Oncofertility Saturday Academy, a Northwestern science mentoring program honored recently by President Barack Obama, will graduate 31 high school girls from Chicago Public Schools on Feb. 18.

“Our goal is to train the next generation of female leaders in science and medicine,” Dr. Teresa Woodruff, the founder of the academy, said in a University news release. ‘

Woodruff is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine, as well as the director of Feinberg’s Institute for Women’s Health Research. Woodruff also leads the Oncofertility Consortium, a national interdisciplinary initiative that explores the reproductive future of cancer survivors.

Woodruff received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama in November for her role in establishing the academy, which provides high school girls the opportunity to conduct fertility and cancer research with doctors using NU facilities.

In addition to oncofertility, students in the academy can study study cardiology, physical science and infectious disease. The program encourages its students to attend college and pursue career paths in science and medicine, according to the release.

While the program is in its sixth year of existence, this class is the first that was open to girls from all Chicago Public Schools. For the first five years, it was available only to students at the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School.

The graduation ceremony will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Hughes Auditorium in the Robert H. Lurie Medical Center on NU’s Chicago campus.

– Joseph Diebold