Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Jackson, Shirley Ann

Shirley Ann Jackson, born August 5, 1946, in Washington, D.C., is a renowned American physicist and the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Her career in science has included leadership positions in academe, business, and government, and she has received many awards in recognition for her work in these areas.

Jackson received her B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968 in the field of theoretical physics. Although she was one of a small minority of African American students at the university, she continued her studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, eventually becoming the institute's first female African American doctoral graduate, in 1973. Her primary area of research has been in theoretical elementary particle physics, which uses theoretical concepts and mathematical formulas to understand subatomic particles, and she has continued her research into this area through many postdoctoral appointments.

Postdoctoral Positions

Jackson worked as a research associate for the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, and the European Center for Nuclear Research in Switzerland before joining the Theoretical Physics Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1976, where she remained as a researcher until 1991. In 1991, Jackson began her career as a professor at Rutgers University, where she taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in physics until 1995.

In 1995, Jackson was appointed by President William Clinton to serve as chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the organization charged with supervising the safety of reactor by product material in relation to public health, the environment, national security, and other related issues. She was the first black woman to hold this position, and she served in this capacity until 1999.

In 1999, Jackson became the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, becoming the first black woman to achieve this distinction. Further, she was the first black woman to become president at any top 50 research university in the United States. As president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, she has surpassed fund-raising goals established for the university and supported the move to hire significantly more faculty members to reduce class size. Despite the success, her presidency has not been without controversy, and she has been criticized for her substantial compensation package by faculty members and the news media.

Honors and Awards

Jackson has been the recipient of many awards and honors for her work in research and education. She is an invited member in the American Physical Society and the American Philosophical Society, and in 1998 she was inducted in the National Women's Hall of Fame for her work as a scientist and for her contributions to education, science, and public policy. In 2002, Jackson was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women in Science by Discover magazine, and in 2004 she was named a fellow of the Association for Women in Science, which seeks to promote equity in the participation of women in the sciences.

In 2007, Jackson was selected as the 2007 recipient of the National Science Board Vannevar Bush Award, which recognizes lifetime achievements in science and contributions to public policy. In 2009, Jackson was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution