Research excellence is a strategic priority and remains central to the mission of ACPHS and the future Russell Sage University. As we move closer to completing the merger, a new Office of Research Compliance and Safety has been established with Dr. Vir Singh serving as director 
and also as the institution鈥檚 OLAW Institutional Official.
The office will provide centralized leadership for animal research, biosafety, chemical safety, laboratory safety, laboratory equipment, and the Animal Research Facility. It will also support both research and teaching laboratories and oversee the institution鈥檚 compliance with applicable federal and state requirements.
The IACUC and the Institutional Laboratory Safety and Biosafety Committee will be aligned with this office. The Lab Safety Officer, Animal Research Facility Manager and Veterinary Technician, and Attending Veterinarian will report to Dr. Singh in this capacity.
To support the College鈥檚 biosafety measures, Rachel Toshkoff has joined ACPHS as Laboratory Safety Officer. In her role, Rachel will oversee the maintenance of a safe and compliant environment for all activities involving biological materials, ensuring the protection of students, faculty, staff, the community and the environment. The Biosafety Program provides guidance and training to support the safe handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of biological agents and materials used in research and educational settings. Through established policies, risk assessment processes, and regulatory compliance, we promote a culture of safety and accountability across campus.
For the past decade, Rachel worked as a Health and Safety Specialist for the Department of Forensic Sciences in Washington, DC. She holds a BS in Forensic Science.
The creation of a new Institutional Biosafety Committee to oversee the lab鈥檚 safety needs has been formed with 
Nick O鈥橠onnell serving as Chair of our committee. It also includes the following members:
- Rachel Toshkoff, Laboratory Safety Officer and Biological Safety Officer, ex-officio voting member
- Michelle Parent, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Allied Health Sciences, voting member
- Michelle Lewis, Executive Director of CBET, voting member
- Marcel Musteata, Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, voting member
- Mary Ellen Piche, unaffiliated community voting member
- Andrew Peifer, unaffiliated community voting member
- Shannon Magari, Colden Corporation, Biosafety Consultant, ex-officio non-voting member
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will remain in place, with Jo Carreno continuing to lead this area. ORSP will focus on the full lifecycle of sponsored and institutional research funding, including funding opportunities, proposal development and submission, post-award administration, sponsor compliance, internal research awards, and research dissemination activities. The team also includes Grants Administrator, Tiffany Catalfamo; Grants Accountant, Frank Stadtlander; and Administrative Specialist, Mel Quinlan.
ACPHS Interim Executive, Theresa Hand, said about these efforts, 鈥淭his restructuring retains our existing staffing while realigning responsibilities to provide clearer ownership, stronger accountability, more effective risk management, and better support for our faculty and research programs.鈥�
Social