In honor of Women's History Month, T-Mobile for Business recognizes the many achievements of outstanding women whose work has been integral to the technologies we rely on today. As part of this effort, we reached out to Dr. Shirley Jackson, Ph.D., D.L. , D.Sc. , and president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , to find out how she achieved her innovative academic and scientific accomplishments.
T-Mobile talked with Jackson to find out more about her incredible story. The challenges she faced and how she rose above them to become a highly respected scientist and educator – and what her advice would be to other women focusing on STEM fields of study.I grew up with wonderful parents who encouraged my interests in science. I garnered both an excellent educational foundation and great encouragement in the public schools of Washington, D.C.
Nonetheless, I decided to remain at MIT for graduate school in theoretical elementary particle physics, because I knew I could make a difference there. Inspired by the courage of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders … I co-founded the Black Students’ Union. I also joined a task force on educational opportunity. Our recommendations persuaded MIT to actively recruit minority students for the first time.
Theoretical elementary particle physicist Mary K. Gaillard, Ph.D., was another inspiration. Mary K. and I met at Fermilab in 1973. I greatly admired the way Mary K. managed a challenging career, under challenging circumstances. She was conducting groundbreaking research … while raising three children, organizing conferences around the world, and being consistently undervalued by her home institution. But she handled it all with aplomb and stayed focused on the work.
TMobileBusiness Dr. Jackson has tanked RPU from a top 10 ranking school to 53rd in the US and near bankrupted it. In her 20 yrs RPI she has done nothing to help increase enrollment of black students in STEM! RealCandaceO TuckerCarlson IngrahamAngle blacks lives don't matter to her!