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Arizona Superfund Student Receives Prestigious SOT Award

By Melissa Fabiano
May 2008

Gandolfi praised Eblin, above, for her mentoring of younger students and called her “a role model and a friend to the women in our graduate program.”
Gandolfi praised Eblin, above, for her mentoring of younger students and called her “a role model and a friend to the women in our graduate program.” (Photo courtesy of Kylee Eblin)
Gandolfi, shown in his UA lab, is a professor in the departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, director of the UA SBRP and an associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Pharmacy.
Gandolfi, shown in his UA lab, is a professor in the departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, director of the UA SBRP and an associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Pharmacy. (Photo courtesy of the University of Arizona)

Kylee Eblin, a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Arizona (UA) School of Pharmacy, received the “2008 Women in Toxicology, Student Achievement Award” from the Society of Toxicology (SOT) at the 47th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo™ in Seattle, Wash., March 16-20.

Eblin conducts research at the NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program (SBRP) laboratory of Jay Gandolfi, Ph.D., at UA. Her work focuses on the hypothesis that arsenic-induced bladder cancers, occurring after chronic exposure, are the result of the generation of reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress.

Eblin was one of three students who received this prestigious award for her academic achievement in toxicology and her service as a mentor to undergraduate and graduate student researchers. She is the second UA College of Pharmacy student in a row to win the award.

Gandolfi, who is also Eblin’s major advisor, described her as a get-up-and-go type of person. “Basically…you mention an area that needs research,” he said, “and Kylee is off doing it.” He described Eblin as a leader among students in arsenic studies, applauding her for her steady research as she consistently generated material for publication.

To date, Eblin has two works in progress and two works under revision for 2008, and she has had five peer-reviewed articles published in just two years. She has received several awards for her poster presentations at SOT meetings.

In addition to her academic work, as a member of the SOT Eblin has taken an active role in the Metal Specialty Section. For two years, she served as the student representative for this Section, an elected position, in addition to her volunteer positions on the Specialty Section Student Committee, SOT By-laws Committee and the Continuing Education Committee.

When asked about Eblin and her accomplishments, Gandolfi specifically noted his admiration for her as a graduate student, mother and wife. She married just one year after joining his laboratory and had her son a year and a half later. Although she took time off after the baby was born, she quickly came back to the lab and her research. According to Gandolfi, Eblin handled these new challenges successfully and continued to participate in each organization with which she was involved.

Eblin will graduate at the end of this semester. In late May, she will begin to work as an applied scientist at SC Johnson and Sons, a manufacturer of home cleaning, home storage, air care, personal care and pest control products.

(Melissa Fabiano is a communications specialist for MDB, Inc., a contractor for SBRP/WETP. She is a regular contributor to the Environmental Factor.)



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