The Girl Who Tested the Waters: Ellen Swallow, Environmental Scientist

Discover the eye-opening story of the first woman student at MIT—a pioneering environmental chemist sure to inspire the next generation of female trailblazers in science.

Ellen Swallow found a friend in nature and a lifelong love of science as a child exploring the woods around her family’s home. She was a voracious learner with an interest in chemistry, and continuing her education at the newly established Massachusetts Institute of Technology seemed a good fit. But in 1871, many believed ...