‘Cryptoqueen’ Ruja Ignatova added to FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list

‘Cryptoqueen’ Ruja Ignatova added to FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list
‘Cryptoqueen’ Ruja Ignatova added to FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list
FBI

(NEW YORK) — Ruja Ignatova, the so-called Cryptoqueen, has now been named a most-wanted fugitive by the FBI.

The FBI added Ignatova to its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list for allegedly defrauding investors of more than $4 billion through OneCoin, a cryptocurrency company she helped found in 2014.

The move comes after Europol added Ignatova, 42, to its most-wanted list earlier this year.

“It’s an important tool for us, the top 10 list,” FBI Assistant Director Michael Driscoll told reporters during a news briefing Thursday. “We think the public is in the best position to help.”

Ignatova, a Bulgarian lawyer, claimed to have invented a cryptocurrency to rival Bitcoin. She and others allegedly made false statements while soliciting investments and promoted OneCoin through a multi-level marketing strategy, according to the FBI.

OneCoin also claimed to have a private blockchain, as opposed to a public and verifiable one that other virtual currencies have, and the value of OneCoin was determined by the company rather than market demand, the FBI said.

The FBI alleges that Ignatova ultimately persuaded investors to give her billions of dollars, capitalizing on the buzz around cryptocurrencies, before disappearing in 2017 after a federal warrant was issued for her arrest.

“She’s got a lot of money and she hit the road pretty quick,” Driscoll said.

Investigators believe Ignatova may have been tipped off that she was under investigation by U.S. and international authorities. On Oct. 25, 2017, she traveled from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, and has not been seen since, according to the FBI.

Ignatova was indicted in February 2018 on one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud.

Ignatova is the only woman on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and is the 11th in its 72-year history, said the FBI, which is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to her arrest. She was known to travel throughout Eastern Europe and the Mideast and may have had plastic surgery to alter her appearance, the FBI said.

While speaking at an event in London in June 2016, Ignatova told the crowd she believed OneCoin would become the “no. 1 cryptocurrency worldwide.” Though in an email with her co-founder, Ignatova reportedly described an exit strategy for OneCoin as, “Take the money and run and blame someone else for this…” according to federal prosecutors.

Several others also have been charged in connection with OneCoin, including Ignatova’s brother, Konstantin Ignatov, who ran the business after she disappeared from public view. He was arrested in March 2019 on a wire fraud conspiracy charge stemming from his role in the “international pyramid scheme,” federal prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to multiple felonies and is awaiting sentencing.

Attorney Mark Scott was convicted in 2019 for his role in laundering $400 million worth of fraud proceeds on behalf of OneCoin leadership and is awaiting sentencing, prosecutors said.

Karl Sebastian Greenwood, another OneCoin co-founder, is awaiting trial on fraud charges.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Suspect to appear in court in San Antonio migrant smuggling case that killed 53

Suspect to appear in court in San Antonio migrant smuggling case that killed 53
Suspect to appear in court in San Antonio migrant smuggling case that killed 53
National Institute Of Migration

(NEW YORK) — One of four men facing federal charges in connection with an alleged smuggling incident that left 53 people dead after they were trapped in a tractor-trailer is due in court Thursday.

Homero Zamorano Jr., 45, of Pasadena, Texas is charged with one count of alien smuggling resulting in death. He is suspected of being the driver of the truck that was found in San Antonio on Monday.

Zamorano could face up to life in prison or the death penalty.

Investigators say Zamorano was apprehended at the scene after trying to pass himself off as one of the migrants. Police were able to recover a phone, a hat and a wallet that contained an ID belonging to Zamorano, court documents show.

Using surveillance footage from the truck’s immigration checkpoint border crossing, officials from Homeland Security Investigations say they were able to determine that Zamorano was the driver. The driver was seen in surveillance footage wearing a black shirt with white or grey stripes and a hat. HSI officials say they verified Zamorano was wearing the same clothing.

Zamorano was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation after he was apprehended.

According to court documents, responding HSI agents initially found 48 people dead inside and around the tractor-trailer. Of those found dead, authorities say 22 were from Mexico, seven from Guatemala, two from Honduras and 17 of unknown origins, who officials suspect are undocumented.

