William B. Wood: Biographical Sketch

William B. Wood is Distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Emeritus, at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He began his career at Caltech in Pasadena, CA, moving to CU-Boulder in 1977 as Professor and Chair of MCD Biology. In 1972, he became one of the youngest members of the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his pioneering research on the assembly of complex viruses that infect bacteria. His research interests more recently have included genetic control and molecular biology of axis formation, pattern formation, and sex determination in development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, as well as biology education. Dr. Wood has won several awards for his scientific achievements, as well as the Bruce Alberts Award for Distinguished Contributions to Science Education from the American Society for Cell Biology. He co-chaired the NRC Committee that created the Summer Institute on Undergraduate Biology Education and now serves as co-director of this Summer Institute. Previous Academy appointments include the Committee on Programs for Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in American High Schools, which authored the report Learning and Understanding, the Committee on Developmental Toxicology, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Predoctoral Fellowships Panel on Genetics and Molecular Biology. Dr. Wood received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1963.