WASHINGTON – Martine Rothblatt, founder of United Therapeutics Corporation, a publicly traded biotech company headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, will receive the AAUW/NASPA Women of Distinction Award at the University of Maryland, College Park, on Thursday, June 4, during the 2009 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders.
Rothblatt started United Therapeutics to develop a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, a disorder that is most common in women age 21–40 and one that has touched her own family. Rothblatt’s youngest daughter is among the approximately 140,000 people worldwide affected by the disease, which has no known cure and may lead to congestive heart failure and, ultimately, death.
Before starting her company, Rothblatt had been a corporate lawyer and pioneer in satellite communications; she was involved in the launch of three successful satellite-communication companies, including Sirius Satellite Radio. She is a member of the District of Columbia bar and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Rothblatt is also a leading writer in the field of gender law and social policy. More than a decade ago, she changed genders and graced the cover of Transgender Tapestry. She authored The Apartheid of Sex: A Manifesto on the Freedom of Gender, Unzipped Genes: Taking Charge of Baby-Making in the New Millennium, and Two Stars for Peace.
Rothblatt graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned a law degree and a master’s of business administration from the UCLA Schools of Law and Management, respectively, and her doctorate in medical ethics from the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary College, University of London.
In addition to Rothblatt, the other 2009 Women of Distinction awardees are
- Diane Rehm, host, The Diane Rehm Show
- Maj. L. Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Anucha Browne Sanders, senior associate athletic director for marketing, University at Buffalo
- Melissa Poe Hood, founder, Kids for a Clean Environment.
They join a prestigious group of more than 100 women who have been honored since the award was established in 1985. Presented annually at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, the Women of Distinction Awards honor women leaders who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their professions or their communities and who represent inspiring role models for women student leaders. Past awardees include playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Olympic medalist Dominique Dawes.
Prudential and the Princeton Review are the Platinum Sponsors of the 2009 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, including the Women of Distinction Awards. Other conference sponsors include the National Panhellenic Conference and the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.
Since 1985, the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders has provided a platform to help thousands of college and university women to develop leadership skills, network with other student leaders, and interact with women who hold leadership positions. The conference is presented by AAUW and NASPA.
