Bio
Michael Jackson received his bachelor’s degree with majors in physics and applied mathematics from the State University of New York-Oswego and a doctorate in physics from New Mexico State University. He has held faculty positions at the State University of West Georgia, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L), and Central Washington University (CWU). As a faculty member, he studied stable molecules and free radicals with far-infrared lasers. A key element of his scholarship was meaningfully incorporating undergraduate students into his research activities.
Additionally, he has served as department chairperson at UW-L and CWU. At CWU, he led the department through a successful revitalization that included a growth in the program from approximately 20 to over 70 physics majors within six years. Currently, he is Interim President of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology after having served as its Vice President and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and as Founding Dean of the College of Science and Technology at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.
His advocacy for incorporating high-impact practices into the curriculum such as research experiences for undergraduate students led to his election as a Physics and Astronomy Division Representative in the Council on Undergraduate Research. His selection as a Fellow of the American Physical Society were in recognition of his leadership as co-chair of the Effective Practices for Physics Programs (EP3) Task Force and contributions to this initiative. He is also the recipient of several awards including the David Halliday and Robert Resnick Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Physics Teaching from the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and is subsequently a Fellow of the AAPT.