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Oct.
21, 2002 |
President Jackson Named One of the "50
Most Important Women in Science" by Discover Magazine
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| Mark McCarty |
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President Shirley Ann Jackson has been named one
of the "50 Most Important Women in Science" by Discover
magazine. The women were chosen from across scientific disciplines
for their groundbreaking scientific discoveries, their leadership,
and their fearlessness in shattering the scientific glass ceiling.
The November issue of Discover magazine is currently on
newsstands.
"To read their stories is to understand how important it
is that the barriers facing women in science be broken down as
quickly and as entirely as possible," says Discover's
associate editor, Kathy Svitil. "It will take goodwill
and hard work to make science a good choice for a woman, but it
is an effort at which we cannot afford to fail."
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"There is a quiet crisis building in
the United States — a crisis that could jeopardize the
nation's pre-eminence and well-being," said Jackson.
"The crisis stems from the gap between the nation's growing
need for scientists, engineers, and other technologically
skilled workers, and its production of them. It has been mounting
gradually, but inexorably, and if permitted to continue, it
could undermine the global leadership America currently enjoys."
—President Shirley Ann Jackson
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Jackson is one of only two university presidents
to be named in the story, the other being Princeton President
and molecular biologist Shirley Tilghman.
As Rensselaer's 18th president, Jackson has been
a tireless and outspoken advocate and role model for young women
in science. She embraced the term "affirmative opportunity"
as a rallying cry to all segments of society to engage talent
from every sector of the population.
"The demographic reality is this: when you
combine these groups — ethnic minorities, women, and persons
with disabilities — you have a majority of the population,"
said Jackson. "This new majority comprises the engineers
of the future, and the future of engineering and of science."
In a recent white paper for BEST (Building
Engineering & Science Talent), Jackson identifies what
she calls "The Quiet Crisis: Falling Short in Producing American
Scientific and Technical Talent" and calls upon policymakers
to integrate underrepresented groups into the technical workforce.
"There is a quiet crisis building in the
United States — a crisis that could jeopardize the nation's
pre-eminence and well-being," said Jackson. "The crisis
stems from the gap between the nation's growing need for scientists,
engineers, and other technologically skilled workers, and its
production of them. It has been mounting gradually, but inexorably,
and if permitted to continue, it could undermine the global leadership
America currently enjoys."
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