Rita R. Colwell

Last updated

Colwell has authored or co-authored more than 800 scientific reports and publications, along with 19 books. [14]

In 1977, Colwell produced the award-winning film Invisible Seas. In this 26-minute film, the microbiology department at the University of Maryland, College Park demonstrates what types of methodology are required of marine microbiologists when studying microorganisms in the ocean. They emphasize the importance of marine microbiologists studying microorganisms in the ocean in order to determine the impact pollution has had on our oceans. [15]

Colwell is the founding editor of GeoHealth, a journal of the American Geophysical Union. Colwell recognized the increase in published Geohealth research due to the advancement in our understanding of how Earth and space science provides deeper insight into health and disease in both people and ecosystems.

Colwell's memoir "A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science", [16] written with Sharon Bertsch McGrayne, was released in August 2020.

Colwell is a co-author of a letter published in The Lancet titled "Statement in support of the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19" in which the authors declared, "We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin." [17] Her link with EcoHealth Alliance was not reported as a conflict of interest.

Awards and recognition

Colwell is the recipient of 61 honorary degrees, including Honorary Doctorates from NUI Galway, the University of Notre Dame, The New School, [18] and the University of St Andrews in 2016. [9]

Personal life

Colwell met her husband, Jack Colwell, when he was a physical chemistry graduate student at Purdue. [1] They had two daughters and three grandchildren. Jack H. Colwell (1931–2018) was a scientist at the National Bureau of Standards. [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Society for Microbiology</span> American scholarly society focused on microbiology

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), originally the Society of American Bacteriologists, is a professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae, and protozoa as well as other aspects of microbiology. It was founded in 1899. The Society publishes a variety of scientific journals, textbooks, and other educational materials related to microbiology and infectious diseases. ASM organizes annual meetings, as well as workshops and professional development opportunities for its members.

Gopinath Balakrish Nair is an Indian microbiologist known for his work on cholera. At present, he is the Ag. Regional Adviser, Research Policy and Cooperation Unit, Department of Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization. Before joining WHO, he was the executive director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, NCR, India. Before joining THSTI, he was working in NICED as the director. He has also served as the director of Laboratory Sciences Division at the International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research,, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Cornelis Bernardus van Niel was a Dutch-American microbiologist. He introduced the study of general microbiology to the United States and made key discoveries explaining the chemistry of photosynthesis.

Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Global is an independent nonprofit organization that promotes safety, security, and sustainability through science and innovation. CRDF Global was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1992 under the FREEDOM Support Act and established in 1995 by the National Science Foundation. This unique public-private partnership promotes international scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, and training. CRDF Global was originally named the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (CRDF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloth filter</span> Method to decontaminate drinking water

A cloth filter is a simple and cost-effective appropriate technology method for reducing the contamination of drinking water, developed for use mainly in Bangladesh. Water collected in this way has a greatly reduced pathogen count. Though not always perfectly safe, it is an improvement for poor people with limited options.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Pittman</span> American bacteriologist

Dr. Margaret Jane Pittman (1901–1995) was a pioneering bacteriologist whose research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on typhoid, cholera, and pertussis helped generate the development of vaccinations against these diseases as well as others. Dr. Pittman was also the first female to lead a NIH laboratory, when in 1957, she was appointed chief of their Laboratory of Bacterial Products, a position she held until 1971. In the 1960s she was a key NIH participant in developing standards for cholera vaccine in the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization's campaign to control cholera in the region that is now Bangladesh. After her retirement in 1971, she continued to work for the World Health Organization as a consultant on vaccine standards, working in Cairo and Madrid and for the State Institute for Serum and Vaccine in Iran and Connaught Laboratories, Ltd., in Toronto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stockholm Water Prize</span> Annual prize for water-related activities

Presented annually since 1991, the Stockholm Water Prize is an award that recognizes outstanding achievements in water related activities. Over the past three decades, Stockholm Water Prize Laureates have come from across the world and represented a wide range of professions, disciplines and activities in the field of water.

Colwell Massif is a rugged rock massif, about 4 nautical miles (7 km) long, rising to 2,635 metres (8,650 ft) between Palais Glacier, Ferrar Glacier, and Rotunda Glacier, in Victoria Land. It was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names in 1994 after Rita R. Colwell, marine microbiologist who has conducted field research in Antarctica; member of National Science Board (1983–90) who chaired Presidential committee on National Science Foundation roles in the polar regions; from 1991, President, Maryland Biotechnology Institute, University of Maryland.

