On January 3, President Biden awarded the National Medal of Science to former Michigan State University Interim President and MSU Research Foundation Professor Teresa K. Woodruff and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to former Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson.
“Those who earn these awards embody the promise of America by pushing the boundaries of what is possible,” the White House said in a statement, continuing: “These trailblazers have harnessed the power of science and technology to tackle challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions for Americans and for communities around the world.”
According to MSU, Woodruff is responsible for creating “an entirely new field of science – oncofertility – that combines oncology and reproductive health.” She has pioneered “breakthroughs in molecular science, reproductive medicine and cancer research” that have “helped thousands of people around the world maintain and protect their fertility,” the university said. This is Woodruff’s second national medal of honor. In 2011, she received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
Johnson was recognized by the White House for her “research in photonics, nanotechnology, and optoelectronics,” according to the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Research Centers. Her work on liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) has led to several applications, including cancer cell detection and quantum computing.
Established by Congress in 1959, the National Medal of Science is administered by the National Science Foundation. According to the agency, the award “is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers.” The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was established by Congress in 1980 and is administered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; it recognizes individuals “who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness, standard of living, and quality of life through technological innovation, and to recognize those who have made substantial contributions to strengthening the nation's technological workforce.”
In total, 23 scientists and innovators received the presidential awards this year. All 14 recipients of the National Medal of Science are currently affiliated with an AAU university; of the nine recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, six are affiliated with AAU members.
AAU-affiliated recipients of the National Medal of Science include:
- Richard B. Alley, Pennsylvania State University
- Larry Martin Bartels, Vanderbilt University
- Bonnie L. Bassler, Princeton University
- Angela Marie Belcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Helen M. Blau, Stanford University
- Emery Neal Brown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Ingrid Daubechies, Duke University
- Cynthia Dwork, Harvard University
- R. Lawrence Edwards, University of Minnesota
- Wendy L. Freedman, University of Chicago
- G. David Tilman, University of Minnesota
- John O. Dabiri, California Institute of Technology
- Keivan G. Stassun, Vanderbilt University
AAU-affiliated recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation include:
- Eric Fossum, Dartmouth University
- Jennifer Doudna, University of California, Berkeley
- Feng Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Paula Hammond, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- David R. Walt, Harvard University
- Paul G. Yock, Stanford University
Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe is editorial and communications assistant at AAU.