SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON

PRESIDENT RENSSELAER  POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

As president of the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jackson is the highest-paid head of a private college. The first African American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT, she has established herself as a leader in academia, government, industry, and corporate governance. Jackson invented the technology that enabled caller ID and call waiting during her days at AT&T Bell Labs, where she conducted research in theoretical physics, solid states, quantum physics, and optical physics. She has also distinguished herself for high-demand status on corporate boards, which currently include IBM, FedEx Corp., and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G).

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