Officials said 16 people were hospitalized.

According to court documents, there were 64 individuals suspected of being in the country illegally in connection to this alleged smuggling incident.

Of the 53 bodies in the custody of the medical examiner’s office, 40 are male and 13 are female, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday.

Rebeca Clay-Flores, the Bexar County Precinct 1 commissioner, said at a press conference Tuesday that some of those found are under the age of 18, likely teenagers.

Clay-Flores, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and representatives from the county medical examiner’s office met with Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mario Búcaro, three Guatemalan consuls, representatives from the Embassy of Mexico and Consul General of El Salvador Fátima Margarita Flores on Wednesday, the medical examiner’s office said Thursday.

The medical examiner’s office said they would release information on the number and nationality of confirmed identities as they become available. Names and identifying information will not be released until their foreign country’s consulate or embassy confirms their next of kin has been notified.

On Tuesday, police arrested Christian Martinez, 28, in Palestine, Texas, alleging he was in contact with Zamorano about the alleged smuggling operation.

Two other men, Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez and Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, were arrested in connection with the truck deaths on gun charges. They were identified as unauthorized migrants in possession of multiple weapons, according to federal authorities.

The incident unfolded in the southern Texas city on Monday evening at around 5:50 p.m. local time, when a nearby worker heard a cry for help and found the tractor-trailer with the doors partially opened and the bodies of 46 people inside, according to San Antonio Police Chief Bill McManus and San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood.

“They suffered, horrendously, could have been for hours,” Hood said.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Calls to free Brittney Griner escalate ahead of WNBA star’s trial in Russia

Calls to free Brittney Griner escalate ahead of WNBA star’s trial in Russia
Calls to free Brittney Griner escalate ahead of WNBA star’s trial in Russia
Mike Mattina/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Friends and family members of Brittney Griner gathered for a vigil outside the Russian Consulate in New York City on Wednesday evening, calling for the WNBA star’s release ahead of her trial in Russia.

“Feb 17 was the last time I talked to my sister,” said Janell Roy, Griner’s childhood friend said at the vigil. “I haven’t been in communication with her, I haven’t been able to talk to her and it hurts.”

Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia on Feb. 17 after she was accused of carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia.

Griner’s detention in Russia was extended repeatedly, most recently through Dec. 20, which is the expected length of her trial. If convicted, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Phoenix Mercury player’s trial is set to begin on Friday and she is expected to remain in custody throughout.

The WNBA star, who attended a preliminary hearing on Monday in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, did not respond to an ABC News reporter’s question as she walked out of the courtroom.

Asked how Griner is feeling at the hearing, her attorney Aleksandr Boikov told ABC News on Monday, “She’s fine as she could be.”

The U.S. government classified Griner’s case on May 3 as “wrongfully detained,” meaning the United States will more aggressively work to negotiate her release even as the legal case against her plays out, the State Department said.

“… The fact remains that the U.S. Government has determined that Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained and being used as a political pawn,” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, wrote in a series of tweets on Monday. “The negotiation for her immediate release regardless of the legal proceedings should remain a top priority and we expect [President Joe Biden] and [Vice President Kamala Harris] to do everything in their power, right now, to get a deal done to bring her home.”

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that Griner is “unjustly detained” and called on the Russian government to release the American basketball star.

Sullivan further stressed the U.S. is “actively engaged” in working to secure Griner’s release, but added that the diplomatic efforts are “sensitive matters.”

“But I will tell you it has the fullest attention of the president and every senior member of his national security and diplomatic team, and we are actively working to find a resolution to this case, and will continue to do so without rest until we get Brittney safely home,” he said. “We also are trying to work actively to return all unjustly detained Americans and hostages being held overseas, whether that be in Iran or Afghanistan or Russia or Venezuela, or China or elsewhere.”

The 6-foot-9 center won an NCAA title at Baylor in 2012; a WNBA title with Phoenix, her current team, in 2014; and gold medals with the U.S. women’s team at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained. Some officials are concerned that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.

Calls to free Griner escalated following the release of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed in April, who was freed from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange. Former Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia since 2019.

