Dr. Charles O. Rutledge
Dr. Charles O. “Chip” Rutledge, former Dean of Pharmacy at Purdue University and ASPET member since 1968, died on September 4, 2026.
Dr. Rutledge earned both his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Master’s degree in Pharmacology from the University of Kansas, followed by a PhD in Pharmacology from Harvard Medical School. His academic career began at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, and then he returned to the University of Kansas to chair the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.
In 1987, he became Dean of the Schools of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health Sciences at Purdue University, a position he held for fifteen years. He led the transition to the PharmD model, and served as the founding executive director of Purdue University’s Discovery Park, advancing interdisciplinary research by connecting scientists with engineers and entrepreneurs to solve societal problems and bring solutions to market. He went on to serve as Vice President for Research, increasing the partnership between Indiana University and Purdue’s life sciences initiatives using jointly pooled funds and sharing data.
His professional service included presidencies of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).
You can read Dr. Rutledge’s full obituary from the Journal and Courier here.
James H. Woods
By Charles P. France, PhD
James H. Woods, a distinguished pharmacologist and psychologist whose research advanced the understanding and treatment of drug abuse, died on September 22, 2026, in Holland, Michigan, just four days after celebrating his 89th birthday.
Jim was born in Louisa, Kentucky, on September 18, 1937. He attended local schools before his family moved to Ohio, where he graduated from Washington Court House High School. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Ohio University and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Virginia.
In 1965, Jim began his academic career as a research assistant in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan. He progressed through the academic ranks and was appointed Professor of Pharmacology and Psychology in 1975. He retired as Professor Emeritus in 2016, but retirement did not end his commitment to science or to his students. He subsequently spent five years as a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Jim’s research focused on understanding the behavioral effects of drugs of abuse, with particular interest in drugs that interact with specific receptors and in compounds that might offer new approaches to treating drug abuse. Over the course of his career, he and his students published more than 400 research papers and received numerous honors for their work. Among these was the Nathan B. Eddy Memorial Award for Excellence in Drug Abuse Research, which he received in 2003.
For Jim, however, his greatest legacy extended beyond his research publications and awards. He took enormous pride in the many students and young scientists who worked in his laboratory. They were, as he often made clear, his pride and joy. He was deeply invested in their development as scientists and as people, and the affection was mutual. Many of his students went on to distinguished and successful careers in their own fields, carrying with them the influence of a mentor who deeply believed in their potential.
Away from the laboratory, Jim was an avid University of Michigan sports fan and had a lifelong passion for golf and sailing. He especially enjoyed combining his love of sailing with his professional life, and he and his colleagues often embarked on sailing adventures in conjunction with scientific meetings. These experiences reflected something of Jim’s character: he valued friendship, adventure, and the opportunity to share experiences with the people around him.
Jim was married to Gail Winger for 51 years. He is survived by his two children from his first marriage: James H. Woods III (“Jay”), a beloved high school teacher in Holland, Michigan, and Lisa Woods, an artist in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Jim will be remembered not only for his remarkable contributions to science, but also for the generations of students and colleagues whose lives he touched. His curiosity, dedication to his work, love of learning, and commitment to those he mentored will remain an enduring part of his legacy.