• Spring/Summer 2006 ::
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• Last Word

Making her Mark

Rita R. Colwell (BS ’56, MS ’58, PhD ’61, University of Washington) is no stranger to the fact that women struggle against stereotypes, gender bias, and limited opportunity to succeed in science professions. That’s why Colwell is such a remarkable woman; not only is she successful as a scientist, she has made landmark strides for women in the profession.

In addition to serving as the first and only female director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Colwell is a leading expert in cholera and microbiological research and has worked on safe drinking water in India and Bangledesh since 1975. 

“As a result of my research, we’ve been able to identify the source of the bacteria that cause cholera, which is the environment,” she says.

“We are able to monitor the environment and predict when outbreaks will occur.” This knowledge is crucial to reducing the spread of cholera.

“We used basic science to understand the transmission of the disease, and were able to develop a simple filtration device to reduce the spread of it,” she says. “We can teach women in the villages how to filter their water using a cloth filtration system. It has reduced cholera outbreaks by 50 percent.”

Now, as Chairman of Canon US Life Sciences, Inc., Colwell is still working to save lives. “I’m currently working to develop rapid diagnostic tools so that first responders can identify bacteria using a handheld device,” she says. This will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. “It’s exciting to have one’s scientific discoveries save lives.”

In recognition of her life-saving research and her many professional accomplishments, Colwell has been awarded 47 honorary doctorate degrees, including one from Purdue. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and an honorary member of the microbiological societies of France, the United Kingdom, Israel, Bangladesh, and the United States. She is one of the select group of Distinguished Science Alumni, and she serves on the College’s Dean’s Leadership Council.

She is also a champion for math and science education. She takes specific interest in graduate and K-12 initiatives. One of her biggest concerns currently is the declining interest in science and math, especially in grades 4-8. “We need a major effort,” she says. “It’s the future of our country. If the United States doesn’t remain a leader in science and technology, there will be massive implications down the road for our economy, social stability, and national security.”

Colwell’s diverse accomplishments have their foundation at Purdue. “I was very fortunate to have taken a course taught by the late Dorothy Powelson, professor of bacteriology,” Colwell says.  “She was an extremely good teacher, and the women students who took her class went on to earn a PhD in science or to medical school.”

In addition to her bacteriology studies, Colwell was also influenced by her coursework in humanities at Purdue. “I was surprised that, despite being known as an engneering school, Purdue had many wonderful professors in the humanities area,” she comments.  “I took a number of creative writing and literature courses, with excellent teachers.”

Colwell has fond memories of Purdue for another reason — she met her husband, physicist Jack Colwell, as an undergraduate. One of the reasons her marriage has been so successful is because, “I married the right fellow,” she says. “My husband is extremely supportive and fine scientist in his own right.” 

Shared interests have also kept the marriage strong. The couple has raced sailboats together for 30 years, and their two daughters, Alison and Stacie, are also avid sailors. “It helps immensely to have something we enjoy doing together,” she says.

As a family of scientists, the Colwells have more in common than recreation. Alison is a botanist and conducts rare plant surveys in Yosemite National Park. Stacie has three children and is a practicing physician at Dartmouth. Following her example, Colwell’s daughters have also mastered the art of balancing work and family — no easy feat for women in science.

It was a constant challenge early in Colwell’s career. “The hardest thing for me was a general prejudice against women in science,” she says. “It was very severe when I started out, and very overt. Now it’s more covert, but it’s still present.”

Much of the progress that’s been made can be credited to Colwell herself. As director of the NSF from 1998 to 2004, one of her major interests was increasing the participation of women and minorities in science and engineering. “I think it’s important to make sure young girls and women don’t get discouraged,” she says.

Luckily for women everywhere, Colwell did not get discouraged. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of her many achievements both in scientific research and for the advancement of women and minorities. Colwell considers this one of her most significant honors. “The Women’s Hall of Fame includes some of the most remarkable women in US history — women who have advanced voting rights, health care for children, and the social structure of society. It is, indeed, an honor to have been included in this distinguished and extraordinary group of women.”