ACC's Dr. Rick Becker to receive prestigious Society of Toxicology Award

Society to present Arnold J. Lehman Award to Dr. Becker at SOT Annual Meeting in March

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Dec 09, 2014, 11:45 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Society of Toxicology (SOT) will honor Richard Becker, Ph.D., D.A.B.T., a senior toxicologist at the American Chemistry Council (ACC), with one of its highest recognitions, the 2015 SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award. This award recognizes Dr. Becker's major contributions to advancing the science of risk assessment, the key scientific component for establishing safe levels of exposures for product stewardship and regulatory decision making.

"Dr. Becker has made numerous high-level contributions to improve the scientific process surrounding chemical risk assessments, and this important recognition is well-deserved," said ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley. "While our ACC members have long recognized and benefitted from the important contributions Rick has made to the science of risk assessment, we are especially proud that Rick's achievements over his career in toxicology are being acknowledged by such a premier organization as SOT."

Dr. Becker said it was an honor to be recognized by SOT. "Throughout my career I have been dedicated to ensuring that risk assessment practices and procedures are firmly grounded in objectivity, transparency and scientific accuracy. I have worked hard to bring forward approaches for using toxicological knowledge and data on mode of action and toxicokinetics as central organizing elements for integrating all relevant studies to assess the overall weight of the evidence to ensure scientifically sound estimates of risks at environmentally relevant exposures," Dr. Becker said.

"For 30 years, the SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award has been recognizing leaders in risk assessment, and Dr. Becker is a fitting addition to those ranks, which is why we are honoring him with the 2015 SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award," said SOT President Norbert E. Kaminski, Ph.D. "In a career that has encompassed both government and industry positions, he has remained committed to improving and furthering risk assessment for the benefit of public and environmental health."

Dr. Becker joined ACC in 1999, where he served for many years as the organization's senior toxicologist, addressing emerging health risk science issues, including advanced risk assessment techniques, biomonitoring, sensitive subpopulations, endocrine screening and testing and alternative test methods. Dr. Becker now leads ACC's Science and Research Division and directs the Long-Range Research Initiative, which focuses catalyzing innovations for toxicity testing, exposure science and safety assessments in the 21st century. Dr. Becker earned a B.A. in Chemistry from Swarthmore College, a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of California, Irvine, and he received post-doctoral training at the University of Toronto and at the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. Before joining ACC, he served as a senior scientist with the State of California from 1987 to 1999. His experience in California government began in the Department of Toxic Substances Control, and then he transitioned to Deputy Director of Scientific Affairs in the California Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and subsequently to Director of OEHHA.

Dr. Becker has been an active member of the Society of Toxicology for 25 years. He is also a member of the Society for Risk Analysis, the International Society for Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology and the American Chemical Society. In 2014, Dr. Becker was appointed to the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the National Research Council.

The 2015 SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award also recognizes the application of sound scientific principles to regulation and research activities that have significantly influenced the regulatory process. SOT will honor Dr. Becker during its awards ceremony at its 54^th Annual Meeting & ToxExpo on March 22, 2015, in San Diego.

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The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is an $812 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is the nation's largest exporter, accounting for twelve percent of all U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure.

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SOURCE American Chemistry Council