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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Marine and Environmental Sciences / Marine and Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff / Dr. Joshua Gray

Joshua Gray, Ph.D.

Professor, Department Head Chemical & Environmental Sciences

A toxicologist by training, PROF Gray’s research is focused in two areas. His primary research focus investigates the interplay of oxidative stress and metabolism in the nematode worm C. elegans model system. He is principal investigator of a National Science Foundation-funded project entitled StressCURE: A Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Toolkit for Investigating Stressors in the C. elegans Model System. PROF Gray is also the Coast Guard Academy’s subject matter expert in biological and chemical weapons. He served as Chief Scientist for the Coast Guard’s Wastewater Surveillance Program, assessing SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater as a means of performing surveillance at Coast Guard training centers and cutters, including the academy.

PROF Gray is actively involved in national scientific societies and organizations. A full member of the Society of Toxicology, PROF Gray currently serves as co-chair of the Awards Committee of the SOT and Councilor of the Northeast Society of Toxicology. He chaired the SOT’s Learning Objectives Work Group to create the Undergraduate Toxicology Learning Framework. This resource, aligned with the Vision and Change movement for undergraduate biology education, has been used throughout the nation. PROF Gray is also a Fellow of the Partnership for Undergraduate Life Sciences Education (PULSE). He has co-moderated several workshops throughout the northeast helping academic departments adopt teaching and management philosophies and skills that increase equity and inclusivity in the classroom. He serves as Editor of Toxicology materials at CourseSource.org, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes inclusive- and evidence-based learning materials for undergraduate education.

Education

  • B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1998, Pennsylvania State University
  • Ph.D. Pathobiology, 2004, Pennsylvania State University

Courses Taught

  • General Chemistry 1 and 2
  • Toxicology
  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology

Selected Publications and Presentations

  • Hall, G.J., E.J. Page, and J.P. Gray. (2024). Wastewater Surveillance of US Coast Guard Installations and Seagoing Military Vessels to Mitigate the Risk of COVID-19 Outbreaks, March 2021-August 2022. Public Health Reports, epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549241236644
  • Aleksunes, L.M., J.P. Gray, J. Meshanni, J.D. Laskin, and D.L. Laskin. (2024). Repurposing FDA-approved drugs to treat chemical weapon toxicities: Interactive case studies for trainees. Pharmacol Res Perspect 12(4):31229. https://doi.org/10.1002/prp2.1229
  • Jackson-Summers, A.G., K.L. Mrakovcich, J.P. Gray, C.M. Fleischmann, T. Emami, and E.J. Page. (2024). A systematic review of inclusive pedagogical research using the CIRTL inclusive pedagogy framework: multi-disciplinary and STEM perspectives, current trends and a research agenda. Discover Education 3:article number 30. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44217-024-00093-y
  • Casillas, R.P., N. Tewari-Singh, and J. P. Gray. (2021). Special issue: emerging chemical terrorism threats. Toxicol Mech Methods 31(4):239-241. https://doi.org/10.1080/15376516.2021.1904472
  • Neumeister, S.M. and J.P. Gray. (2021). The Strategic National Stockpile: identification, support, and acquisition of medical countermeasures for CBRN incidents. Toxicol Mech Methods 31(4):308-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/15376516.2020.1853294
  • Gray J.P., Curran C.P., Fitsanakis V.A., Ray S.D., Stine K.E., and Eidemiller B.J. 2019. Society of Toxicology Develops Learning Framework for Undergraduate Toxicology Courses Following the Vision and Change Core Concepts Model. Toxicol Sci. epub ahead of print. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfz090
  • Google Scholar Profile

Honors

  • Civilian of the Year 2021 (Senior), U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 2022
  • Civilian of the Quarter (Senior), U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 2021
  • Undergraduate Educator Award, Society of Toxicology, 2018
  • Center for Advanced Studies Excellence in Scholarship Award, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 2017
  • Superintendent’s Award for Excellence, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 2014

Professional Appointments

  • Adjunct Professor, 2005-present, Biosecurity and Biodefense Master’s Program, University of Maryland World Campus, Adelphi, MD.
  • Adjunct Graduate Faculty Member, 2007-present, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Warwick, RI.
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, 2008-present, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ.

Contact Information

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Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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