Jerilynn "M" Jackson is an American geographer,
glaciologist
Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice.
Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, clima ...
, and
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...
Explorer. She is the author of the popular science book
''The Secret Lives of Glaciers''and ''While Glaciers Slept: Being Human in a Time of Climate Change.'
M Jacksonis a 2018
TED Fellow.
Early life and education
Jackson completed her undergraduate studies at Western Washington University. Jackson then attended the
University of Montana
The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fa ...
, which she graduated in 2011 with a Master's of Science.
She attended the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
, where she earned a doctorate in geography and glaciology.
She worked in The Glacier Lab under the supervision of Mark Carey. Together they proposed a feminist glaciology framework for global environmental change.
They proposed the study to provoke discussion about the people who are researching glaciers, and whose voices are left out.
She completed her thesis, "Tangled Up in Blue: Narratives of Glacier Change in Southeast Iceland", in 2017.
Jackson is a three-time U.S.
Fulbright Fellow
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
, completing research fellowships in Turkey and Iceland.
On her second Fulbright-funded project, she worked in
Höfn
Höfn () or Höfn í Hornafirði () is an Icelandic fishing town in the southeastern part of the country. It lies near Hornafjörður fjord.
The town, the second largest in the southeastern part of Iceland, offers scenic views of Vatnajökull (t ...
, Iceland, looking at how climate change affected glacier communities. During her PhD she became a
National Geographic Explorer. She has served in the
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F ...
in
Zambia
Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...
.
Career
Jackson has given several TED talks, but is best known for her 2017
TED talk
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
"Glaciers, Gender and Science". Jackson has spoken often on the harassment she received as a female scientist. Jackson is an Arctic expert and Emerging Explorer for the
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...
.
She has led expeditions across the Arctic.
She regularly visits glaciers around the world.
She is currently working on InTangible Ice, a multi-year project that studies the impacts of the socio-physical dimensions of glacier retreat.
The project partners with the
National Geographic Explorer
''National Geographic Explorer'' (or simply ''Explorer'') is an American documentary television series that originally premiered on Nickelodeon on April 7, 1985, after having been produced as a less costly and intensive alternative to PBS's ' ...
s, filmmakers and scientists. In 2018 Jackson was announced as a
TED Fellow for her work highlighting how people and glaciers interact. In December 2022, Jackson began hosting a 12-episode series on
Crash Course on the topic of climate change and energy production.
''While Glaciers Slept''
Jackson's first book, ''While Glaciers Slept'', was published by Green Writer's Press in June 2015. It explores the parallels between the destruction of the planet as a result of climate change and a family facing the loss of parents.
The book combines personal science with exploration, and was well received by critics. The book's foreword is by
Bill McKibben.
She has given several talks about this book and her exploration work.
''The Secret Lives of Glaciers''
In 2019, Green Writer's Press published Jackson's second book, ''The Secret Lives of Glaciers''. The book explores what happens when a community's glaciers slowly disappear. Jackson unfolds complex stories of people and glaciers along the southeastern coast of Iceland, exploring the history of glacier science and the world's first glacier monitoring program, the power glaciers enact on local society, perceptions by some in the community that glaciers are alive, and the conflicting and intertwined consequences of rapid glacier change on the cultural fabric of the region. The book has been well received by critics.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, M
American climatologists
Women climatologists
University of Montana alumni
University of Oregon alumni
American explorers
American glaciologists
Women glaciologists
Living people
American science writers
Year of birth missing (living people)