Program Website: http://www.clemson.edu/entox/
The Environmental Toxicology Program at Clemson University offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, and consists of cutting-edge research, comprehensive plans of study, and high-quality interactions among faculty and staff members and students. The research and training focus of the program is concentrated in four areas: fate and effects of materials, agriculture/business environmental interface, critical habitats/ecosystems, and human/environmental interface. The educational goals of the program are to prepare superior professional toxicologists who are capable of doing independent research in an academic, government, or industrial setting.
Research activities encompass the areas of aquatic ecotoxicology, biochemical and molecular toxicology, immunobiology and immunotoxicology, terrestrial ecotoxicology, analytic chemistry, and ecological modeling. A strong fundamental research program examines the mechanisms of how chemicals exert their toxicity and how variability in individual organisms can lead to sensitivity or resistance in a wide range of species. Methods developed from research studies provide the means for assessing chemical exposure and impact in the fi eld. Field studies, used to document the status of potentially affected species, incorporate small mammal and avian habitat assessment, water and vegetation sampling, collection of invertebrates and aquatic organisms, and estuarine-marine habitat assessments.
Programs of Study
M.S. Students take core courses and complete their program with electives that provide fl exibility. Master’s students are required to complete 24 credits plus 6 hours of thesis research and take an average of two to three years to graduate. Core courses include ENTOX 621 (Chemical Source and Fate in EnviSystems), ENTOX 630 (Principles of Toxicology), EXST 801 (Statistical Methods I), ENTOX 861 (Seminar in Environmental Toxicology, every semester), and ENTOX 891 (Master’s Research, minimum of six credit hours).
Ph.D. Doctoral students are required to complete 18 hours of credit and pass written and oral examinations, and take an average of four to fi ve years to graduate. Core courses include ENTOX 621 (Chemical Source and Fate in Environmental Systems), ENTOX 630 (Principles of Toxicology), EXST 805 or 804 (Design and Analysis of Experiments or Sampling), ENTOX 822 (Analytical Toxicology), ENTOX 861 (Seminar in Environmental Toxicology, every semester), and ENTOX 991 (Doctoral Research, minimum of eighteen credit hours).
Financial Aid
Financial assistance is available to qualifi ed students. Most students are supported by graduate research assistantships funded by faculty research grants. Fellowships and teaching assistantships in a variety of departments are also available, and tuition fee waivers can be granted. Some highly competitive fellowships are available from University sources and federal agencies. There are employment opportunities at the University for student’s spouses.
Clemson University’s Institute of Environmental Toxicology (IET) is a community of faculty, staff, and students who have dedicated themselves to determining solutions to complex toxicological problems. The Institute is housed in a 38,000 square foot research facility in Pendleton, South Carolina. Just ten minutes from the Clemson campus, IET contains offi ce space and state-of-the-art laboratories for its faculty and graduate students. Many of the laboratories have computer- controlled environments and there are specialized testing rooms. These testing rooms are dedicated laboratories used for exposures, isolations, histopathology, and analysis of chemicals in a variety of matrices.
The Institute’s on-site Animal Care Facility is accredited by The American Association for the Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).
In addition to the IET’s main complex, a separate facility dedicated to aquatic research and instruction is also available. The Aquatic Research Laboratory (ARL) is composed of a laboratory/instruction building and ten 1/10-acre ponds. Research at ARL is multidisciplinary, and many of the studies concern the metabolic fate of environmental contaminants on aquatic organisms.
The strong research program at IET examines chemical toxicology and the mechanisms which lead to sensitivity or resistance in species. Once research methods are developed, laboratory and fi eld studies are conducted to determine impacts on affected species.
Data acquired are often incorporated into ecological modeling systems to predict the effects of toxicants on ecosystems. Computer simulations are then constructed to formulate and analyze different experiments and to search for optimal solutions for risk management.
Data acquired from fi eld studies are integrated with laboratory fi ndings to provide real-world evidence in the quest to determine biological responses to substance exposure.
