The Legacy of Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, Physicist

Our Black History Month post is a tribute to Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. She is a trailblazer in the fields of electrical engineering, theoretical physics and telecommunications.

In 1973, Dr. Jackson was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was instrumental in the development of ‘Project Interphase,’ which was formed to promote diversity at MIT.

She is renowned for her research in electronics, and more specifically, semiconductors. In 1995, she was appointed chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by President Bill Clinton, and in 2016 she was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama.

In addition to her technical work, Dr. Jackson has had a remarkable career as an educator and administrator. In 1999, she became the first Black person (and first woman) to hold the post of president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the tenure of which lasted 23 years.

In a 2022 interview with ABC News, Dr. Jackson said, “My focus was always on being as excellent as I could be…to me, it’s about being able to walk so you can carry someone else.”

Her contributions not only impacted the world of technology and engineering, they also helped break barriers for women and Black individuals in these fields.