Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson

What Shirley contributed

Became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The story

Jackson studied theoretical elementary-particle physics. Her career included research at Fermilab and Bell Laboratories, leadership of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the presidency of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Why it matters

She expanded the presence of Black women in advanced physics and scientific leadership.