# Shirley Ann Jackson

_American physicist (born 1946)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/shirley-ann-jackson
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Shirley Ann Jackson is an African American physicist and the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is the first African American woman to earn a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics. She is also the second African American woman in the United States to earn a doctorate in physics.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 5 August 1946 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Washington, D.C. ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; university teacher; university president ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P106))
- **Education:** Park View School; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Theodore Roosevelt High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P69))
- **Positions held:** board member (5 May 2005 – 6 May 2017); president ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P39))
- **Awards:** National Women's Hall of Fame; National Medal of Science; Candace Award; Philip Hauge Abelson Prize; Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award; Vannevar Bush Award; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Women in Technology Hall of Fame; Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering; Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; honorary doctor of Harvard University; honorary doctor of the University of Miami; Joseph A. Burton Forum Award; honorary degree from Spelman College; Oersted Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342#P166))

## Questions

**When was Shirley Ann Jackson born?**  
Shirley Ann Jackson was born on 5 August 1946 in Washington, D.C..

**What positions has Shirley Ann Jackson held?**  
Positions held by Shirley Ann Jackson include: board member (2005–2017); president.

**Where did Shirley Ann Jackson study?**  
Shirley Ann Jackson was educated at Park View School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Theodore Roosevelt High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Shirley Ann Jackson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Ann_Jackson) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q3482342](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3482342) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Shirley Ann Jackson World Economic Forum 2010.jpg by Shirley_Ann_Jackson_-_Annual_Meeting_of_the_New_Champions_Tianjin_2010.jpg : World Economic Forum (Qilai Shen) derivative work: Gobonobo ( talk ) (CC BY-SA 2.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shirley_Ann_Jackson_World_Economic_Forum_2010.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Shirley Ann Jackson, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Shirley Ann Jackson World Economic Forum 2010.jpg — Shirley_Ann_Jackson_-_Annual_Meeting_of_the_New_Champions_Tianjin_2010.jpg : World Economic Forum (Qilai Shen) derivative work: Gobonobo ( talk ), CC BY-SA 2.0.

## Cite this page

"Shirley Ann Jackson". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/shirley-ann-jackson. Retrieved 8 November 2026.