Dr. Rita R. Colwell
Director
National Science Foundation

On August 4, 1998, Rita Rossi Colwell took office as Director of the National Science Foundation, an independent agency of the Federal Government that provides support for research and education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.

Immediately prior to becoming NSF Director, Dr. Colwell was President of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and Professor of Microbiology at the University of Maryland, positions she had held since 1991 and 1972 respectively. While at the University of Maryland, Dr. Colwell also served as Director of the Sea Grant College and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Colwell began her career as a Research Assistant at the University of Washington, where she also held the position of Predoctoral Associate and as Assistant Research Professor. She served as Guest Scientist at the National Research Council of Canada after earning her Ph.D. From 1963 to 1972, she was a member of the biology faculty at Georgetown University.

A member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990, Dr. Colwell has held numerous other advisory positions in the U.S. Government, private foundations, as well as in the international community. She is a nationally respected scientist and educator and has authored or co-authored 16 books and more than 500 scientific publications. She produced the award-winning film, Invisible Seas, and has served on editorial boards for a variety of journals.

Dr. Colwell has received numerous awards, including the Medal of Distinction from Columbia University and the Andrew White Medal from Loyola College. She has also been awarded nine honorary degrees from institutions of higher education and has held several honorary professorships, including the University of Queensland, Australia.

Dr. Colwell has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology and also as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Washington Academy of Sciences, the American Society for Microbiology, the Sigma Xi National Science Honorary Society, and the International Union of Microbiological Societies.

Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, Dr. Colwell holds a B.S. in Bacteriology and an M.S. in Genetics, from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Marine Microbiology from the University of Washington.

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