Deborah Jackson facts for kids

Deborah J. Jackson is an amazing American physicist and a Program Manager at the National Science Foundation. She is also a Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists. She made history as the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University.

Dr. Jackson is an expert in how light and energy work, which is called "electromagnetic phenomena." Her work has covered everything from using powerful X-rays to study materials, to working with special light called near-infrared, and even building radio equipment for space missions like Cassini and Mars Observer.

Early Life and School

Deborah J. Jackson was born in Topeka, Kansas. Her family was in the military, so she moved around a lot. She went to 13 different schools! She finished high school at an international school in Brunssum, Netherlands.

In 1974, she earned her Bachelor's degree in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was the first person in her family to study science. She looked up to Professor Margaret MacVicar and Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. During her summers, she worked at places like Bell Labs and Argonne National Laboratory. She also tutored students at MIT.

She was accepted into graduate schools at Cornell, Stanford, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She chose Stanford University because it had the most African-American physics students at the time. She received special scholarships from the Ford Foundation and Bell Labs. In 1980, she earned her Ph.D. from Stanford. Her research involved using lasers to study things in great detail, a process called high-resolution spectroscopy.

Research and Career

After Stanford, Dr. Jackson became a researcher at IBM Watson Research Center. There, she showed how a process called "multi-photon ionization" was connected to other important scientific processes. This work helped us understand how light interacts with materials.

In 1981, she joined Hughes Research Laboratories. She worked on creating optical devices, which are tools that use light, for military uses. She became an expert in "nonlinear optics," which is about how light behaves in unusual ways. She also developed ways to detect things using different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes everything from radio waves to X-rays. At Hughes, she was a pioneer in putting electronic parts like lasers and light detectors onto very fast computer chips.

In 1988, Dr. Jackson had a car accident and spent 13 years recovering. During this time, she joined the RAND Corporation. From 1988 to 1992, she reviewed new technologies that use light, known as photonics. While at RAND, she developed a new way to create special computer processors that use light.

Working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

In 1992, Dr. Jackson joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is part of NASA. She first worked with spacecraft communication systems. She helped develop the "Ultra Stable Oscillator" for the Mars Global Surveyor and Cassini–Huygens missions. These oscillators were like super-accurate clocks on the spacecraft. They helped the spacecraft talk to Earth by keeping their communication frequencies perfectly in sync. She even got to attend the launch of the Cassini–Huygens mission!

Later, she joined JPL's Quantum Technologies Group. Here, she learned about "quantum computing," which uses the strange rules of quantum physics to solve problems. She also worked on "single photon detectors," which can sense tiny particles of light. These detectors are used in "cryptography," a way to keep information secret and secure.

Leading at the National Science Foundation

Dr. Jackson joined the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2006. As a Program Director, she helps manage the Engineering Research Center (ERC) Program. She leads a group that focuses on microelectronics, sensors, and information technologies. She also manages the group that connects these research centers with industries.

The ERCs she helps manage work on many exciting projects, including:

• New materials for tiny devices (TANMS ERC)
• Making power systems more efficient (POETS ERC)
• New ways to make tiny parts for mobile devices (NASCENT ERC)
• Using nature to improve ground engineering (CBBG ERC)
• Developing health technologies for people who don't have good access to care (PATHS-UP ERC)

She has also represented the National Science Foundation at international science forums and worked with science teachers. In 2014, she became one of the first editors for the Translational Materials Research Journal.

Honours and Fellowships

Dr. Jackson has received many awards and honors for her important work:

• Bell Laboratories Cooperative Research Fellow
• Ford Fellow
• Sigma Xi Fellow
• Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists
• Senior Member of IEEE
• Chair of American Physical Society Edward A. Bouchet Award