Ann Woys, Ph.D.

Ann discovered her passion for chemistry at SVSU. Unsure what path to take, she attended a regional ACS conference with her younger brother who was being mentored by the SVSU Chemistry faculty as part of the NSF LEED program. After speaking with the SVSU students and faculty that day, Ann realized that the SVSU chemistry department would be the ideal place to continue her education. During physical chemistry (the perfect duo of math and chemistry) with Dr. Huntley, Ann found her field. Ann fondly reflects on a trip she took with Dr. Huntley to visit Roald Hoffman’s group at Cornell. In the Hoffman group meetings with Dr. Huntley, Ann shared the group’s strong intellectual curiosity and respected the challenging questions asked for the sake of understanding what was unknown. From there, she was determined to pursue a graduate degree in physical chemistry.

The incredible mentorship from the chemistry department at SVSU helped guide her to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. The 3rd-in-the-field-ranked university found that Ann’s undergraduate research project in theoretical chemistry had prepared her for her PhD research project and the rigorous curriculum. She subsequently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Northwestern University. She has an impressive publication record and one awarded patent, with a second patent in the evaluation stage.

Ann is currently a Pod Lead and Sr. Scientist in Pharmaceutical Development at Genentech with more than 15 years of development experience in the areas of protein analytics, formulations, and novel excipients for immuno-oncology and ophthalmology. Her leadership enables team members to shine and provides a level of calmness throughout project challenges and organization changes. She is well-regarded for her technical skills and creative solutions.

Ann grew up in Bay City before moving to Madison for graduate school and Chicago for her post-doc. In 2016, she moved to the Bay Area in California, where she currently lives with her husband and two energetic kids (2 and 5 years old). In keeping her family in touch with nature, she has discovered a love of trail running.

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