Celebrating Joullié
I was a chemistry major, and your article on Madeleine Joullié brought
back many memories. I remember her as a young instructor
in the laboratory section of my organic chemistry course,
which was taught by Professor Allan Day. He was a wonderfully
powerful lecturer who was always completely in control of
his material. I was surprised that there was no comment about
Day in the article. He must have had a close association
with Joullié during her early days at the university
and recognized her as a highly talented woman.
Joullié did not teach the laboratory section I was
assigned to, but I recall that, even in those early days,
she was a force to be reckoned with. She never lectured in
the course, but she was always about in the laboratory and
had a definite presence even though she was quite junior
at the time.
Donald Harter, M.D., C’53
I enjoyed your article on Professor Joullié. I am
one of the many
pre-meds who remember her with great fondness. She and Professor Day made studying
organic chemistry enjoyable and valuable. I am another physician who owes a
debt to Professor Joullié and am grateful for this opportunity to thank
her.
Michael Rutberg, M.D., C’62, M’66
Science for Nonscientists
I was pleased to see the article on science literacy. However, at least two
major Penn connections were missed.
First, I was sorry to see no mention of the history and
sociology of science department, which has many courses that
help students “deal with scientific issues you might
come across in daily life.” No, graduates may not be
able to draw the right molecular formula after taking an
HSS course, but they will learn about why government funds
are available for chemists and about the process for shaping
how those funds are used. Moreover, they will understand
the interaction among chemistry and medicine and politics
and choosing what car to drive, which, after all, is what
people actually need to know on a daily basis.
Second, the best definition of “science literacy” remains
the one published in 1975 by then astrophysics professor
Benjamin Shen (later an interim provost at Penn). It defines “practical” science
literacy (knowing why to take the full prescription of an
antibiotic), “civic” science literacy (knowing
how to advise elected officials about genetically modified
foods or environmental laws), and “cultural” science
literacy (understanding the beauty of science or the aesthetic
pleasure of an equation).
A vigorous international community is exploring these issues
and their practical implications at all levels. The challenge
is as great as any intellectual discipline at Penn.
Bruce Lewenstein, G’85, Gr’87
I was an assistant to the dean of women during the 1960s,
and as an advisor to freshmen and sophomore women, I had
the unenviable task of scheduling unfortunates who were repeating
calculus for the second or third time in order to fulfill
the science requirement. It was very frustrating for me and
even worse for the students. Clearly, for those who couldn’t
pass calculus and would never have a use for the information
in the future, it was a waste of time and financial resources.
I would have given anything for a history of science course
to offer them instead.
I am delighted to read about the science courses that are
being offered now. I must admit, this was a special issue
for me, as I had to pick a college for myself knowing that
I would not make it through a college-level math course due
to my own limitations in that area. However, I received a
Ph.D. in English literature from Penn and went on to have
a successful career, ultimately enjoying Daniel Boorstin’s
book, The Discoverers, and many other works that make applied
science relevant to my life and concerns!
Patricia Livingston Herban, Gr’73
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