Dr. Shirley Jackson: Fiber-Optic Cable, Touch-Tone Telephone, Caller ID
The first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. from MIT, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson (1946-present) is a theoretical physicist. Her research and experiments paved the way for the creation of fiber optic cables, touch-tone telephones, caller ID and call waiting. She is currently president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.