death_date death_place birth_place fields birth_date known_for image article_title name alma_mater
27 december 1999 aliso viejo , california west palm beach , florida embryology 29 january 1921 science administration geraldine_pittman_woods . gif geraldine pittman woods
 geraldine pittman woods howard university radcliffe college
geraldine pittman woods

geraldine pittman woods -lrb- 1921 -- 1999 -rrb- was an african american science administrator .
she is known for establishing programs that promote minorities in stem fields , scientific research and basic research .
woods was born on january 29 , 1921 in west palm beach , florida .
she attended howard university where a professor encouraged her to study embryology at harvard university .
woods attended radcliffe college , earning her master 's degree in 1943 .
in 1945 she was elected to phi beta kappa and earned her phd in neuroembryology .
she was involved with sorority delta sigma theta for decades , serving as national president from 1963 to 1967 .
during her tenure , delta sigma theta helped develop the head start program .
she headed howard university 's board of trustees from 1975 to 1988 .
after a long illness woods died on december 27 , 1999 in her aliso viejo home .
