Shirley Jackson

This week’s inspirational woman is Shirley Jackson, a theoretical physicist who was the first African American women to receive a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Shirley’s undergraduate experience was tough due to her race, so she helped to create the Black Student Union to support minority students, both emotionally and financially, and to help recruit minority faculty members. Shirley has had a very elaborate career, but one important milestone is that President Bill Clinton asked her to chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In this position, she developed regulation for determining the risk at nuclear power plants. Shirley was clearly highly regarded by The White House as she also worked on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology between 2009 and 2014 and then became the co-chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. In these positions, Shirley worked on advanced manufacturing, security, cybersecurity, and digital technology. There is so much more I could discuss!

#fromwhichitallSTEMmed

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References:

https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/12/19/146775/the-remarkable-career-of-shirley-ann-jackson/