Ellen Swallow Richards

Founder of environmental science and home economics who pioneered water quality analysis and women's STEM education

Ellen Swallow Richards (1842–1911) transformed multiple scientific fields while advocating for women's education. As MIT's first female student and instructor, she established sanitary chemistry as a discipline. Her groundbreaking 1887 Sanitary Survey of Massachusetts introduced systematic water testing, creating modern environmental analysis methods still used today.

Richards co-founded the home economics movement, applying scientific principles to nutrition and sanitation in households. She developed the first water purity tables and air quality standards, work critical to establishing the 1899 Rivers and Harbors Act—America's first environmental protection law. Her 1904 book The Cost of Living applied statistical analysis to family budgets, influencing economic policy.

Through the Sea Education Association she helped create, Richards promoted marine science education. MIT's Ellen Swallow Richards Institute continues her interdisciplinary approach, addressing global challenges through chemistry, ecology, and public health integration.