Rita R. Colwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita R. Colwell
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| 11th Director of the National Science Foundation | |
| In office 1998–2004 |
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| President | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Neal Francis Lane |
| Succeeded by | Arden L. Bement Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 23, 1934 Beverly, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Purdue University University of Washington |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Microbiology |
| Institutions | National Science Foundation University of Maryland College Park Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Georgetown University |
| Thesis | Commensal bacteria of marine animals; a study of their distribution, physiology and taxonomy (1961) |
| Doctoral advisor | John Liston |
| Doctoral students | Jody Deming |
Rita Rossi Colwell (born November 23, 1934) is an American scientist who studies tiny living things called microbes in the environment. She is also a leader in science. Dr. Colwell has special degrees in studying bacteria, how living things inherit traits, and the ocean. She focuses on how diseases spread.
From 1998 to 2004, she was the 11th Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). She was also the first woman to hold this important job. The NSF helps fund science research and education in the United States. Dr. Colwell is also the founder and Chair of CosmosID, a company that uses computer science to study tiny living things.
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Early Life and Education
Rita Colwell was born on November 23, 1934, in Beverly, Massachusetts. She was the seventh of eight children. Her parents, Louis and Louise Rossi, did not work in science.
In 1956, Rita earned her first degree in bacteriology from Purdue University. A year later, in 1957, she received her master's degree in genetics from Purdue. She then earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1961. Her Ph.D. focused on aquatic microbiology, which is the study of tiny living things in water. After her Ph.D., she did more research in Canada.
A Career in Science
Dr. Colwell is well-known for her research on how infectious diseases spread through water around the world. She has shown how these diseases affect people's health, especially in developing countries. Her work has helped create a global network that brings attention to new diseases found in drinking and bathing water.
Cholera Research
One of Dr. Colwell's most important areas of study is cholera. Cholera is a serious disease that causes severe diarrhea. She discovered that the bacteria causing cholera can become inactive when conditions are bad. Then, they can become active again when conditions improve. This is called being dormant.
Her research has focused on stopping the spread of cholera in developing countries. She looked for ways to track the disease better and find cheap ways to filter cholera-causing germs from water.
Tracking Cholera Spread
Dr. Colwell found that cholera infection rates are linked to water temperatures. When water gets warmer, it can lead to algae blooms. These blooms can host cholera bacteria. Also, heavy rainfall and extreme weather can help spread cholera through water systems. Her findings showed that climate change could make the spread of cholera even worse.
Simple Water Filtration
Dr. Colwell also suggested simple, inexpensive ways for people to filter water when they don't have water treatment plants. In one study, people in rural Bangladesh used folded sari cloth or nylon mesh filters over water pots. These simple filters helped reduce cholera cases by 48% compared to not filtering the water at all. This showed how easy and cheap methods can make a big difference.
Leading the National Science Foundation
Dr. Colwell made history as the first female director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). She led the NSF from 1998 to 2004. During her time, she emphasized that an educated society is key for developing new technology.
She was very interested in science and math education for students from kindergarten to 12th grade. She also strongly supported increasing the number of women and minorities in science and engineering fields. Dr. Colwell doubled the funding for the NSF's ADVANCE program. This program helps women advance in science and engineering careers at universities. She also pushed for a $60 million investment in mathematical and statistical sciences.
After her term at the NSF ended in 2004, Dr. Colwell became the chief scientist at Canon U.S. Life Sciences. She later became a Senior Advisor and Chairman Emeritus there until 2006.
Academia and Teaching
In 1964, Dr. Colwell joined the faculty at Georgetown University. She became a tenured professor there in 1966. While at Georgetown, her team was the first to discover that the cholera-causing bacteria naturally lived in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
In 1972, she became a professor at the University of Maryland. She continues to be a distinguished professor at the University of Maryland, College Park and at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
CosmosID
Dr. Colwell started the company CosmosID in 2008. She is currently the global science officer and chairman of the board. CosmosID is a bioinformatics company. It creates tools to find and identify different types of microbes in various ecosystems.
EcoHealth Alliance
In November 2012, Dr. Colwell was chosen to join the Board of Directors of EcoHealth Alliance. This organization works to protect wildlife and public health from emerging diseases.
Publications and Media
Dr. Colwell has written or co-written more than 800 scientific reports and publications. She has also authored 19 books.
In 1977, she produced an award-winning film called Invisible Seas. This film showed how marine microbiologists study tiny living things in the ocean. It highlighted how important this research is for understanding the impact of pollution on our oceans.
Dr. Colwell is also the founding editor of GeoHealth. This is a science journal that focuses on how Earth and space science helps us understand health and disease in people and ecosystems.
Her memoir, "A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science," was released in August 2020. She wrote it with Sharon Bertsch McGrayne.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Colwell has received many honors, including 61 honorary degrees. Some of these are from the University of Notre Dame and the University of St Andrews.
- She was a member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990.
- She served as President of the American Society for Microbiology from 1984 to 1985.
- In 1991, she was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame.
- A mountain in Antarctica, the Colwell Massif, was named after her in 1994.
- She was President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1996.
- From 1998 to 2004, she was the first woman to be the Director of the National Science Foundation.
- In 1999, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
- The Emperor of Japan awarded her the Order of the Rising Sun-Gold and Silver Star-in 2005.
- She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2005.
- In 2006, she received the National Medal of Science from President George W. Bush. This is one of the highest honors for scientists in the United States.
- She received the Stockholm Water Prize in 2010 for her work on water-related issues.
- In 2016, she received the Mahathir Science Award.
- She is a member of the Academies of Science in Sweden, Canada, Bangladesh, India, and the United States.
- She was awarded the Vannevar Bush Award in 2017.
- In 2018, she received the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize.
- The Columbus Center in Baltimore was renamed the Rita Rossi Colwell Center in her honor in 2022.
Personal Life
Rita Colwell met her husband, Jack Colwell, when they were students at Purdue University. Jack H. Colwell (1931–2018) was also a scientist. They had two daughters and three grandchildren.
See also
In Spanish: Rita Colwell para niños
