Mary Rita Cooke Greenwood is an American academic and nutritionist.

Greenwood served as president of the University of Hawaiʻi and chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has held leadership positions in several academic and professional societies and has served in several scientific organizations within the United States government.

She currently holds an appointment as a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis.

Early life and education Greenwood was born in 1943 in Gainesville, Florida. Greenwood earned the A.B. degree in biology, Summa cum laude, from Vassar College in 1968. She received her Ph.D. in physiology, Developmental Biology, and Neurosciences from Rockefeller University in 1973, and she completed a postdoctoral study in Human Nutrition at Columbia University in 1974.

Career She is best known for her position as the associate director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (confirmed by the US Senate) during the Clinton Administration. She also served as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1999. In addition, she has been President of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO)—now the Obesity Society; and also President of the American Society of Clinical Nutrition.

Formerly an adjunct professor of Public Health and Nutrition at the University of California, Berkeley, she currently holds an appointment as a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis.

She held various positions in the University of California system: as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of California Office of the President; Chancellor of University of California, Santa Cruz; and Dean of Graduate Studies and Vice Provost at University of California, Davis. During her time at chancellor, she oversaw the opening of the University of California system's first new residential college in 30 years. Her tenure oversaw the hiring of 250 new faculty members and academic programs were expanded by 52 percent.

In 2005, the University of California found that Dr. Greenwood had violated its conflict of interest rules related to a management position created for a colleague with whom she co-owned a rental property. The university found no evidence of improper conduct in a second allegation that she influenced a position held by her son at UC Merced, concluding no pattern of impropriety or ethics violations in regard to both matters that were thoroughly investigated. The university accepted Dr. Greenwood's resignation from the position and affirmed her return to the tenured professorship she formerly held at the University of California, Davis.

Greenwood became the President of the University of Hawaiʻi in 2009 and was the first woman to hold the position. During her tenure, she oversaw several major projects including the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, the new University of Hawaiʻi at West Oʻahu campus, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Hawaiian Language and Culture building, the Windward Community College Learning Center, the Maui Community College Science and Technology Center, the Kauaʻi Community College Campus Center project, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Campus Center and a new Information Technology Building. On May 6, 2013, Greenwood announced her retirement from the University of Hawaiʻi as president.

She was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine in 1992, and in 2005, was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Awards and fellowships New York State Regents Fellowship for Graduate Study, 1968 Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1973–74 NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1974 Mellon Scholar-in-Residence, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., 1978 NIH Research Career Development Award, 1978–83 American Institute of Nutrition (AIN) Award in Experimental Nutrition (BioServ Award), 1982 Endowed Chair – John Guy Vassar Chair for Natural Sciences, 1986-89 Doctor of Humane Letters, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, New York, 1989 Associate Director for Science, OSTP, The Executive Office of the US president, 1993-1995 Award of Support of Science Council of Scientific Society Presidents, 1994 American Psychological Association, Presidential Citation, 1995 Woman of the Year, Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, 1998 Chairman, Board of Directors, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1999–2000 Woman of Achievement (Education), The Women's Fund, San Jose, 2001 Distinguished Fellow (Science and Technology), California State University, Monterey Bay, 2001 William D Carey Lecturer, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2002 The University of California, Santa Cruz Foundation Medal, 2004 Member, California Council on Science and Technology, 2004 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow, 2005 American Association for the Advancement of Science, Past President and Fellow, 1998–1999 & 2005 American Society of Nutrition Fellow, 2009 Member, Board of Governors, East-West Center, 2009- 13 UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Award of Distinction, 2010 Member, APEC 2011 Hawai'i Host Committee, 2010–2011 Honorary Doctorate Degree, University of the Ryukyus, 2011 Woman of Distinction, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, 2011 Wu Memorial Lecture, Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition, 2012 Chair, Council of Presidents, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, 2012 Chair, Hawaii State Childhood Obesity Prevention Task Force, 2012

Publications

References

External links University of California official faculty synopsis Greenwood cited in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Greenwood lauded at Vassar Greenwood profiled on Forbes Greenwood featured in Condé Nast Portfolio UH regents select Greenwood as new school president MRC Greenwood and "A Powerful Coterie of larcenous. ..." (UH's next system President?) Executive compensation at UC: MRC Greenwood and the $871 million dollar secret Greenwood announces retirement