Jeanette Scissum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeanette Scissum
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Scissum at her desk in NASA
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| Born | October 6, 1939 Guntersville, Alabama, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Alabama A&M University |
Jeanette Alexander Scissum (born October 6, 1939) is an amazing American mathematician and space scientist. She is also a strong supporter of fairness and equal opportunities for everyone. Jeanette Scissum developed new ways to predict the sunspot cycle, which helps us understand the Sun better.
Early Life and Learning
Jeanette Scissum was born in Guntersville, Alabama, in 1939. She was one of six children in her family. Her father, who had served in the Army, worked as a sharecropper (a farmer who pays rent with part of the crops). Later, he worked at Cargill Granary but became ill and could no longer work. Jeanette's mother worked in people's homes.
Jeanette went to Lakeview School, which was the only school for Black children in her area. She was a great student and a good basketball player. She graduated in 1956. Her father always believed she would go to college and encouraged her from a young age.
Jeanette received a small scholarship to attend Alabama A&M University. To help pay for her studies, she worked at a telephone switchboard. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics. Later, after working for 13 years, she went back to school to get her PhD in computer science.
Working at NASA
Jeanette Scissum first taught at Councill Training School, a high school for Black students in Huntsville. However, she soon realized that teaching wasn't the right path for her.
In 1964, a friend suggested she apply to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. She joined NASA as a mathematician and was the first African-American mathematician to work there.
In 1967, she wrote an important report for NASA called “Survey of Solar Cycle Prediction Models.” In this report, she shared new methods to better predict the sunspot cycle. Sunspots are dark spots on the Sun that are linked to its activity.
In the mid-1970s, Jeanette worked as a space scientist in Marshall's Space Sciences Laboratory. She also led projects related to Earth's atmosphere, magnetic field, and space plasmas.
After finishing her PhD, she moved to Maryland. There, she worked at Goddard Space Flight Center as a computer systems analyst. Her job was to analyze and guide NASA's information and technical support systems. She retired from NASA in 2005.
Jeanette Scissum's achievements have been recognized. She was honored by Mathematically Gifted & Black in 2018 during Black History Month.
Advocating for Fairness
Jeanette Scissum cared deeply about making sure everyone had a fair chance. She volunteered to be an equal employment opportunity (EEO) officer at NASA. This role meant she helped ensure that people were treated fairly in their jobs, regardless of their background.
NASA Administrator James Fletcher gave her an award for her work as an EEO officer. However, Jeanette noted that fighting for others sometimes made her own career more difficult. A supervisor once warned her that management was not happy with the number of complaints she was handling.
In 1975, Jeanette wrote an article explaining that many workplace problems could be avoided with better communication. She also shared her frustration that Black colleagues, including herself, found it hard to move into leadership roles at NASA.
She said, "The problem (Blacks) had was moving into management and being over people." She found it hard to understand why there was so much discrimination, saying, "most of it seems unnecessary. It doesn't even have a reason." Jeanette Scissum's work helped highlight the importance of fairness and understanding in the workplace.
