Neena Schwartz

Distinguished Alumnae Award Recipient, 1987

The Alumnae Award recognizes a woman who has brought honor to Northwestern University through outstanding professional contributions in her field and who has attained national recognition. Established in 1976, the Alumnae Award has been presented every year to an alumna who has had a significant impact in her field of endeavor. Educators, journalists, doctors, scientists, and artists are included among The Alumnae’s roster of awardees.

MS 1950; Ph.D. 1953 

Scientist and Northwestern Professor of Neurobiology and Physiology Schwartz was the Feinberg School of Medicine’s William Deering Professor of Endocrinology. She was a founding member of the Association for Women in Science in 1971, and co-founded Women in Endocrinology, within the Endocrine Society. In 1974, she created the Program for Reproductive Research at Northwestern. In 1987 the Center for Reproductive Science opened with Schwartz serving as the director. She also served terms as the presidents of both the Endocrine Society and the Society for the Study of Reproduction. In 2010, she published, a memoir of her life as a woman scientist, “A Lab of My Own.” The Neena B. Schwartz Lectureship is held at Northwestern each year in her honor. In addition to her memoir, Schwartz authored more than 200 articles, chapters and books in the field of reproductive neuroendocrinology.