An international prisoner swap potentially involving Griner, Whelan and convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout has been discussed, according to Russian media reports, but it’s unclear if there has been any substantial movement on the issue. Russian officials have also indicated that they want Griner to stand trial.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday that Brittney Griner’s inability to reach her wife was an “unfortunate mistake,” adding that another phone call has been scheduled.

It would have been the first time that Brittney Griner speaks to her wife since her detention more than three months ago.

“This was an unfortunate mistake, and the Department of State is working to rectify this as quickly as possible,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that another call between the couple was scheduled. It is unclear if the call has taken place.Cherelle Griner previously told “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts in May that she would like to speak with President Joe Biden.

“I just keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” she said. “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.”

Asked about a potential meeting between Cherelle Griner and President Biden, Jean-Pierre said, “We don’t have anything to share about a potential phone conversation or meeting.”

ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova and Molly Nagle contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Four dead, three injured in Texas car crash involving smuggling operation: Police

Four dead, three injured in Texas car crash involving smuggling operation: Police
Four dead, three injured in Texas car crash involving smuggling operation: Police
TXDPSSouth twitter

(ENCINAL, Texas) — Four people were killed and three others are in critical condition Thursday following a car crash involving an alleged migrant smuggling operation in Texas, police said.

The incident took place on Interstate 35 in Encinal, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“The driver suspected of human smuggling evaded law enforcement and crashed into a commercial vehicle,” the Texas DPS tweeted.

Encinal is located about 40 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The incident comes three days after 53 migrants being smuggled into the U.S. were found dead inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Woman wanted in murder of professional cyclist arrested in Costa Rica

Woman wanted in murder of professional cyclist arrested in Costa Rica
Woman wanted in murder of professional cyclist arrested in Costa Rica
U.S. Marshals Service

(NEW YORK) — Kaitlin Armstrong, a fugitive wanted in the murder of professional cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson, has been captured in Costa Rica after a 43-day search, authorities announced Thursday.

Armstrong, 34, was arrested Wednesday at a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas, the U.S. Marshals Service said. She will be deported and returned to the U.S.

Austin police had issued a warrant on May 17 for the arrest of Armstrong on a first-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of Wilson, 25, who they determined was romantically linked to Armstrong’s boyfriend, professional cyclist Colin Strickland.

Wilson was found bleeding and unconscious with multiple gunshot wounds at a friend’s home in Austin on May 11.

A car resembling Armstrong’s 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee was captured on surveillance footage from a neighboring residence stopping outside the friend’s home the night of the shooting, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

When police interviewed Armstrong on May 12, she was “confronted with video evidence of her vehicle” but “she had no explanation as to why it was in the area and did not make any denials surrounding the statements,” the affidavit stated. After further questioning, Armstrong requested to leave, according to the affidavit.

The U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force located Armstrong’s Jeep Grand Cherokee last week. Armstrong sold the vehicle on May 13 to a CarMax dealership in Austin for $12,200 before flying out of an Austin airport on May 14, authorities said. Investigators believe she then boarded a Southwest Airlines flight to Houston Hobby Airport, before connecting on a flight to New York LaGuardia Airport.

Investigators learned Armstrong was provided transportation to Newark Liberty International Airport on May 18 and, using a fraudulent passport, boarded a United Airlines flight that day to San Jose, Costa Rica, according to U.S. Marshals.

The U.S. Marshals had appealed to the public in their search for Armstrong, a realtor and yoga instructor, and had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to her arrest.

It is unclear if Armstrong has an attorney.

The Marshals Service fugitive case had been elevated the investigation to “major case status” early on, “which likely played a key role in her capture after a 43-day run,” Susan Pamerleau, the U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas, said in a statement. “This is an example of combining the resources of local, state, federal and international authorities to apprehend a violent fugitive, bring an end to that run and hopefully a sense of closure to the victim’s family.”

Wilson, a rising elite cyclist, was visiting Austin from San Francisco for a gravel bike race. She was found shot hours after meeting up with Strickland, police said. Austin police said at the time that the shooting did not appear to be random and they had a person of interest in the incident.

Strickland told police he hadn’t seen Armstrong since May 13, according to the affidavit. He said he has been cooperating fully with detectives in the investigation.

