Jyl Madlem '95

Alumni Achievement Award Winner

• Technical consultant, Abbott Rapid Diagnostics; Greenwood, Indiana

• Major: Psychology

Jyl Madlem has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare and diagnostics industry. Her journey into the sciences began in Terre Haute, Indiana, where an inspiring high school chemistry teacher, Melanie Huber, ignited her passion for medical technology. This early influence set Madlem on a path dedicated to laboratory sciences and public health. Her time at Illinois State, inspired by Dr. Skip Lemke and Dr. James Johnson, set her on a leadership course with a talent and dedication for training.

Currently, she is a technical consultant and field coach at Abbott Rapid Diagnostics. In this role, she provides clinical and technical training for infectious disease products across Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. Her expertise helps customers implement and troubleshoot instrumentation, enhancing patient outcomes, while coaching newly hired team members.

Previously, Madlem served as a laboratory program advisor at the Indiana State Department of Health. She developed and conducted training programs on various critical topics, including phlebotomy, biothreat organism identification, and communicable disease reporting. She was also involved in shaping public health policy on a national level through her participation in two Association of Public Health Laboratories committees. During the pandemic, Madlem played a pivotal role in procuring swabs for Indiana's statewide testing program, setting up remote testing centers, and disseminating vital information to health care professionals, first responders, coroners, and citizens. Her contributions were also crucial during public health emergencies, such as the HIV outbreak in Scottsburg and lead contamination incidents in East Chicago and Kokomo.

Madlem holds a Master of Science in management from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University. At Illinois State, she was vice president of the Golden Key National Honor Society chapter, a member of Psi Chi honor society, and on the dean’s list. She is a certified lean practitioner and holds six sigma green and yellow belt certifications.

An active member of the professional community, she serves on the board of directors for the South Central Association of Clinical Microbiology and has been a member of the American Society for Microbiology since 2011. She has made significant contributions to the field through numerous publications and presentations on infectious diseases, laboratory training, and public health responses.

Outside of her professional life, Madlem is a proud mother of two daughters and has a beloved cat named Lola, who they rescued during the pandemic.