Janeen DiGuiseppi, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Albany Division, announced Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson as the division’s 2020 recipient of the Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA). For more than two decades, the FBI has presented the DCLA to extraordinary citizens from around the country who share a willingness to lead, and whose work directly impacts the mission of the FBI. Each of the FBI’s 56 field offices nominates one honoree who has been a strong and engaging partner and has demonstrated outstanding contributions to their community through service.

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson has made numerous contributions and accomplishments to the community served by the FBI’s Albany Division. Since becoming the 18th President of Rensselaer in 1999, she has led an extraordinary transformation of the campus through state-of-the-art research platforms that include the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center, and the Center for Computational Innovations, which houses the most powerful supercomputer at an American private university.

Beyond her transformational work on campus, Dr. Jackson is an outstanding partner to law enforcement agencies within the community. She partners with federal, state, and local law enforcement for various training exercises that are paramount in ensuring agencies can seamlessly work together to respond to acts of unthinkable violence.

Dr. Jackson is also a valuable member of the division’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) Executive Board. Her extensive and impressive work within the intelligence community has had a tremendous impact on the mission of the FBI. “Dr. Jackson’s ability to recognize and comprehend national security threats that impact our communities and her commitment to creating a strong partnership between the FBI and Rensselaer has created a remarkable collaboration the Albany Division is lucky to have,” said SAC Janeen DiGuiseppi.

There are truly countless ways Dr. Jackson makes the community stronger and the Albany Division more impactful, and we are honored to recognize her partnership with this important award.