“There is no way to adequately express the regret and torture I feel about my proximity to this horrible crime,” Strickland said in a statement to ABC News Austin affiliate KVUE. “I am sorry, and I simply cannot make sense of this unfathomable tragedy.”

Wilson’s family expressed relief following news of Armstrong’s capture.

“We’re relieved to know this phase of uncertainty is now behind us, and we trust that justice will prevail,” the family said in a statement.

ABC News’ Lisa Sivertsen contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Government nearly exhausts monoclonal COVID treatment funding with new purchase

Government nearly exhausts monoclonal COVID treatment funding with new purchase
Government nearly exhausts monoclonal COVID treatment funding with new purchase
GlaxoSmithKline

(WASHINGTON) — Eli Lilly has announced the U.S. government is buying an additional 150,000 courses of the only monoclonal antibody therapy left that still holds up against all COVID-19 variants of concern, including BA.2.

The new purchase of the therapy, called bebtelovimab, is costing the government roughly $275 million.

This comes after the White House has repeatedly warned the money is running out to buy new vaccines and treatments, including antiviral therapies like Paxlovid and the monoclonal antibodies, without additional relief funds.

This new purchase was paid for out of the $10 billion in COVID funding, which the White House diverted earlier this month to pay for more vaccines and treatments.

Officials said at the time they were left with “no choice” but to shift those dollars, since Congress has not yet approved additional funding.

That redirected $10 billion included $300 million to buy more monoclonal antibody treatments — a cache now all but exhausted by Wednesday’s purchase.

The U.S.’s existing supply of this treatment, including the new purchase, is expected to meet present demand through late August, an Eli Lilly spokesperson told ABC.

Previously this spring, and before the White House diverted the $10 billion in funds, President Joe Biden said the U.S. could run out of monoclonal supplies “by the end of May,” if further funding wasn’t secured, and that planned orders would have to be canceled.

In March, ABC News obtained internal documents showing the administration planned to start significantly cutting the number of viral treatments available to states, and would begin reclaiming and reabsorbing unused doses for later redistribution, in light of the relief funding that had stalled in Congress.

Delivery of this new order of 150,000 courses is supposed to finish no later than Aug. 5, Eli Lilly said. That’s the date Lilly will get them to the Health and Human Services Department, which will then be responsible for allocating doses to states.

There is an option in this new purchase agreement for the government to order an additional 350,000 doses, which would need to be exercised “no later than Sept. 14,” Eli Lilly said.

“Lilly and its collaborators have partnered closely with the federal government throughout the pandemic to ensure broad and equitable access to our monoclonal antibodies,” Eli Lilly’s chair and CEO David Ricks said in a statement to ABC News. “While Congress works toward additional COVID-19 funding, Lilly and the U.S. government will continue to work together to support the availability of bebtelovimab to maximize equity and accessibility in the U.S. market.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

4th of July travel: What to know before hitting the skies or the road

4th of July travel: What to know before hitting the skies or the road
4th of July travel: What to know before hitting the skies or the road
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — This Fourth of July is expected to be the second-busiest for travel since 2000, with 47.9 million Americans taking trips, according to AAA.

Here’s what to know before you head to the airport or hit the highways.

Air travel

Friday, July 1 is shaping up to be the busiest day for air travel during the holiday weekend. Monday, July 4 will likely be the lightest, according to AAA booking data.

The top domestic destinations for the holiday this year are: Orlando; Seattle; New York; Anaheim, California; Anchorage, Alaska; Ft. Lauderdale; Las Vegas; Honolulu; Denver; and Chicago, according to AAA.

Fourth of July airfare is up 45% compared to 2019, now at an average of $437 for a domestic roundtrip, according to Hopper.

But the best prices for domestic trips can be found with a quick weekend trip, flying on Saturday, July 2 and returning on Monday, July 4, according to Hopper.

Road travel

The afternoons of Thursday, June 30 and Friday, July 1 are anticipated to be the most crowded days on the road as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers, according to AAA.

If you’re going to brave the roads on Friday, before 10 a.m. or after 9 p.m. is best, according to analytics company INRIX. On Thursday, before 7 a.m. or after 8 p.m. is best.

