Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Profile

W. Ann Reynolds, 60MS, 62PhD, has been called one of the top women in American academia, having distinguished herself first in her academic field, anatomy, and then as chief administrator of two of the country's largest university systems.

With degrees in biology and zoology, Reynolds was for a number of years a successful and respected researcher, authoring more than 60 scientific papers and carrying out projects supported by numerous grants. She held faculty posts at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago from 1965 to 1979, becoming associate vice chancellor of research and graduate college dean at that institution in 1977. Maintaining her involvement in the sciences, she has served on a number of advisory committees for professional and scientific organizations, such as the American Council on Education, the National Academy of Science, and the National Institutes of Health.

In 1979, Reynolds became provost of Ohio State University, where she was also professor of anatomy, obstetrics, and gynecology. In 1982, she was named chancellor of the California State University System. There she was credited with strengthening admission standards, improving teacher education programs, and successfully recruiting more minority and women faculty members to the system, which comprises nine campuses throughout the state.

Trustees of the City University of New York selected Reynolds as chancellor of that institution last year. She is a member of the Alumni Association.