Tau Omicron Chi, the University of Louisiana at Monroe’s toxicology club, and the ULM toxicology department recently won an Environmental Leadership Award from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for their efforts in community environmental outreach.

From left: Gordon Dove, chair of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, Dr. Kevin Baer, Toxicology department head, Tox Club President Cassey Bennett, Tox Club Vice-President Daniel Laffitte, Tox Club Treasurer Kyle Gray, Peggy Hatch Secretary, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

The group hosted several community outreach projects, including a “World Water Monitoring Day” event with elementary school students, a household hazardous waste collection day and storm drain marking in Monroe neighborhoods.

They also hosted several pollution and water quality seminars and workshops throughout the past year.

Baer

Dr. Kevin Baer, professor and toxicology department head, and three of the group’s officers, Cassey Bennett of Pineville, Daniel Laffitte of Quitman, and Kyle Gray of Bossier City, attended a ceremony honoring the winners held on March 24 at the DEQ headquarters in Baton Rouge.

"We are very proud to accept this award on behalf of the Toxicology Department and Tau Omicron Chi,” Cassey Bennett, the group’s president, said.

“We could not have reached out to the community as well as we did without the constant financial and moral support from the LDEQ. Having this organization recognize us for our work is outstanding and we cannot thank them enough.”





Photo of ULM Toxicology Club courtesy

Photo of Kevin Baer by ULM's Office of University Relations