Teresa K. Woodruff joined an elite group of Americans who have received two national medals of honor when President Joe Biden announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science on Jan. 3.  

Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, presented Woodruff with the medal at a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on the same date.

The first person from Michigan State University to receive the National Medal of Science, Woodruff has made significant global contributions in scientific research, improvements to the scientific process and diversification of research teams. Woodruff is an MSU Foundation professor in both the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at MSU’s College of Human Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at MSU’s College of Engineering. She was named provost of MSU in August 2020 and served as interim president of MSU from 2022-2024.  

Established in 1959 by the U.S. Congress, the National Medal of Science is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. Teresa is the first MSU faculty member to receive the recognition.  

President Barack Obama presented Woodruff with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in an Oval Office ceremony in 2011. It is very rare to receive two presidential honors.  

Conversation Highlights:

(1:36) - Congratulations! How does it feel?

(2:30) - You’re one of the world’s leading fertility experts, and you pioneered the science of oncofertility in 2006 that has helped thousands of cancer patients protect their reproductive futures. Talk about how your interest in this area developed and describe your research interests.

(4:43) - How is your research evolving? Findings lead to more questions, right? What is the zinc spark?

(6:37) - Teaching and mentoring are important to you. You’re an advocate for women in science and led efforts to change federal policy to mandate the use of females in fundamental National Institutes of Health research.Your students inspire you. Why is mentoring important to you and how are they helping carry on your work?

(8:57) - Why MSU? You could do this research anywhere. 

(9:57) – The burgeoning MSU Health Sciences.

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