Women are 51% of the population and, in Mao Zedong's timeless words, "hold up half the sky." In the context of astrophysics, science, and STEM, why are women
glaringly absent from studies of the sky, and what can we do as colleagues, researchers, and everyday allies to increase their representation and support their
success in physics? In this session, Dr. Taharee A. Jackson will discuss the long legacy of sexism in science and strategic remedies for gender equity and solidarity in STEM. Specifically, Dr. Jackson will discuss what we can learn from existing programs aimed at increasing the representation, development, and support of
women in science and beyond.

Dr. Taharee A. Jackson is the Founder and Tonesetter-in-Chief of DrTaharee Consulting. She also serves as an Equal Opportunity Manager in Strategy and Innovation at the Department of Defense. Dr. Jackson entered public service as a veteran diversity, equity, and inclusion expert. She most recently served as the inaugural Chief
Diversity, Equity, Belonging, and Accessibility Officer at the American Institute of Physics. Prior to that she served as the Expert Consultant to the President and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager at the National Defense University. Dr. Jackson joined the federal government after a 17-year career in academia as a professor, teacher educator, and researcher of Minority and Urban Education. Dr. Jackson is a certified federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) counselor and a certified Sexual Harassment and Assault Prevention Program (SHARP) Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC). She is also a certified Trainer-of-Diversity-Trainers by the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). Dr. Jackson holds a Magna Cum Laude B.A. from Harvard University in Psychology and Spanish; a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Human Development and Psychology; and a Ph.D. from Emory University in teacher and adult education, multicultural education, and urban education reform. Dr. Jackson has served as the inaugural Chester M. Pierce Visiting Scholar at Harvard University and specializes in educating members of all groups to become allies and advocates for those who are different from themselves. In her spare time she enjoys baking, exercising in the sun, and picnicking by her father’s graveside at Arlington National Cemetery.