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Shirley Jackson, PH.D
Nuclear Physics
Shirley Jackson, PH.D
Nuclear Physics
Jackson was born in Washington, D.C., and attended Roosevelt Senior High School. After graduation in 1964, she enrolled at MIT to study theoretical physics, earning her B.S. degree in 1968.[4][5]
Jackson elected to stay at MIT for her doctoral work and received her Ph.D. degree in nuclear physics in 1973, becoming the first African American woman to earn a doctorate degree from MIT. Her research was directed by James Young, a professor in the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics.[4][6] Jackson is also the second African American woman in the United States to earn a doctorate in physics. She was featured on the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Season 6, Episode 7, where she was noted as one of the leading global pioneers in science while knowing little about her ancestry.[7] In 2002, Discover magazine recognized her as one of the 50 most important women in science.
Shirley Jackson
The first black woman ever awarded a PhD from MIT in the early seventies, Jackson has become one of the most recognizable names in telecommunication. For two decades she was the leading researcher on subatomic particle studies that led to the invention of touch-tone telephones, fiber optics, portable fax machines, caller ID, call waiting technology and solar cells.
Academic and Professional Milestones
Earned a Bachelor of Science in physics from MIT in 1968.
Completed her Ph.D. in nuclear/particle physics at MIT in 1973.
Conducted research at Bell Laboratories, Fermilab, and CERN.
Served as chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission under President Clinton.
Led Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as its 18th president from 1999 to 2022
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