Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., president of Rensselear
Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy,
New York, was recently appointed
by Barack Obama to serve on the President's Council of Advisors in Science and
Technology (PCAST). Dr. Jackson's appointment is the latest accomplishment in her
illustrious career as a scientist, educator, and public policy advocate.
A 20-member body, PCAST assists the President and Vice
President in forming economic policies regarding science and technology. The
council is administered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), a
part of the Executive Office of the President. PCAST meets approximately three
times a year in Washington,
D.C.
President Obama announced Dr. Jackson's appointment in an
address to the National Academies of Science in Washington on Tuesday, April 28. "This
council represents leaders from many scientific disciplines who will bring a
diversity of experience and views," he explained. "I will charge PCAST with
advising me about national strategies to nurture and sustain a culture of
scientific innovation."
When asked about her appointment, Shirley Jackson said she
was honored to join the effort. "He is renewing our national commitment to
scientific discovery and technological innovation," she said about the
President.
This White House appointment is not Jackson's first. From 1995 to 1999, she served
as Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) under President Bill
Clinton.
Editor's Note: Click here for Part 1 of a biography of Dr.
Shirley Jackson in CR4's Woman of the Week blog.
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