I am a first year master’s student at the University of Manitoba under Dr. Ken Jeffries and am interested in how anthropogenic stressors, especially contaminants, affect aquatic organisms. My current research investigates the sensitivity of non-target species to 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and nitrosalicylanilide (niclosamide), piscicides used to reduce invasive sea lamprey populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes. 

While I am new to the PNC SETAC community, I have been involved with the Northern California SETAC chapter for the past three years. I first joined SETAC as a lab technician in the Segarra Lab at the University of California Davis, where I studied the effect of common pesticides in the San Francisco Bay-Delta on juvenile Chinook salmon. I had just graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara and was learning how to navigate academia as an aspiring researcher. My local SETAC chapter gave me the support I needed and allowed me to connect with others at different career levels as well as get advice on huge career decisions such as deciding to apply to graduate school. If elected as a student representative, my focus would be to provide that same support to students and to create a network for developing researchers.

I also have experience in event organization and science communication. For the past 3 years I have volunteered at Yolo Basin Foundation, an environmental non-profit. During this time I co-organized ‘Batty for Bats’ for two consecutive years, an event focused on educating the public about the local Mexican Freetail bat colony that reduced the need for pesticides in nearby rice fields. I hope to continue to develop outreach events to connect with the public.

I would be thrilled to contribute to the engaging and supportive SETAC community as a student representative. Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Mallory Christenson, and I am a first-year graduate student in Toxicology (MSc) at the University of Saskatchewan. I am writing to express my interest in serving as a Student Representative on the PNC Board of Directors for the two-year term. This offers the opportunity to contribute to the PNC’s initiatives while also gaining experience at a higher level through NASAC. I am enthusiastic about promoting environmental research and hopefully strengthening communication between chapters and between members.

My academic and research experiences have cultivated a strong commitment to environmental toxicology and sustainability, values that closely align with SETAC’s mission. My current research, under the supervision of Dr. Markus Brinkmann, focuses on identifying the environmental fate and exposures of water and sediment to N-alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (ADBAC) compounds. Additionally, my undergraduate research focused on exploring the relationship between microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in fish at Trent University. These two research projects have deepened my appreciation for the interdisciplinary approaches to solving environmental challenges, the accumulation of contaminants, and the collaboration of others and sharing ideas.

Beyond academics, I have developed strong organisational and communication skills through my involvement in research, student engagement initiatives, and supporting myself through post-secondary studies. Working in both laboratory and academic settings has taught me the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and effective coordination. These are all skills I would love to apply to supporting PNC events and maintaining communication with student members. I am also incredibly passionate about community knowledge and outreach. I look forward to helping promote PNC activities, highlighting student research and achievements, and strengthening the connection between the chapter and its members.

Thank you for considering my application. I would be truly honoured to represent students within SETAC-PNC and contribute the the chapter’s continued growth and success.

My name is Carlin Johnston, I recently started my masters degree at the University of Winnipeg in environmental toxicology, and I am excited to apply for one of the PNC student representative positions. The principles and values of the greater SETAC organization resonate very strongly with me. I believe that transparency, diversity and inclusion should be at the forefront of every organization and I admire the commitment to a multidisciplinary approach to scientific advancement.

I understand that the role of student representative is to make certain that the voices of the student body are heard, as well as to organize events. I believe I would be a good fit for this role due to my experience in organizing and managing team events in sports, as well as organizing toxicology-based activities for STEM day at the University of Winnipeg. The past 3 years I have been the head coach of a ringette team, and I find that it has made me proficient in ensuring that all members of the team feel heard when making decisions for the group. My program of study is focused on a multidisciplinary approach to research, and my cohort is made up of a mixture of arts, geography, and science students. This setting has made me appreciate the benefits of approaching science from different viewpoints, and I believe this could be applied to my work with SETAC-PNC if given the opportunity.

I think being a part of this organization would be a very beneficial and eye-opening experience, as well as a great opportunity to learn more about and be more involved in the field I am most interested in. I would be honoured to hold a position within the SETAC organization.

I am a first-year master’s student at the University of Winnipeg under the supervision of Dr. Jean Pierre Desforges. Currently working on the effects of Arctic contaminants on various tissues in beluga whales, I believe that my project aligns well with the morales and missions of the SETAC community of advancing environmental sciences particularly by analyzing the effects of environmental toxins. My skills and experience as a student studying ecotoxicology could help strengthen connections and communications between students and professors of similar domains. 

Throughout my previous employments and my academic trajectory, I have learned many skills including the importance of organization and coordination. Coordinating with supervisors, colleagues, and external aid has been a task I’ve had to do daily. 

For the second-year position, I am especially interested in actively being the PNC representative to NASAC. Being able to participate in the broader SETAC council and aid in the organization and coordination for the student events of the SETAC North America meetings would be an opportunity I would love to have. Considering that I am originally from Quebec, I most definitely plan to attend the SETAC North America meeting held in Montreal 2026, since it would allow me to visit my home province and share the importance of the science in the changing environments by aiding in the coordination of the event.

Therefore, I would love for my candidature to be considered for the two-year position for the PNC student representative to aid in the advancement and promotion of environmental science and transmission of its importance, by helping with the organizations of both PNC annual meetings and the SETAC North America meeting. 

As a first-year MSc student in Environment and Geography at the University of Manitoba, I feel my experience and interests align very well with this position. Under the supervision of Dr. Mark Hanson, my master’s research is part of a joint study by the universities of Manitoba, Simon Fraser, Ottawa, and Queen’s, in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada. This collaboration will examine the effects of diluted bitumen (dilbit) on Chinook salmon and their food webs. My own research will assess the effect of dilbit on benthic macroinvertebrates, the main food source for Chinook salmon, to better inform species protection and oil spill risk assessment. Results will be shared with local Indigenous Nations and other surrounding communities and will be submitted for publication. 

This past June, I attended the SETAC-PNC meeting in Winnipeg. I found it to be an exciting opportunity to connect with other researchers in the field of environmental toxicology and chemistry and to listen to presentations on current research. While completing my undergraduate degree, I also communicated the results of my research at the Manitoba Agronomists’ Conference and at the CREATE-Climate Smart Soils AGM. While working for the University of Manitoba’s Natural Systems Agriculture Lab in 2023, I gained experience in executing large events by helping to organize and coordinate an open field tour at the Glenlea Research Station. Currently, I am responsible for managing the University of Manitoba’s Stress Ecology Laboratory website. I am detail-oriented, enjoy problem solving, and frequently lead group discussions and presentations in my academic course work. I believe that these qualities and my prior experience will enable me to aid in the organization of the PNC annual meeting, do website maintenance, and advocate for and engage with the students in the Prairie Northern chapter of SETAC. Thank you for your consideration