🎉 #HBD, Ellen Swallows Richards!
Not only did she co-found the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in 1881, but Richards was also the first U.S. women to earn a chemistry degree when she graduated from Vassar College in 1870, a time when women were largely barred from higher education.…Kinda amazing, right?
Richards researched causes of water pollution, and her work resulted in the establishment of the first modern sewage treatment plant. She’s also credited with creating the field of home economics.
A graduate of Vassar College, Richards went on to teach chemistry at MIT, where she established its Woman’s Laboratory in 1876. Knowing firsthand the barriers facing women in science, her women-only lab provided much-needed opportunities for women to study and gain entry into science.
Read Richards’ full, totally badass story.
Read about other amazing, historic women in STEM.