[1][2][3] Scotchmer was raised in Pelican, Alaska, where her grandparents homesteaded after failing as gold rushers.
Scotchmer served on various committees of the National Research Council and was a member of the Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy.
She was most renowned for her contributions on economic literature on subjects ranging from intellectual property and innovation to game theory.
She served as a scholar in residence at the US appellate court and has been called to testify as an expert in patent matters.
[1][2] In 2017 The Econometric Society published a book recalling her life and work with a collection of 11 of her best-known papers.