fall of 2003, yearly presentations from the Service Core Directors were added to the calendar to keep investigators apprised of current and future directions in the Cores. The first seminar associated with the conferral of the Houston-Galveston Environmental Research Outreach (HERO) Award occurred in 2005 when Dina Cappiello, Environment Writer for the Houston Chronicle in Houston, TX presented "The story behind the story: How the Houston Chronicle uncovered toxic air pollution." The practice has since continued and the Center Director presents the HERO Award annually as part of the EHS Seminar Series.

In the current cycle, 162 seminars were sponsored by the EHS Seminar Series. Of those, 88 were external speakers, 74 were internal; including existing members or Core Directors, and 16 talks given by graduate students supported by the NIEHS Toxicology Training Grant to showcase their research projects and gain valuable speaking experience. In order to promote and stimulate new efforts in Community-Based Participatory Research, two seminars each year (one in the fall and spring academic semesters) are reserved for presenters related to the COEC or the Community-Based Research Facility of the IHSFC. The seminars of COEC or CBPR-themed presenters are typically incorporated into a larger event such as the IHSFC's Community Science Workshop or a COEC Encuentro.

Evidence of Success

In 2009, graduate students from UTMB courses in Environmental Toxicology and Global Health participated in a two-day Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) event presented in conjunction with the EHS Seminar Series. On the first day, a "toxic tour" introduced themes of environmental justice, health disparities and public health with an emphasis on people living with daily exposures from the petrochemical industry in Houston's fence line communities. Two environmental toxicologists (Jonathan Ward, Ph.D. and Edward E. Emmett, M.D., M.S.) were on hand to provide scientific background. The conversation continued the following day with an Environmental Health Sciences Seminar Series presentation, "The Little Hocking That Could; Empowering a Community through CBPR" by Edward E. Emmett, M.D., M.S., from the our NIEHS sister Center, the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. Following Dr. Emmett's presentation a moderated discussion on CBPR techniques and best practices with guest panelists from the UTMB-CET Community Stakeholder Advisory Board and new COEC member, Alexandra Nolen, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director of the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities and Associate Director of UTMB's Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Training in International Health.

Advisory Boards & Councils

Internal Advisory Board

The function of the Internal Advisory Board is to assist the Center Director with oversight of the longer term objectives outlined below:

Evaluate and ratify the creation of new Collaborative Research Teams (CRTs).

• Life-cycle management of the Collaborative Research Teams: evaluate CRT progress reports and provide guidance on continued CRT support, restructuring, or dissolution
• Annual monitoring of the junior faculty career development mentoring activities in the CRTs, and recommending changes if required
• Assessment of potential new Center recruitments and annual evaluation of existing memberships
• Recommendations on proposed equipment needs and acquisitions
• Ratification of annual Pilot Project program awards
• Assess Facility Core functions
• Advise the Deputy Director on speakers for the Seminar Series

Members

Internal Advisory Board

Members	Position	Department
Cornelis Elferink, Ph.D.	Director	Pharmacology and Toxicology
Xiaodong Cheng Ph.D.	Deputy Director	Pharmacology and Toxicology
Randall M. Goldblum, M.D.	IHSFC Director	Pediatrics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Sankar Mitra, Ph.D.	Senior Member	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Allan R. Brasier, M.D.,	Senior Member, CTSA Director	Internal Medicine
G.A. Shakeel Ansari, Ph.D.	Director, Exposure Assessment and Biomarker Development Facility (IHSFC)	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Roberto Garofalo, M.D.	Director, Translational Research Facility (IHSFC)	Pediatrics
Bruce Luxon, Ph.D., M.S.	Director, Bioinformatics Facility (IHSFC)	Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics Program
Hyunsu Ju, Ph.D.	Director, Biostatistics Facility (IHSFC)	Preventative Medicine and Community Health
Satish K. Srivastava, Ph.D.	Senior Member	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Sharon Petronella, MS., Ph.D.	Director, COEC, Community-Based Research Facility (IHSFC)	Pediatrics
Rolf Konig, Ph.D.	***CRT Coordinator	Microbiology and Immunology
Tom Wood, Ph.D.	MG Facility Core Director	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Richard Hodge, Ph.D.	SOC Facility Core Director	SCEHM
Alex Kurosky, Ph.D.	BRF Core Director	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Bill Ameredes, Ph.D.	T32 Training grant Director	Internal Medicine

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External Advisory Board

The External Advisory Board (EAB) members serve as advisors to the Director regarding the future direction of the Center. EAB members fulfill their roles by providing an impartial expert evaluation of the merit of the Center's research including the CRT mechanism, Facility Core structure, usage and management, and the Community Outreach and Education Core; and facilitating communication of the Center's accomplishments, concerns and needs to the UTMB Administration. The EAB is comprised of preeminent environmental health scientists whose research directly reflects that of the Center Investigators.

