The Oncofertility Consortium congratulates our founder Prof. Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. for being named Interim President of Michigan State University (MSU).
Currently, Dr. Woodruff is also a Foundation Professor in both the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at MSU’s College of Human Medicine. Prior to becoming the Provost of MSU in August 2020, Dr. Woodruff served as the Dean and Associate Provost for Graduate Education at The Graduate School at Northwestern University. Prof. Woodruff was also the Thomas J. Watkins Professor, Vice Chair of Research and Chief of the Division of Reproductive Science and Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a Professor of Molecular Biosciences in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, a Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering, Director of the Center for Reproductive Science (CRS), and Founder and Director of the Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI).
Prof. Woodruff is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2020), the National Academy of Medicine (2018), the National Academy of Inventors (2018), the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineers (2017), the Guggenheim Foundation (2017) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2006). She is civically active as a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a former Board of Trustees member for The Adler Planetarium and the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School.
Her work as a leading research scientist, teacher, and mentor was recognized when she received the Distinguished Woman in Higher Education Leadership Award from the Michigan Women’s Network of the American Council of Education (2022). In 2021 Prof. Woodruff received the Endocrine Society’s Auerbach Laureate Award, a top honor reserved for the highest achievements in endocrinology and was welcomed into the Society for the Study of Reproduction’s inaugural class of distinguished fellows. In an oval office ceremony, President Obama awarded Prof. Woodruff the 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring. Prof. Woodruffs inspired many through numerous commencement addresses across the country and has been granted honorary degrees from Bates College and the University of Birmingham School of Medicine.
Prof. Woodruff served as President of the Endocrine Society and was the Editor-in-Chief for the journal Endocrinology. She has holds 17 US patents, has published over 400 papers and has edited or authored 7 books. Woodruff championed the National Institutes of Health (NIH) policy mandating the inclusion of females in fundamental research, a major step towards improving gender equity in healthcare.
In 2006, Prof. Woodruff coined the term “Oncofertility” to describe the merging of two fields, oncology and fertility preservation. We recognize Prof. Woodruff as an international pioneer in our field and congratulate her on these incredible accomplishments!