Last Updated on September 16, 2022
When did Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson die? She was an accomplished Physicist, Advocate for underrepresented students, Bronze star winner, and Rutgers University consultant. However, she is not widely known for her achievements. Read on to learn more about her life and career. You might be surprised to learn that she only lived to be 78. Here are some interesting facts about Shirley Ann Jackson.
Physicist
Shirley Ann Jackson was born on August 5, 1946, in Washington, DC. While attending Roosevelt High School, she participated in accelerated programs and graduated as valedictorian. She went on to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning her S.B. in Physics and her Ph.D. in elementary particle physics in 1973. In this time, Jackson became one of the first African American women to earn an academic degree from MIT.
After completing her degree, Jackson devoted herself to her academic work. She logged her equations in an artist’s sketchbook that dwarfed the notebooks used by other theoretical physicists. She also served as president of the National Society of Black Physicists. Her dedication paid off, as she was elected to life membership in the National Academy of Engineering in 1991.
After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Shirley Jackson held several positions. She was a research associate at Fermilab in Illinois and a visiting scientist at CERN in Switzerland. Later, she became a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In 1991, she served on the board of the largest utility in New Jersey. Her scientific knowledge helped shape the way that scientists conduct research today.
Shirley Ann Jackson was a distinguished physicist who was also an advocate for science, education, and public policy. As a result, she was awarded the Thomas Alva Edison Award, the New Jersey Governor’s Science Medal, and the prestigious William Carey Lecture. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson’s legacy lives on. The Nobel Prize in Physics is a fitting tribute to her accomplishments in science.
Advocate for underrepresented students
As a woman of color, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is an icon in the world of STEM fields. Her advocacy for students of color in STEM fields has led to the awarding of the National Medal of Science in 2014. While her research on condensed matter remains groundbreaking, it’s also important to note that she also devoted time to science-rooted public policy. Even though she was not well-known for her research on STEM fields, her work has inspired countless others.
In the early 1960s, Shirley Jackson was one of the few African-American students at MIT. She worked tirelessly for social justice and organized a Black Student Union to help African-American students achieve academic success at the MIT. Her efforts succeeded, and her classmates increased from two to 57 in a single year. She also made it a point to maintain high grades in challenging courses while working as a tutor at the Roxbury YMCA. In 1968, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree and completed her thesis on solid-state physics.
After earning her doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Jackson became the first African-American woman to head a top research university. Her accomplishments have helped inspire future generations of scientists. She is also a leading advocate for women in STEM fields and served as president of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She also served as chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1995 to 1999.
During her undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, Shirley Ann Jackson struggled against discrimination. Despite her background, she continued to pursue her education, and was determined to contribute to the knowledge base of STEM. Her dedication and perseverance paid off, and her success today can be attributed to years of hard work and perseverance. She continues to advocate for underrepresented students in STEM fields. She is a shining example of a woman who aimed high for the future of America’s youth.
Bronze star recipient
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson was an American theoretical physicist. She has dedicated her career to studying the laws of matter, specifically how subatomic particles behave. Before becoming a professor, she conducted research for AT&T Bell Laboratories. In 1991, she was appointed professor of physics at Rutgers University. She has received many honors and scholarships. Below are a few of the many awards she has received.
President Barack Obama has chosen Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson as the 2021 recipient of the Hans Christian Oersted Medal. This award is given to a scientist whose lifelong contributions have enriched the teaching of physics. She has pioneered national leadership in physics education and mentored countless students and colleagues. We are honored to recognize her. She deserves this award! Consider the impact she has had on the world!
A graduate of MIT, Shirley Jackson studied physics and was the first African-American woman to complete a doctorate in the field. Her dissertation focused on electrons in two-dimensional systems and the polaronic properties of these particles. She went on to hold postdocs at the Fermilab and CERN laboratories. She also worked with Sam Ting at MIT. After her stint at CERN, she returned to Fermilab. Her work on electron polarons caught the attention of New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean. She was appointed to the state’s Commission on Science and Technology.
Shirley Ann Jackson’s father, George, was also a bronze star recipient. Jackson’s father, George, invented a special mechanical splice that allowed amphibious landing vehicles to reach Normandy. By developing photos and building things, George made it possible for supplies to reach Normandy. The father of Shirley Ann Jackson loved building things and developing photos. A bronze star recipient, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson received the award during his lifetime.
Rutgers University consultant
Prior to becoming a Rutgers University consultant, Dr. Shirley Jackson was a professor of physics at the university. During this time, she taught undergraduate and graduate students and conducted research on the electronic properties of two-dimensional systems. She has also served as a consultant on semiconductor theory for AT&T Bell Laboratories. During this time, she was also a board member for Sealed Air and FDX Corporations.
During her tenure as a professor at Rutgers University, Dr. Shirley Jackson conducted research on semiconductors and other two-dimensional systems. She has received numerous honors and awards for her work, including being named the Outstanding Young Woman of the USA twice and receiving the Richtmyer Memorial Award for her contributions to science. In addition, she served on the Board of Trustees of Lincoln University and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In addition to these honors, she was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Sigma Xi, Delta Sigma Theta, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Before joining the faculty at Rutgers University, Jackson held a similar position at Bell Labs. She also expanded her horizons and worked on public policy issues, including advising the governor of New Jersey on science investment and serving on the board of the largest utility in New Jersey. She was then named the 18th President of the University’s Department of Science and Technology. By the time she retired, Jackson was the top science advisor to the New Jersey Department of Education and had helped shape the college’s curriculum.
She has received a number of awards, including the prestigious Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Academia from the National Society of Black Engineers in 2002. Moreover, she was named one of the top fifty African-Americans of the century by ESSENCE magazine. In addition, she was inducted into the Women in Technology International Foundation Hall of Fame in 2000. Further, she is among the top five African-American scientists in the world.
MIT professor
Before she became an MIT professor, Shirley Ann Jackson served as an African-American graduate student. She was one of a handful of African-American students at MIT, and encountered a significant amount of hostility from the campus community. But despite this, she persevered and graduated from MIT with her Ph.D., becoming the first Black woman to ever hold a PhD in physics. She also won numerous honorary doctorate degrees and was appointed by President Clinton to chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which led to massive crackdowns on violations of nuclear power industry safety.
Shirley Ann Jackson studied physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and worked as a lab assistant for John Wolfe, a researcher specializing in Ferromagnetism. However, her studies were unavoidably hampered by the academic environment. As a result, she struggled to attend classes on Mondays, and declared a concentration in electrical engineering. In the summer following her sophomore year, she returned home and worked at the Martin Marietta Corporation.
She received numerous awards for her work, including the Thomas Alva Edison Science Award. In 2002, she was named to Discover’s Top 50 Women in Science. In 2004, she was named one of the 50 R&D stars to watch by Industry Week magazine. In June 2000, she was inducted into the Women in Technology International Foundation’s Hall of Fame, where she joined other exceptional women technologists. In addition, she received the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
In her later years, Shirley Jackson continued to work in the laboratory. She earned a Ph.D. in 1973, and her dissertation was directed by James Young, the first African American full professor at MIT. Her dissertation, entitled The Study of a Multiperipheral Model with Continued Cross-Channel Unitarity, was published in Annals of Physics. She discussed the relevance of her research in society and in everyday life.
About The Author
Alison Sowle is the typical tv guru. With a social media evangelist background, she knows how to get her message out there. However, she's also an introvert at heart and loves nothing more than writing for hours on end. She's a passionate creator who takes great joy in learning about new cultures - especially when it comes to beer!