Firdausi Qadri is a Bangladeshi scientist with specialization in immunology and infectious disease research. She has worked over 25 years on the development of vaccines for cholera and has expertise on other infectious disease like ETEC, Typhoid, Helicobacter pylori, rotavirus, etc. Currently, she is working as a director for Centre for Vaccine Sciences of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). She also serves as chairperson of the Institute for developing Science and Health initiatives. Her scientific achievements lie in enteric infections and vaccines including Vibrio cholerae and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli—major causes of severe diarrhea. She has also focused on studying the immune response in Helicobacter pylori infected people in Bangladesh and the responses in patients with typhoid fever as well as vaccinees. The Government of Bangladesh awarded her the Independence Award in 2023.

Umesh Chandra Chaturvedi was an Indian virologist, immunologist, medical microbiologist, CSIR Emeritus Scientist and a former chairman of the Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation. The founder head of the department of microbiology at King George's Medical University, he is known for his studies on Dengue virus infection. Chaturvedi is an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies viz. Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, India and the Indian National Science Academy as well as the Royal College of Pathologists and National Academy of Medical Sciences. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, one of the highest Indian science awards for his contributions to Medical Sciences in 1981.

Brahm Shanker Srivastava is an Indian microbiologist, inventor and a former deputy director and head of Microbiology division of the Central Drug Research Institute. He is the founder of Biotech Research, a non-profit non governmental institution promoting research in the field of biotechnology and is a director of Nextec Lifesciences Private Limited, a start up involved in biomedical products and research applications. He is known for his researches on microbial genetics and is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India.

Jody W. Deming is an American oceanographer. She is a professor of Oceanography and a marine microbiologist at the University of Washington (UW). Her research interests include studies of cold adapted microbes in their relation to astrobiology, biotechnology, and bioremediation. She is known for her extensive field work, being involved in over 50 nautical research expeditions. Deming is also the cofounder of the UW Astrobiology Extremophile Laboratory.

Houra Merrikh is an Iranian-American microbiologist. She is a full professor at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Biochemistry. Her field of work is antibiotic resistance and bacterial evolvability.

Saundra Herndon Oyewole is an American microbiologist.

Laurence G. Rahme is an American microbiologist who is Professor of Surgery and Microbiology at Harvard Medical School (HMS). At Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) she also holds the title of Director of the Molecular Surgical Laboratory as a microbiologist in the Department of Surgery and Molecular Biology. Additionally, she holds a Senior Scientific Staff position at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riley D. Housewright</span> American microbiologist

Riley D. Housewright was an American microbiologist who conducted research on germ warfare. Having been assigned to the Fort Detrick laboratory in the mid-1940s and appointed scientific director in 1956, Housewright played a major role in the development of bioweapons for a proposed attack on Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1966, he was appointed president of the American Society for Microbiology. He left Fort Detrick in 1970 following President Nixon's moratorium on US bioweapons research, and later published several books on water safety for the National Academy of Sciences. In the 1980s, Housewright became executive director of the American Society for Microbiology. He died in Frederick, Maryland, in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shafiqul Islam (academic)</span> Bangladeshi American researcher, academic and author

Shafiqul Islam is a Bangladeshi American researcher, academic and author. He is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Professor of Water Diplomacy at Tufts University. He serves as the Director of Water Diplomacy. He is also the Founding Editor of the Water Diplomacy Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Blokesch</span> German microbiologist

Melanie Blokesch is a German microbiologist. Her research focuses on Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium causing cholera. She is a professor of life sciences at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where she heads the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology.

