Shirley Ann Jackson, president, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is selected as one of the Top 10 Black Women in Higher Education.
A recent article in Time magazine calls Shirley Ann Jackson "the ultimate role model for women in science." The president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since 1999, Jackson previously served as chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for three years. In addition, the theoretical physicist has also worked at Bell Laboratories, Rutgers University and many other research facilities around the world, including the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Switzerland. Born in Washington, D.C., Jackson graduated valedictorian of D.C.'s Roosevelt High School and was among the ranks of the first black students accepted to MIT in 1964. After bearing the brunt of the racist reaction inspired by the integration of the college, Jackson remembers being shunned by her classmates, insulted by a professor and even shot at in downtown Boston. But she also made history. She became the first African-American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT and one of the first two black women to earn Ph.D.s in Physics. She also helped to organize the black student affinity group at MIT. Today, she actively uses her position as college president and her professional experiences to cheer on and champion young women interested in pursuing professions in science and technology. She is married to physicist Morris Washington.
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Wednesday, July 13th 2005 at 5:20PM
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