Madeleine M. Joullié facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madeleine M. Joullié
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| Born | March 29, 1927 Paris, France
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| Nationality | Brazilian, American |
| Alma mater | Simmons College, University of Pennsylvania |
| Spouse(s) | Richard E. Prange |
| Children | None |
| Awards | Garvan–Olin Medal (1978) Edward Leete Award (2009) John Scott Medal (2015) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Pennsylvania |
| Doctoral advisor | Allan R. Day |
Madeleine M. Joullié (born March 29, 1927) is an amazing American-Brazilian organic chemist. She made history at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the first woman to join their chemistry teaching team. She was also the first female organic chemist to get a permanent teaching job at a big American university.
Joullié was one of the first people at the University of Pennsylvania to work on "affirmative action." This means she helped make sure women and minorities had fair chances for jobs. She was a fantastic teacher for both college and graduate students. She also helped many students learn and grow.
Beyond teaching, Joullié is a very active researcher. She has written three chemistry textbooks and over 300 scientific papers! Her work involves making special chemical compounds. These compounds have led to important antibiotic and antiviral drugs. She has won many awards, including the 1978 Garvan Medal. This award recognized her great work in teaching and research.
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Early life and education
Madeleine Joullié was born in Paris, France. Her father was a businessman. His work took the family to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There, Madeleine went to the Lycée Français, a French school. They also lived for a short time in São Paulo, where she attended a private school.
In 1946, Joullié moved to the United States to study. She earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1949 from Simmons College in Boston. This was a college just for women. After that, she moved to Philadelphia. She became the only full-time female graduate student in chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. It was a tough time for women in science. The chemistry building didn't even have bathrooms for women! She earned her master's degree in 1950 and her Ph.D. in 1953.
She worked with a professor named Allan R. Day. He was a big inspiration for Joullié, both as a researcher and a teacher. While at the university, she met Richard E. Prange. He was a physics professor. They got married in 1959.
Career at University of Pennsylvania
In 1953, Madeleine Joullié joined the chemistry team at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the very first woman to do so! At first, her job wasn't permanent. She taught college-level organic chemistry five days a week and ran the lab. For her first five years, no graduate students wanted to work with her. So, she did her research with college students instead. As more women joined the department, both female and male graduate students eventually started working with her.
Joullié received a special scholarship called a Fulbright scholarship in 1965. This allowed her to teach at the University of Brazil. While there, she wrote a chemistry textbook in Portuguese. She also taught as a visiting professor at other famous universities. These included Columbia University and Cambridge in England. But most of her career was spent at the University of Pennsylvania. She became a full professor in 1974.
Working for equality
Joullié was very active in making the university a better place. She helped with the safety committee. This group made sure the chemistry department had safe work rules.
In the 1970s, Joullié also worked on a committee about the status of women. They found that women at the university were not treated fairly. Fewer women had teaching jobs, and those who did had lower ranks and salaries. They also waited longer for promotions. The committee helped create new rules. These rules aimed to recruit more women and minority teachers.
Later in the 1970s, Joullié was chosen as one of the first "affirmative action officers." This meant she reviewed how people were hired and promoted. She compared the resumes of men and women. Sometimes, if she felt qualified women were ignored, she would refuse to approve new hires. Her hard work led to her being chosen to lead the university's Council for Equal Opportunity. This group oversaw fair hiring across all departments.
Joullié said that this job was not easy. But it did get results! She is known for helping to create a culture of equality for women at the university. She also helped the American Chemical Society create professional guidelines for chemists.
Amazing scientific discoveries
Early in her career, Joullié studied special chemical structures called "heterocyclic compounds." She also did important research on "heterocyclic ketones" in the 1970s. In the early 1970s, she successfully created a compound called tilorone. This compound helps protect cells from viruses.
Much of Joullié's research has focused on making "natural products." These are chemicals found in nature. In 1980, she was the first to create the antibiotic called (+)-furanomycin in a special way. This was a big step in making new types of amino acids. She also helped develop new ways to change chemical structures. Her work has led to the creation of several natural products. These include muscarine, geiparvarin, and ascofuranone.
Joullié also worked with doctors to create a special sugar molecule. This molecule is called beta-cyclodextrin sulfate. It can attach to growing blood vessels. By carrying medicine, it can slow down the growth of new blood vessels. This is important for treating cancer. It can help stop tumors from growing. Her special compounds made cancer treatments much more powerful. This sugar molecule is also useful in preventing blockages in arteries after surgery.
Another interesting area of her research was with chemicals called "didemnins." These come from small marine animals called tunicates. Didemnins can fight tumors, viruses, and help with the immune system. In 1990, Joullié successfully created didemnin B. This was a huge achievement! Didemnin B was the first natural product from the ocean to be tested against cancer. Joullié has also made similar compounds and special "probe molecules." These probes help researchers study how didemnins work in the body.
Joullié's lab has also developed new compounds for fingerprinting. These are called "indanediones." The United States Secret Service asked her to help with this. Fingerprint chemicals must be safe and not damage evidence. Indanediones react with the amino acids from the oils on people's fingertips. They are cheaper to make, easier to use, and give clearer, sharper fingerprints. Today, indanediones are a standard tool for finding hidden fingerprints in forensic science.
Awards
Madeleine M. Joullié has received many important awards, including:
- John Scott Medal (2015)
- Edward Leete Award (2009)
- Arthur C. Cope Senior Scholar Award (2002) from the American Chemical Society
- Distinguished Achievement Award University of Pennsylvania Graduate Student Associate and Phi Lambda Upsilon (1999)
- ACS Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences (1998)
- H. Martin Friedmann Lectureship, Rutgers University (1995)
- Henry Hill Award (1994)
- Philadelphia Organic Chemist's Club Award (1994)
- Second Annual Association of American Women in Science, Philadelphia Chapter Award (1991)
- Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (1991)
- American Institute of Chemists 34th Annual Scroll Award (1988)
- American Cyanamid Faculty Award (1984)
- Garvan Medal (1978)
