New Acting Head of Antarctic Sciences Section

Michael E. Jackson, currently the Program Director for the Earth Science in OPP’s Antarctic Sciences Section, will assume the duties of Acting Section Head Antarctic Sciences Section starting November 22, 2020. He will replace Dr. Alex Isern who has been appointed the Deputy Assistant Director for the Directorate for Geosciences.

Dr. Jackson brings extensive experience to this position after serving in several roles within the Antarctic Science Section including Program Director for Antarctic Instrumentation and Science Facilities and Antarctic Earth Science. Dr. Jackson has participated in several NSF cross-directorate and cross-divisional activities including the NSF Geoscience’s Directorate’s Prediction of and Resilience against Extreme Events (PREEVENTS), NSF-wide Convergence Accelerator (C-Accel), Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 (Mid-scale RI-1), and Mid-Career Advancement programs. 

His scientific interests include seismology, geodesy, and atmospheric and space weather. He has served in large project-management roles building large facilities for NSF and he has chaired and participated in numerous review panels for NSF, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA. He also has written more than 60 articles and abstracts on tectonics, volcanology, atmospheric water vapor, and technological innovations. 

Dr. Jackson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of New Mexico (1986), a Master of Science degree in Geology from the University of Colorado (1988), and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Colorado (1994).  His research primarily focused on late Pleistocene to modern tectonic deformation.