Effie Almira Southworth Spalding (1860–1947), was an American botanist and mycologist, and the first woman plant pathologist hired by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

[2] Southworth was well educated and through her college years she studied foreign languages, mathematics, zoology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, geology, botany, and physiology.

During her two years at the college, she also joined the botanical laboratory as a Fellow, worked on the anatomical structure of plants, and was able to understand the development of the fungus Asteroma.

There, she worked as an assistant mycologist with Erwin F. Smith and Beverly T. Galloway and became involved in the study of fungal pathogens.

As an assistant mycologist, she was responsible for preparing mycological publications on deceases that were causing a huge impact on the economy.