The introduction of new pesticides for agriculture accelerated in the 1940s, as exemplified by DDT and other halogenated agents. Throughout the 1950s, interests in the fate and toxic actions of pesticides, as well as other chemicals, expanded rapidly. While targeted research occurred throughout the UC system, both UC and the Legislature recognized the need for a program to focus specifically on pesticides and other toxics.
Thus in 1957, the Legislature appropriated funds to establish the Pesticide Residue Research Project at UCD – under the direction of Gunter Zweig (and administered by a committee in Entomology).
By 1961, the project had attracted funding to monitor for DDT and other pesticides in milk. This stimulated the expansion the research team to a dozen members, including future ETX professor Wendell Kilgore (all were originally appointed through Entomology).
Around this same time, Chancellor Emil Mrak by chance met future ETX professor Donald Crosby (then a pesticide chemist at Union Carbide) during a professional meeting in Washington, DC. Mrak was interested in expanding the lab into a new academic program.
While traditional programs focused on medical or veterinary toxicology, the new one was to be an equal blend of chemistry and biology, and focus on the fate and effects of toxic chemicals in the environment. Crosby relocated to campus in 1961, and in 1962 the Pesticide Residue Research Project evolved into an ORU – the Agricultural Toxicology & Residue Research Laboratory – with Crosby appointed as the director.
In line with publication Silent Spring in 1962, and the beginning of the environmental movement, pesticide residue tolerances for crops became a major statewide focus – and I might add the later purpose of the IR-4 Project. Thus, two programs were chosen to provide the necessary analytical support – one at UC Riverside and UCD’s Agricultural Toxicology Residue Research Laboratory.
However, while Crosby began planning for a new academic department, the campus decided to demolish their current building to accommodate a new fine arts facility. Crosby scrambled to collect the resources for a new building, as the campus had not budgeted funds for that purpose.
Mrak took the case to the Regents, and Regent Norton Simon personally donated $60k. The campus added another $100k, and Crosby attracted a match from NSF. The result – the “Environmental Toxicology Building” (now Sprocket Hall) – was occupied in 1964.
In 1965, Crosby, Kilgore and Zweig began offering Agricultural Toxicology 101, which attracted widespread interest. They also began attracting research awards and mentoring graduate students – thus functioning as a de facto department.
In 1968, with growing interest in the environment sciences, the college became the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. However, formation of a new environmental department met with Senate resistance. Fortunately, it enjoyed strong support from stakeholders in agriculture, industry and government, all of whom recognized the need for the new program.
Thus, as one of his last acts, retiring Chancellor Mrak established the Department of Environmental Toxicology – responsible for a full range of teaching, research and service activities. It was quickly recognized as the first of its type in the world.
The new BS in environmental toxicology was approved in 1974 –the first of its type in the world. Since then, the major has been a model for similar programs and courses at other universities worldwide. Our many graduates have pursued careers in academia, industry and government, and have contributed internationally to a better understanding of the science, risk and management of toxics in the environment.
Our many graduates have pursued careers in academia,industry and government, and have contributed internationally to a better understanding of the science, risk and management of toxics in the environment.
These faculty were the early members of the new Environmental Toxicology department
With the expansion of pesticide use by agriculture, there was a growing recognition of the need to develop new pesticides for specialty crops (in addition to corn, wheat, etc.). Thus, the USDA-NIFA National IR-4 Project was established in 1963. In 1975, with agronomist Virgil Freed as first director, the Project’s Western Region moved from UC Berkeley to UC Davis. A long line of departmental faculty members served as WR director over the years. They in turn developed the region into the most productive by far, which has also enhanced the department’s reputation. Adjunct Professor Matt Hengel currently serves as director.
The ETX Department has two satellite marine programs. For many years, ETX Emeritus Professor Gary Cherr was the director of the Bodega Marine Lab. His successor, Christina Pasparakis, is now developing her research program to continue our collaboration with BML.
The other, the Marine Pollution Studies Lab, is housed at a NOAA facility near Big Sur. For many years it was overseen by Emeritus ETX Professor Ron Tjeerdema, and focused of agricultural runoff, marine bioassays and oil spill toxicology. Bushra Khan has joined the group and will further our department’s long history of research in the Monterey Bay region.
