The Welch Foundation has announced that Cockrell School of Engineering professor and legendary inventor of the lithium-ion battery John B. Goodenough is the 2017 recipient of the Robert A. Welch Award in Chemistry. Goodenough first received wide acclaim for his research following the invention of the lithium-ion battery in 1980, leading the way for the extraordinary growth in portable electronic devices that continues today. More than 30 years later, Goodenough, who is 95 years old, continues to contribute groundbreaking research.