Professor Joullié Receives John Scott Award for Inventions Benefitting Mankind

Madeleine Joullié, a professor of chemistry in Penn Arts and Sciences, will receive the 2015 John Scott Award at a ceremony on November 20, 2015, in Philadelphia. Dating from 1822, the John Scott Award is one of the oldest scientific honors in the U.S. It is given to “the most deserving” men and women whose inventions have contributed in an outstanding way to the “comfort, welfare, and happiness” of mankind.

Joullié’s research encompasses a range of interests in synthetic organic chemistry, including heterocyclic and medicinal chemistry. Her work in synthesizing organic compounds has led to the development of antibiotic and antiviral drugs.

She is the coauthor of two books and several chapters, as well as hundreds of articles and papers. Her other honors include the Garvan-Olin Medal and the Henry Hill Award from the American Chemical Society, the Scroll Award from the American Institute of Chemists, and the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching at Penn. She is a fellow of the New York Academy of Science and was a Fulbright lecturer. Joullié earned her Ph.D. from Penn in 1953 and was the first female organic chemist to be appointed to a tenure-track position in a major American university.

Past recipients of the John Scott Award include Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Edwin Land, Jonas Salk, Irving Langmuir, Glenn Seaborg, Frederick G. Banting, Guglielmo Marconi, John Bardeen, and Sir Joseph H. Thomson.