User:Michelle-Mayersky/sandbox

Zelma Maine Jackson
Zelma Maine Jackson was an African American woman who has been a dedicated and inspiring environmentalist for over thirty five years. Specifically, she has worked as a hydrogeologist for Washington State's department of Ecology. She grew up in South Carolina where she was a member of the Gullah-Geechee Nation.

Biography
Ever since Zelma was a young girl, she always had a strong passion for the environment. Her grandmother was her biggest influence as she first introduced Zelma to science. When Zelma was seven she moved away with her family to Heilbronn, Germany which later helped her land a job as an exploration geologist for the Atlantic Richfield Oil company where she searched for uranium in the Rocky Mountains using drill cores. Zelma received her Bachelor's from Virginia State and continued her education at the University of Washington to earn a Master's degree in economic ecology.

Career
In the 1970’s, Zelma Maine Jackson’s career focus was exploration geology with the oil company in the Rockies. She was looking for sandstone uranium deposits and she found several of mines located in the area. In the 1980’s, Zelma’s career focus shifted to nuclear waste cleanup. For twenty years, she worked at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington state which is one of the world’s largest environmental cleanup projects. At this site, she has worked with radioactive waste products and other chemicals in efforts to contain them to help decontaminate groundwater sources. In addition, she also devotes time to protect loggerhead sea turtles back in her hometown.

Zelma Maine Jackson has worked in government efforts to help advocate for human health that can be impacted by waste products. She has been a member of the National Association of Black Geoscientists, a board member of

the American Red Cross, United Way, Rotary International, and many public schools.