STUDENT TRAINING

David O. Carpenter, M.D. Principal Investigator

The overall goal of the training core is to provide students interested in Environmental Health and related fields high quality interdisciplinary training. To accomplish this, the core provides assistantships and tuition support for students pursuing M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the academic departments of the project investigators at the University at Albany and Syracuse University. Student projects reflect the interests of the Superfund program and emphasize PCB related effects.

The training core promotes an understanding of the methods and approaches used in the various disciplines involved in this project. The students accomplish this through rotation among three different projects during their degree program. These rotations may be done early, for the purpose of choosing among possible thesis mentors, or later, when for example, a rotation on biostatistics may be important in analysis of data. Students are also required to attend meetings featuring students' research, reviews of progress of the projects and presentations by other scientists on related issues.

The interdisciplinary program also has been an important factor in helping the investigators learn to understand the various approaches, techniques and even the language of the various disciplines involved. The training activities have served as an important cohesive force for the project in the past, and we hope to build upon this experience in the future.

In our experience, the training component of the project has been invaluable for several reasons. Students bring vigor to any problem with their energy and enthusiasm, as evidenced by the fact that some of our best and most important results to date are from student projects. Students stimulate faculty to explore new ideas and learn to be critical of their own and others work.

Finally, the training core promotes knowledge and respect of Native American culture by both students and faculty through a series of activities which include presentations of Mohawk history and traditions.

To learn more about other student research opportunities. Please forward comments to:
Dr. David O. Carpenter, University at Albany State of New York, One University Place Rensselaer,
NY 12144-3456 carpent@cnsvax.albany.edu 518-525-2660, FAX 525-2665