Dr. Scott R. Woodward was our guest speaker at the November 2007 dinner meeting. Dr. Woodward is the Chief Scientific Officer at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation. The title of his presentation was “The Power of DNA–Discovering Lost and Hidden Relationships.” In his presentation, Dr. Woodward spoke about how DNA analysis techniques are assisting in the great search for our ancestors. Founded in 1999, the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation seeks to change the way people think and act toward one another by showing that we are one great human family. The Foundation is creating a comprehensive database of the families of the world using correlated genealogy and genetic information, providing the tools needed to reconstruct genealogies using DNA, and making their data available to the public.
Dr. Woodward solicited help from the Utah Mayflower Society by encouraging participation in the ongoing Gateway Ancestor Project. Nowadays, DNA samples are collected by using a “scraper” to gently remove cells from the inside of a person’s cheek. Members can learn more about the project by going to the web site www.smgf.org.
His research has taken him all over the world, collecting and analyzing DNA samples of numerous cultures. His work has been featured nationally and internationally on Good Morning America, The Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel.
Thank you, Dr. Woodward for sharing with us your knowledge and insights about a fascinating and far-reaching subject.