Madeleine Jacobs (born November 11, 1946) was the CEO of the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...

(ACS) from 2004 to 2014, and the president and CEO of the

Council of Scientific Society Presidents A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

from 2015 to 2016.

Early life and education

Jacobs was born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

to Joseph and Helen Reines, respectively a concert bassoonist and a secretary. Jacobs earned her B.S. in chemistry from

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

in 1968 with a full scholarship. After bachelor's degree, she completed course works for a master's degree in

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...

University of Maryland College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

in 1969. Jacobs received an honorary

Doctor of Science Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...

degree from George Washington University in 2003.

Career

Jacobs began her career in science communications in 1969, working as a reporter for

Chemical and Engineering News ''Chemical & Engineering News'' (''C&EN'') is a weekly news magazine published by the American Chemical Society, providing professional and technical news and analysis in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.National Institute of Standards & Technology The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into Outline of p ...

), where she worked for two years. Jacobs then moved to

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

to work as a chief science writer in 1979. She was promoted to director of the Office of Public Affairs in 1987, the position she held until 1993. During her time at Smithsonian, Jacobs' work in outreach programs toward underrepresented communities has been recognized and earned her the Smithsonian's Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service in 1993. Jacobs returned to C&EN as a managing editor in 1993. After being promoted to editor-in-chief in 1995, she became the first female CEO of the ACS in 2004, after the previous CEO John K. Crum retired in late 2003. She was also the first person to hold that position without having a PhD.

Diversity and inclusion advocacy work

Under the slogan of "The Smithsonian is for everyone," which was coined during her time at Smithsonian, Jacobs developed a variety of outreach programs that earned her the Smithsonian's Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service. When Jacobs first joined C&EN in 1969, she was the only woman reporter among magazine's staffs. This led to her work dissecting the challenges that women chemists face, which was the first major story of this sort in C&EN. Jacobs also initiated the annual release of the "scorecard," where C&EN tracks how the academia and the industry are doing in hiring women chemists.

Notable awards and honors

* 2006-2007, Sylvia M. Stoesser Lecturer in Chemistry, University of Illinois *2004, American Crystallographic Association Public Service Award * 2003, ACS Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences * 1993, Smithsonian's Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Madeleine Columbian College of Arts and Sciences alumni American women journalists American science writers American science journalists Women corporate executives 1946 births Living people