ORONO – The University of Maine’s remarkable women in science – past, present and future – were the honorees at a special Earth Day reception held April 27.

The annual Earth Day Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Edith Marion Patch originated three years ago in memory of the University of Maine’s first woman scientist who came to Orono in 1903 to establish the entomology department.

The reception recalled her contribution to science and paid special tribute to the “Heirs of Edith Patch,” the women engaged in scientific work today at UM. The event was co-sponsored by the Friends of Dr. Edith Marion Patch, the Friends of Fogler Library and Women in Science, a student organization.

Christy Finlayson, a doctoral candidate in biological sciences, discussed her research on native and non-native ladybug species in Maine, as well as her study of invasive species on Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean.

Tiffany Wilson, who is completing a master’s degree in ecology and environmental sciences, shared her research on pH and phosphorus levels in the sediments of three Maine lakes.

Heidi Purrington, an engineering student, showed her collaborative design for a new type of pulse meter, and undergraduates Aimee Guy, Corinne Grant, Danijela Krsmanovic, Alice Doughty and Jennifer Dionne spoke about their plans for science-based careers.

Like their predecessor, Edith Patch, today’s women in science at UM bring talent and determination to their work. Unlike Dr. Patch, they can look forward to many opportunities, resources and even legal protection that will help them as they work toward their goals.

In 1903, when Edith Patch began working in Orono, there was doubt about a woman’s capacity to carry out scientific research that was considered men’s work. As a consequence, no salary was approved for Patch’s first year on the job.

At the end of that probationary year, she had done such a good job of setting up the department and establishing its research agenda that she was officially placed on the payroll.

Patch spent her career at the University of Maine, becoming the author of more than 80 scientific and technical publications and hundreds of nature stories, articles, poems and books for children, teachers, parents and home gardeners.

Patch also made her mark as an environmentalist long before Rachel Carson, warning that widespread use of chemical pesticides would harm beneficial insects and songbirds, as well as insect pests.

For today’s women in science at UM, the future looks bright. As they consider their plans for further academic study and for careers in the sciences, these women are treading in the footsteps of the university’s pioneering woman in science.