The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the President of the United States on America’s leading innovators.
The medal is awarded annually to individuals, teams (up to four individuals), companies or divisions of companies for their outstanding contributions to America’s economic, environmental and social well-being. The purpose of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation is to recognize those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness, standard of living, and quality of life through technological innovation, and to recognize those who have made substantial contributions to strengthening the nation’s technological workforce.
Established by the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, the medal was first awarded in 1985.
The year, seven individuals were chosen to receive the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Only one was a woman.
Frances H. Arnold is the Dick and Barbara Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineeering, and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology. She is a leading scientist in the field of protein engineering. Her research focuses on the production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources with the goal of lowering carbon dioxide emissions.
Professor Arnold is a graduate of Princeton University and earned a Ph.D. at the University of California at Berkeley. She joined the faculty at CalTech in 1987 and became a full professor in 1996.