Shirley Ann Jackson

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, (born August 5, 1946) is an American physicist, and was the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

She is the first African American woman to have earned a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics, and the first African American woman to have earned a doctorate at MIT in any field.

She is also the second African American woman in the United States to earn a doctorate in 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.

Jackson elected to stay at MIT for her doctoral work, and received her Ph.D. degree in nuclear physics in 1973, 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.

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 is noted as one of the leading global pioneers in science all while knowing little about her ancestry.

Jackson joined the Theoretical Physics Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories in 1976, examining the fundamental properties of various materials.

She began her time at Bell Labs by studying materials to be used in the semiconductor industry.

Moreover, these telecommunications advancements significantly predated her arrival at Bell Labs in 1976, with these six specifically enumerated inventions actually occurring by others in the time frame between 1954 and 1970.

She worked in the Scattering and Low Energy Physics Research Department from 1978, and moved to the Solid State and Quantum Physics Research Department in 1988.

At Bell Labs, Jackson researched the optical and electronic properties of two-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional systems.

Jackson served on the faculty at Rutgers University in Piscataway and New Brunswick, New Jersey from 1991 to 1995, in addition to continuing to consult with Bell Labs on semiconductor theory.

Her research during this time focused on the electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional systems.

Although some sources claim that Jackson conducted scientific research while working at Bell Laboratories that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch-tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting, Jackson herself makes no such claim.

In 1995 she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve as chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), becoming the first woman and first African American to hold that position.

At the NRC, she had "ultimate authority for all NRC functions pertaining to an emergency involving an NRC licensee".

In addition, while Jackson served on the commission she assisted in the establishment of the International Nuclear Regulators Association.

Dr. Jackson served as the chairperson for the International Regulators Association from 1997 to 1999.

The association consisted of senior nuclear regulatory officials from countries like Canada, France, Germany and Spain.

On July 1, 1999, Jackson became the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

She was the first woman and first African American to hold this position.

Since her appointment to president of RPI, Jackson has helped raise over $1 billion in donations for philanthropic causes.

She led the development of a strategic initiative called The Rensselaer Plan and much progress has been made towards achieving the Plan's goals.

She oversaw a large capital improvement campaign, including the construction of an Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center costing $200 million, and the East Campus Athletic Village.

After arriving at RPI, Jackson's salary and benefits expanded from $423,150 in 1999–2000 to over $1.3 million in 2006–2007.

In 2002, Discover magazine recognized her as one of the 50 most important women in science.

Jackson has described her interests thus:

"I am interested in the electronic, optical, magnetic, and transport properties of novel semiconductor systems. Of special interest are the behavior of magnetic polarons in semimagnetic and dilute magnetic semiconductors, and the optical response properties of semiconductor quantum-wells and superlattices. My interests also include quantum dots, mesoscopic systems, and the role of antiferromagnetic fluctuations in correlated 2D electron systems."

On April 26, 2006, the faculty of RPI (including a number of ‘’emeritus’’ faculty) voted 155 to 149 against a vote of no-confidence in Jackson.

In 2006–07, and it is estimated she received another $1.3 million from board seats at several major corporations.

The announcement of layoffs at RPI in December 2008 led some in the RPI community to question whether the institute should continue to compensate Jackson at that level, maintain a residence in the Adirondacks for her, and continue to support a personal staff.

On December 4–5, 2009 Jackson celebrated her tenth year at RPI with a "Celebration Weekend," which featured tribute concerts by Aretha Franklin and Joshua Bell among other events.

Following the weekend, the board of trustees announced they would support construction of a new guest house on Jackson's property, for the purpose of "[enabling] the presidents to receive and entertain, appropriately, Rensselaer constituents, donors, and other high-level visitors."

The trustees said that "the funds for this new project would not have been available for any other purpose."

William Walker, the school's Vice President of Strategic Communications and External Relations noted "The Board sees this very much as a long-term investment... for President Jackson and her successors."

In 2011 Jackson's salary was $1.75 million.

Her presidency created much controversy in the student body; in 2011, the RPI Student Senate passed a motion to request that the administration to review her performance and consider her removal due to a “broad sense of dissatisfaction and low morale among students, faculty, staff and alumni, particularly in opposition to the Institute and President Jackson’s leadership" and her "top down leadership, [and] abrasive style."