When Kaliah Jackson, a senior chemist and program manager at HII’s Advanced Materials Coatings Lab in Illinois, graduated from South Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, she never imagined her career would take her to new heights — impacting space exploration.
From a young age, Jackson showed a deep curiosity for science and an interest in understanding how parts fit and function together. Her experiments weren’t always welcome, however — she was once banned from her grandmother’s house for a week after “mixing a bunch of chemicals” in the toilet, resulting in “kind of a fume explosion.”
“I’ve always been drawn to understanding the components of things and how they work together,” she said. “There are so many aspects of science that people are unaware of. It can be challenging because of the complexities, funding, resources and ethical considerations, but at the same time rewarding because of discoveries and innovations, the impact on society and collaborative efforts.”
As a child, Jackson aspired to become a pediatrician, but as she grew older, her fascination shifted to forensic science, envisioning a future as a forensic toxicologist and crime scene investigator.
“Forensics is still my favorite field of science,” she said. “I think that it is so fascinating to be able to solve problems and find answers solely using science.”
