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Little Falls Village Presents - Virtual

A Lab of One's Own with Dr. Rita Colwell

Join us for A Lab of One's Own with Dr. Rita Colwell.

Rita Colwell is one of the top scientists in America: the groundbreaking microbiologist who discovered how cholera survives between epidemics and the former head of the National Science Foundation. But when she first applied for a graduate fellowship in bacteriology, she was told, "we don't waste fellowships on women." A lack of support from some male superiors would lead her to change her area of study six times before completing her PhD.   

A Lab of One's Own is a riveting memoir-manifest, documenting all Colwell has seen and heard over her six decades in science, from sexual harassment in the lab to obscure systems blocking women from leading professional organizations or publishing their work. Along the way, she encounters other women pushing back against the status quo, including a group at MIT who revolt when they discover their labs are a fraction of the size of their male colleagues. Resistance gave female scientists special gifts: forced to change specialties so many times, they came to see things in a more interdisciplinary way, which turned out to be key to making new discoveries in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Colwell would also witness the advances that could be made when men and women worked together--often under her direction, such as when she headed a team that helped to uncover the source of the anthrax used in the 2001 letter attacks.   

A Lab of One's Own shares the sheer joy a scientist feels when moving toward a breakthrough and the thrill of uncovering a whole new generation of female pioneers. But it is also the science book for the #MeToo era, offering an astute diagnosis of how to fix the problem of sexism in science--and a celebration of the women who fought back. 

This program is free and open to all and is presented by Little Falls Village in collaboration with COFFE (Council of Former Federal Executives & Associates) and in partnership with the Little Falls Library of Montgomery County Public Libraries.

Registration is required at least a day prior to the event. Please register at www.littlefallsvillage.org/Colwell or by calling the Little Falls Village office at 301-320-3267. Please note, you will be asked to provide your name and contact information to Little Falls Village and will receive emails about the event after you register. 

Join us in Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97355135029?pwd=KzNQc1N0ZTcrOHN5dGxERGIyV0tnZz09

Or Dial In: 301 715 8592 Meeting ID: 973 5513 5029 Passcode: 335557
 

By joining this Virtual MCPL program, you agree to abide by our rules of conduct. Library staff has the authority to remove you from this program if we deem your behavior to be inappropriate, to ensure the safety of staff and customers.

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