Rita Colwell is a pioneering environmental microbiologist recognized for her study of how global infectious diseases spread through water sources. Her research has profoundly changed our understanding of diseases like cholera. She also uncovered critical links between climate, environmental change, and the spread of waterborne diseases. Beyond the lab, Rita has broken major glass ceilings: she served as the first female director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, was the 2010 recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, and won the U.S. National Medal of Science in 2006. Her memoir, A Lab of One’s Own, chronicles her career. Fun fact- a mountain in Antarctica, the Colwell Massif, is named after her!