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Maine woman in STEM honored in national exhibit

Forest ecologist and climate scientist Lindsey Rustad of Windham is one of 120 women featured in the IF/THEN Exhibit in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Washington, D.C. is known for its brilliant blooms of pink cherry blossoms this time of year, but another display is turning heads this month -- an exhibit of statues, all neon orange, honoring women whose work is inspiring the next generation. 

The exhibit is called "IF/THEN" and runs through the end of the month. 

Lindsey Rustad of Windham is represented among the 120 3D-printed statues of contemporary female innovators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, otherwise known as STEM. Rustad is a forest ecologist and climate scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and she does much of her work at Hubbard Brook Research Foundation.

"I really spent the better part of the of the last three decades trying to figure out what makes forest tick," Rustad said. 

In particular, Rustad has researched how disturbances like air pollution, climate change, acid rain, and extreme weather events can affect the forest. 

Rustad is among the 120 women across the U.S. who are considered IF/THEN ambassadors. The women who come from all different walks of life were selected by the American Association of Advancement in Science. 

Each ambassador was given a grant to further their research or projects. 

Rustad has been collaborating with artists and musicians to make her research more accessible to students. The IF/THEN initiative is all about inspiring the younger generation. 

"The motto 'if then' is if she can see it then she can be it," Rustad said. 

Rustad said that the best part of being able to visit her life-size statue in early March was meeting the young girls.

Research shows girls in particular start to lose interest in STEM during middle school, something exhibit creator Lyda Hill Philanthropies hopes to prevent. 

"There is research that shows when girls are exposed to role models in STEM they have more confidence and self-perception that they too can consider those careers," Matthew Crommett of Lyda Hill Philanthropies said. 

Crommett was raised in Cumberland but lives in Texas. He said the exhibit is just one part of the IF/THEN initiative. A free library of videos and virtual tours to learn more about the exhibit and the interesting women they feature, along with educational resources, is available online.  

"Our IF/THEN initiative is if we support a woman in stem then she can change the world," Crommett said. 

The exhibit, which is the most statues of women ever assembled, was inspired by a study done by the former secretary of the treasury Rosa Rios. She learned there were only six statues of real women among 12 major U.S. cities that were publicly accessible. 

The statues are bright orange to attract attention to people on the National Mall in D.C. until March 27, 2022.

Rustad said she is proud to be one of the oldest women in the exhibit. 

"It's such an honor to be able to represent women of forest science. ... It's really not about me. It's really about women in forest science and all the amazing women that are out there," Rustad said. 

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