To prepare for the societal transformation genomic technology will bring, we have established The Center for Genomic Advocacy (TCGA), whose mission is to develop a community of advocates through interdisciplinary studies in biology, political science, business, ethics, and health. ge-nome (n): All of the genetic information, and all of the hereditary material possessed by an organism.
ad-vo-ca-cy (n): To influence public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles.

TCGA will usher Indiana State University into the genomics era by promoting the responsible use of genomic technology for the betterment of society, while mitigating the negative effects that such technology may have on individuals.

The international Human Genome Project is over 20 years old, yet we are just now beginning to understand how such genomic information will transform society. In the upcoming decades we will reap the many fruits that genomic technology can deliver, including treatments and cures for diseases, as well as solutions to the pressing problems facing humankind such as famine, environmental disasters, and the conservation of rare and endangered species. Associated with these benefits are numerous ethical and legal issues whose affects we do not yet comprehend. For example, never before in human history have we had access to the amount of personal information contained within an individual’s genome, and currently, society is ill equipped to handle the many dilemmas these data will present. We are at the edge of the “Genomic Revolution” and there is no turning back.