Shirley Jackson

  • Date of Birth

    Date of Birth
    She was born in Washington, DC. Her parents - Beatrice and George Jackson,
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    Biography of Shirley Jackson

  • High School Graduation, Valedictorian

    At Roosevelt High School, Jackson attended accelerated programs in both math and science, and she graduated in 1964 as valedictorian
  • Graduated from MIT with a Bachelors Degree

    She earned her bachelors degree in 1968. Her major was theorectical physics.
  • Ph.D from MIT

    She worked on elementary particle theory for her Ph.D., which she completed in 1973.
  • Prof. of Physics at Rutgers University (1976-1991)

    1976-1991 Dr. Jackson was appointed as Professor of Physics at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J.
  • Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    Dr. Jackson was appointed as Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and assumed the Chairmanship on May 2, 1995.
  • Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1998

    She has been awarded 10 honorary doctoral degrees. For her work as a scientist, as an advocate for education, science and public policy, Jackson was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1998.
  • President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

    Photo taken at the World Economic Forum, 2010On July 1, 1999, Jackson became the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She was the first woman and first African-American to hold this position