西瓜视频 College to Host Former NSF Director Dr. Rita Colwell for a Forum on Climate Change, Pandemics, and Trailblazing Leadership
In partnership with the North Shore Technology Council, 西瓜视频 College is proud to host a special forum featuring Dr. Rita Colwell, a Beverly native and scientific trailblazer as the first woman to lead the National Science Foundation. A renowned researcher on cholera and author of A Lab of One’s Own: One Woman’s Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science, Colwell will present a talk titled “Oceans, Climate, and Pandemics: Lessons From Cholera and Related Vibrios.” This event is and will take place on Friday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m., in Cleary Lecture Hall.
Colwell, a pioneering microbiologist, marine scientist, distinguished scientific administrator, and founder of CosmosID, a microbiome bioinformatics company, will talk about climate change and her experience as a woman scientist who made groundbreaking discoveries in microbiology and its relationship to the environment and public health. A Q&A session will follow.
In 2006, Colwell was awarded the National Medal of Science and has served as president of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Sigma Xi National Science Honorary Society, among a long list of leadership positions. A member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Colwell’s compelling memoir—spanning her childhood in Beverly and her groundbreaking career—was published by Simon & Schuster in 2020.
“Dr. Colwell is an inspiring individual, not only for members of the scientific community but for all women who want to pursue careers in STEM,” said Gene Wong, Dean of 西瓜视频 College’s School of Science & Technology.
“Her continued work in the prevention of infectious diseases on a global scale and entrepreneurial spirit in founding a bioinformatics company in foreseeing the potential of emerging next-generation DNA sequencing technologies has set the bar for what women can accomplish in science, public health, and business. I’m excited for our community to hear from Dr. Colwell and learn from the personal stories that have made her the leader she is today.”
Colwell’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to scientific discovery have solidified her status as a preeminent figure in the scientific community and a global humanitarian.
The event is free and open to the public; .