The IET operates under a formal, in-house quality assurance/ quality control program. An independent Quality Assurance Program ensures that all studies are reconstructable. The program oversees compliance with federal regulations, including Good Laboratory Practice standards, standard operating procedures, and research protocols.
Research projects within IET address toxicological issues in the laboratory and in natural settings as well as in the classroom. The recognized need to provide a balanced program of research and instruction is evidenced by the structure of IET’s comprehensive program.
Student Group
Students in the environmental toxicology program come from diverse backgrounds and from all regions of the nation. International students are an important segment of the student population. There are approximately 30 students in the program. Fifty-eight percent are women, and 97 percent are full-time students.
Tuition for Spring 2006 was $4,421 per semester for instate students and $9,033 per semester for nonresidents. Off-campus rates were $450 per hour for in-state students and $760 per hour for nonresidents. Graduate assistants paid a fl at fee of $1,079 per semester and $348 per summer session. Graduate fellows paid South Carolina resident fees.
Financial Aid
Graduate research assistantships are available through research grants and contracts that are administered by individual faculty members. Minimum assistantship levels are normally $18,000 for Ph.D. students. Limited appointments are available for work-study programs. There are no allowances for dependents or hiring of spouses.
Living and Housing Costs
Graduate on-campus housing is available. Comfortable and economical housing, which includes two- and three-bedroom duplexes and town houses, is also available for families. Costs start at $385 per month ($455 per month for three-bedroom family housing). The cost of living in Clemson is quite low compared to the national average.
Location
Clemson is a small, beautiful college town in upstate South Carolina. The Upstate is one of the country’s fastest-growing areas and is an important part of the I-85 Corridor, a multi-state area along Interstate 85 that runs from the metro Atlanta area (home to nearly 5 million people) to Richmond, Virginia and encompasses Charlotte, North Carolina (the U.S.’s second-largest fi nancial center) as well as North Carolina’s Research Triangle. Atlanta and Charlotte are each a 2-hour drive away. Greenville, South Carolina is less than an hour away.
Applying
Graduate applicants are selected based on demonstrated scholarship (GRE scores, GPA, undergraduate institution), references, fi eld experience, stated interests, and professional goals. Individual faculty members generally require personal interviews with applicants to determine their interests and compatibility with specifi c research projects. Field experience, computer and communication skills, and the applicant’s ability to work with others are important considerations.
Applicants may apply on the Web at http://www.grad.clemson.edu/Admission.php. Applications, along with a $65 nonrefundable fee for domestic applicants, $75 for international applicants, should be received no later than fi ve weeks prior to registration. Every required item in support of the application must be on fi le by that date. Students are advised to contact the department for the deadlines of the program of proposed study.
Faculty Listing
- William W. Bowerman, Associate Professor; Ph.D., Michigan State. Avian and wildlife toxicology.
- Elizabeth R. Carraway, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Virginia. Environmental chemistry.
- B. Allen Dunn, Professor; Ph.D., University of Georgia. Ecology and policy.
- Alan R. Johnson, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., University of Tennessee. Landscape toxicology and ecotoxicology.
- Stephen J. Klaine, Professor; Ph.D., Rice University. Aquatic toxicology.
- Charles D. Rice, Professor; Ph.D., College of William and Mary. Immunobiology and immunotoxicology.
- John H. Rodgers, Professor; Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Ecotoxicology and wetlands.
- Mark A. Schlautman, Associate Professor; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology. Biological engineering.
- Joseph R. Tomasso, Professor; Ph.D., Memphis State University. Fish physiology.
- Peter Van den Hurk, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., College of William and Mary. Biochemical toxicology and enzymology.
For More Information
Dr. B. Allen Dunn,
Director Institute of Environmental Toxicology
509 Westinghouse Road P.O. Box 709
Pendleton, South Carolina 29670-0709
Telephone: 864-646-2961
Fax: 864-646-2277
E-mail: adunn@clemson.edu