Members

Donald K. Milton, M.D., Dr.P.H., Chairman

Dr. Milton is a Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, and Director of Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and Affiliate Faculty in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and in the Maryland Pathogen Research Institute.

Paul Doetsch, Ph.D., Member

Dr. Doetsch is Professor of Biochemistry and Radiation Oncology, Hematology & Oncology and is the Emory University School of Medicine Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research

Ronald N. Hines, Ph.D., Member

Dr. Hines is a Professor of Pediatrics and Pharmacology/Toxicology at Medical College of Wisconsin, and Associate Director, Children's Research Institute.

David H. Sherr, Ph.D., Member

Dr. Sherr is a Professor of Environmental Health; Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine.

Cheryl Walker, Ph.D., Member

Dr. Walker is the Ruth and Walter Sterling Professor of Carcinogenesis, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park — Research Division, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX.

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Executive Committee

The purpose of the Executive Committee is to align and coordinate the various resources of the UTMB-CET to meet the needs of its members. The Executive Committee assists the Director in overseeing short-term and more immediate Center functions to ensure normal operation associated with integration of the Center's components and activities within the entire UTMB community. The Executive Committee is made up of Directors of the component Cores, and administrative leadership within the UTMB Administrative Service Group attached to the Center.

Executive Committee

Members	Position	Department
Cornelis Elferink, Ph.D.	UTMB-CET Director	Pharmacology and Toxicology
Xiaodong Cheng Ph.D.	Deputy Director	Pharmacology and Toxicology
Randall M. Goldblum, M.D.	IHSFC Director	Pediatrics, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Sharon Petronella, MS., Ph.D.	COEC Director	Pediatrics
Rolf Konig	CRT Coordinator	Microbiology and Immunology
Judy DiMarco	Administrator	ASG 5

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Gulf Coast Environment Stakeholders Advisory Board (SAB)

The Stakeholders Advisory Board represents a partnership between UTMB-CET leadership and community organizations representing disease-based groups, social service agencies, faith-based organizations, environmental justice advocates, environmental educational groups, and representatives from the school district, public health, city and county government, and the local media. The SAB meets annually to address environmental issues germane to the communities living in the Gulf Coast area with an eye towards community outreach and education as well as community-based participatory research.

Gulf Coast Environment Stakeholders Advisory Board (SAB)

Members	Title	City & State
Cornelis Elferink, Ph.D.	Director, UTMB-CET	Galveston, TX
Randall Goldblum, MD	Director, IHSFC	Galveston, TX
Jonathan Ward, Ph.D.	Professor & PMCH, Div. of Environmental Toxicology, UTMB	Galveston, TX
Karla Klay	Executive Director, Artist Boat	Galveston, TX
Joe Compian	Board Member, The Jesse Tree & Gulf Coast Interfaith	Galveston, TX
Matthew Tejada, PhD	Director, Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention	Houston, TX
Fred Newhouse	Public Affairs Director, Valero Refining	Texas City, TX
Mary Lee Orr	Director, Louisiana Environmental Action Network	Baton Rouge, LA
Juan Parras	Director, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services	Houston, TX
Sarah Black	Galveston Independent School District	Galveston, TX
Courtney Pellegrin	Director, Bayou Grace/ Terrebonne Parish	Chauvin, LA
Bryan Parras	Project Manager, Nuestra Palabras	Houston, TX
Brenda Reyes, MD, MPH	City of Houston Bureau Chief, Childhood Lead Prevention Program	Hoouston, TX
Anne Rolfes	Co-founder, Director, Louisiana Bucket Brigade	New Orleans, LA
Rochelle Ste. Marie	Director, Inner Visions/ Lafourche Parish	Lockport, LA
Hilton Kelley	CEO, Community In-power Development Association, Inc.	Port Arthur, TX
Dana Beckham	County Epidemiologist, Galveston County Health District	La Marque, TX
Ronald Schultz	Galveston County Health District	La Marque, TX
Alicia Cahill	Public Information Officer, City of Galveston	Galveston, TX
Rev. Michale Jackson	St. Vincent's House	Galveston, TX
Tina Garcia	Director, de Madres a Madres	Houston, TX
Jacqueline Battise	Producer, KPFT - Houston	Houston, TX
Kristopher Benson	Marine Habitat Resource Specialist, NOAA	Galveston, TX
Susie Canales	Director, Citizens League for Environmental Action Now	Houston, TX
Peter Davis	Captain, Galveston County Beach Patrol	Galveston, TX
Ted Eubanks	Director, Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council	Galveston, TX
Wilma Subra	President, Subra Company, Inc.	New Iberia, LA
Rosalia Guerrero-Luera	Executive Director, Mothers for Clean Air	Houston, TX