Celebrating Women in STEM | Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau

Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau was a true changemaker in the world of chemical engineering. In 1937 Margaret graduated from MIT, becoming the first woman to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering. Margaret achieved many firsts during her career, including designing the first process for producing penicillin on a commercial scale.

"While working at Pfizer in the early years of World War II, Rousseau drew on process design experience she had acquired while producing synthetic rubber and distilling oil into high octane fuel and designed the first process for producing penicillin on a commercial scale. Her deep-tank fermentation process enabled large scale production of the miracle drug, which saved countless lives during World War II and became a turning point in human history as the first real defense against bacterial infection."

Image Credit: Science Mag