Dr. Joan Wennstrom Bennett, Distinguished Professor of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, and Chair, Committee of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine for the National Academies Dr. Bennett is a past president of the American Society for Microbiology and has done work in fungal genetics as well as in women’s studies. She taught a popular course Biology of Women beginning in 1976 while she was at Tulane University (1971-2006). Dr. Bennett was Associate Vice President for the Office for the Promotion of Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics ("SciWomen") at Rutgers from 2006-2014 and continues to serve as Senior Faculty Advisor to the group. She is a past Editor-in-Chief of Mycologia; a past Vice President of the British Mycological Society and the International Union of Microbiological Societies; as well as past President of the American Society for Microbiology and the Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2005. She is currently a leader of her institution’s NSF ADVANCE project on women faculty. Dr. Bennett earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and history from Upsala College, and a master’s and doctorate degree in botany from the University of Chicago. She is a member of the NAS.