Dorothy May Powelson was an American microbiologist and associate professor at Purdue University. She is known for her mentorship and her research on cell properties of cancers and myxospores.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Rita Rossi Colwell, MSA SC 3520-11592". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  2. "Board of Directors". EcoHealth Alliance . Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 "EcoHealth Alliance Announces Dr. Rita Colwell's Election to Board of Directors". EcoHealth Alliance . 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. Colwell, Rita Barbara Rossi (1961). Commensal bacteria of marine animals; a study of their distribution, physiology and taxonomy (Ph.D.). University of Washington. OCLC   20018876 via ProQuest.
  5. Marmor, Jon (June 2000). "Wonder Women: Bumping Against the Glass Ceiling". Columns Magazine. University of Washington.
  6. 1 2 3 "RitaColwell – Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics". cbmg.umd.edu. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  7. Magny, Guillaume Constantin de; Murtugudde, Raghu; Sapiano, Mathew R. P.; Nizam, Azhar; Brown, Christopher W.; Busalacchi, Antonio J.; Yunus, Mohammad; Nair, G. Balakrish; Gil, Ana I. (18 November 2008). "Environmental signatures associated with cholera epidemics". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (46): 17676–17681. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0809654105 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   2584748 . PMID   19001267.
  8. Colwell, Rita R.; Huq, Anwar; Islam, M. Sirajul; Aziz, K. M. A.; Yunus, M.; Khan, N. Huda; Mahmud, A.; Sack, R. Bradley; Nair, G. B. (4 February 2003). "Reduction of cholera in Bangladeshi villages by simple filtration". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 100 (3): 1051–1055. Bibcode:2003PNAS..100.1051C. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0237386100 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   298724 . PMID   12529505.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "US NSF – News – Rita R. Colwell, Biography". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  10. "Rita Colwell | UMIACS". www.umiacs.umd.edu. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  11. "Director Rita R. Colwell's Remarks to The Engineering Deans Council Public Policy Colloquium, National Academy of Engineering, February 12, 2002". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  12. 1 2 Dame, Marketing Communications: Web // University of Notre. "Rita Colwell, former director of NSF, to deliver the Graduate School Commencement Address". Notre Dame News. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  13. Corey, Pamela (24 January 2014). "Biography of Rita R. Colwell". NIST. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  14. 1 2 Ayala, Christine (2016). "Rita R. Colwell". National Science and Technology Medals Foundation. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  15. University of Maryland, College Park; Department of Microbiology; University of Maryland, College Park; Office of University Relations (1 January 1977), Invisible seas, The Office, OCLC   19548735
  16. Colwell, Rita R.; McGrayne, Sharon Bertsch (4 August 2020). A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science (First Simon & Schuster hardcover ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN   978-1-5011-8127-6. OCLC   1124524054.
  17. Calisher, Charles; Carroll, Dennis; Colwell, Rita; Corley, Ronald B; Daszak, Peter; Drosten, Christian; Enjuanes, Luis; Farrar, Jeremy; Field, Hume; Golding, Josie; Gorbalenya, Alexander; Haagmans, Bart; Hughes, James M; Karesh, William B; Keusch, Gerald T (19 February 2020). "Statement in support of the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19". The Lancet . 395 (10226): e42–e43. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30418-9. ISSN   0140-6736. PMC   7159294 . PMID   32087122.
  18. "The New School Commencement to be Held on May 21". 17 May 2010.
  19. 1 2 "Rita Colwell Papers". www.asm.org. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  20. "Colwell Massif (USA)". SCAR Gazetteer. Australian Antarctic Data Centre. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  21. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  22. "International Prize for biology – Japan Society for the Promotion of Science". www.jsps.go.jp. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  23. National Women's Hall of Fame, Rita Rossi Colwell
  24. "The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details". NSF – National Science Foundation. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  25. 1 2 "Rita Colwell, AIBS Past President, Receives Mahathir Science Award". AIBS Public Policy Office. Retrieved 26 October 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  26. "CosmosID Founder Rita Colwell". CosmosID - Exploring the Universe of Microbes. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  27. "Creativity Prize 7th Award". Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  28. "Rita Colwell, world-renowned microbiologist and science leader, to receive the Vannevar Bush Award". National Science Board. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  29. hermes (10 July 2018). "Seoul, US scientist receive honours". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  30. "Singapore International Water Week – Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize". Singapore International Water Week. 5 February 2019.
  31. "Colwell Honored by AGU with William Bowie Medal". umiacs.umd.edu. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  32. "colwellcenter.usmd.edu__about-us".
  33. "Obituary. Jack Colwell". Washington Post. 18 February 2018. (typo in 2nd line of obituary)

Further reading

Rita R. Colwell
Rita Colwell.jpg
11thDirector of the National Science Foundation
In office
1998–2004
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
1996
Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by Director of the National Science Foundation
1998-2004
Succeeded by