Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is the 18th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the oldest technological university in the U.S. Describing her as “a national treasure,” the National Science Board selected Jackson as its 2007 recipient of the prestigious Vannevar Bush Award for “a lifetime of achievements in scientific research, education, and senior statesman-like contributions to public policy.” Time Magazine in 2005 hailed her as “perhaps the ultimate role model for women in science,” having held senior leadership positions in government, industry, research and academe. Jackson also was the recipient of a 2009 John Hope Franklin Award, presented by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. In 2009, President Obama appointed Jackson to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. in theoretical elementary particle physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.