The Carol J. Bennett, M.D. Research Professorship in Urology
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Making History at Michigan and Beyond
As we commemorate more than a century of excellence in urology at the University of Michigan, we celebrate the legacy of history-maker Dr. Carol J. Bennett. After being recruited by Dr. Jack Lapidis, Dr. Carol Bennett was the first woman to train in urology at the University of Michigan. In that year 15.4% of residents across all specialties were women, but in urology only 0.9% of trainees were women. Female role models were few and far between.
Being a trailblazer can be isolating but Dr. Bennett gained a sponsor in Dr. Edward J. McGuire, who became Chief of Urology at University of Michigan in 1983, the year Dr. Bennett completed residency. She pursued what she describes as “post-baccalaureate training” since fellowships in the strict sense of the word were not in existence. With Dr. McGuire’s mentorship, she went on to establish the spinal cord injury (SCI) fertility program enabling the first pregnancy in the United States from a semen sample obtained from a paraplegic man by electroejaculation. In 1987, Dr. Carol Bennett became the first Black woman to be board-certified by the American Board of Urology. In 1988 Dr. Bennett’s personal and professional life took her to Southern California, but the old saying holds true - “For those who leave Michigan, but for whom Michigan never leaves”.
To honor and celebrate Dr. Bennett’s impact on the University of Michigan and the field of Urology, we are embarking on a fundraising campaign to raise $1M to endow the Carol J. Bennett, M.D., Research Professorship of Urology. By the end of 2025, we hope to raise $1,000,000.
Please make a gift today and join us in celebrating the legacy of Dr. Bennett. Your gift will enable the holders of the Bennett Professorship to make important contributions to patient care, discovery and education — continuing the tradition of excellence that her career exemplified.
If you have questions about this campaign, or would like to explore alternate methods of giving (gifts of stock, IRA gifts, wire transfers), please contact Jason Keech, Associate Director of Development for Urology, at jkeech@umich.edu or 734-763-0866.