Elizabeth “Terry” Fontham, professor and dean of the LSU Health Sciences Center, has been named president-elect of the American Cancer Society. Fontham has been volunteering for the Society for more than 25 years. “You get more out of volunteering than you put into it,” Fontham said. “You meet new people, and that opens doors.” Fontham is the third female president in the organization’s history and the first president who is not a physician. Fontham said she is proud of the Society’s contributions that focus on new investigators. The Society’s grants have helped fund 42 Nobel Prize winners. Research funds in the past year reached $135 million. “This is a great organization. The love of my life is cancer research, but I love volunteering for the American Cancer Society as well,” Fontham said. While the Society has focused on cancer research and treatment in the past, Fontham said the organization is beginning to put an emphasis on the prevention and early detection of the disease. “Placing more on prevention is critical,” Fontham said. Fontham became heavily involved with the Society by filling in for a friend she worked with who was invited to be a guest speaker at a conference. When he could not attend, he asked Fontham if she could be present in his place. Fontham was later invited to speak at other events for the organization. Fontham said cancer has impacted her family because her grandfather and all three of his sons died of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 22,540 estimated new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Louisiana this year. Estimated cancer cases totaled 1,444,920 nationwide. “Three out of every four families will be affected by cancer,” Fontham said. Fontham said she advises individuals and families who have been affected by cancer to ask questions and seek second opinions about their diagnosis. “I have known Dr. Fontham for more than 10 years,” said Alice LeBlanc, instructor and director of admissions and student affairs for LSU School of Medicine. “She is the quintessential professional, yet always kind and genuine, and possessing a gentle sense of humor. She epitomizes the spirit of public health, which is a truly interdisciplinary field.” Joe Moerschbaecher, LSU Health Sciences Center vice chancellor, said Fontham’s achievement is an honor prestigious to the University and Louisiana. “Terry is a wonderful person. She is an outstanding professional leader and an excellent role model for our students,” Moerschbaecher said.
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