July 3 and July 4 are expected to be the best days for traffic, according to INRIX.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Images of person of interest released in DC mass shooting that killed 15-year-old

Images of person of interest released in DC mass shooting that killed 15-year-old
Images of person of interest released in DC mass shooting that killed 15-year-old
DC Police Department Twitter

(WASHINGTON) — Police have released images of a person of interest wanted in connection to a mass shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed a 15-year-old boy.

The June 19 shooting took place during a festival called “Moechella,” which was celebrating Juneteenth, officials said.

At about 8:48 p.m., as police were telling organizers to shut the event down, gunshots rang out, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department said.

Teenager Chase Poole was killed and three others, including a D.C. police officer, were shot and injured, police said.

On Thursday, the authorities posted video of a person of interest they said they’re looking to identify.

“The young man in this photo, you may have run from U Street. But you cannot run from accountability, and you cannot hide from the citizens of the District of Columbia,” D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said at a news conference Thursday. “I’m asking anyone who recognizes this young man to please reach out to us.”

Poole is one of 651 children ages 12 to 17 who have died from gun violence this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Another 176 children that were 11 years old or younger have died from guns.

ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Toxic toad population increases in South Florida due to climate impact: Experts

Toxic toad population increases in South Florida due to climate impact: Experts
Toxic toad population increases in South Florida due to climate impact: Experts
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Toxic toads are returning to South Florida in growing numbers as the region falls back into its warm, rainy summer season, experts say, and they want people to be aware of the risk to pets.

The bufo toad, also known as the cane toad, is a common summer sight in South Florida, but experts in the area believe the species is returning in larger numbers than in previous years.

Jeannine Tilford, owner of local toad management company Toad Busters, said that the changing climate has impacted the population of bufo toads in the area.

Tilford told ABC News that because the region’s temperatures did not drop as consistently as they usually do in winter months, toads that usually would have been too weak or young to survive the winter in the past were able to make it to spring this year.

A main component of Toad Busters’ work is moving toads to habitats where they aren’t a danger to other animals, especially dogs, which can be killed by licking or eating the toads.

Tilford explained that the organization has been expanding west in Florida, and establishing more habitats with properly contained areas and lakes.

She said Toad Busters has shown over the last seven years that management is possible by safely collecting the toads.

The key to containment, Tilford said, is consistency.

“As long as you maintain it, we go from collecting hundreds one night to 30 the next. If you let it go for eight months, a couple cycles go by and they reproduce into large numbers,” Tilford told ABC News.

Tilford said that an influx of people relocating from states like California, New York and New Jersey to Florida has further contributed to dogs dying due to the poisonous toads.

“We had a lot more dog deaths this year,” Tilford said. “People don’t know about the toads, let their dogs out in the backyard and it only takes a couple of minutes.”

Tilford said the best thing for new residents is education.

“They need to understand what we have here, what [the toads] look like and what to do if you have a dog and a backyard,” she said.

Dogs are more likely than cats to try and attack or eat a bufo toad, which poisons the dog, data from the University of Florida showed. Depending on the amount of poison ingested, symptoms often include pink or red gums, drooling or frothing at the mouth, pawing at the mouth, seizures and sometimes cardiac arrest.

Tilford told ABC News that residents shouldn’t let their dogs loose in the backyard, especially during evening hours, as the toads are nocturnal.

She added that if a dog does have contact with a toad, immediately wipe out the dog’s mouth with a wet rag and take the dog to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

If there are bufo toads on a resident’s property, Tilford said the homeowner should reach out to have them removed from the area and they should install barrier fencing. While they aren’t deadly to humans, they can cause skin and eye irritation and should not be handled without gloves.

Bufo toads can be found in urban, suburban and agricultural areas, most commonly in yards, around buildings or near canals and ponds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The commission added that bufo toads breed year-round in standing water, streams, canals and ditches.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

STEM trailblazer, physicist Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson retiring after 50 years

STEM trailblazer, physicist Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson retiring after 50 years
STEM trailblazer, physicist Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson retiring after 50 years
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

(NEW YORK) — After a remarkable career spanning nearly 50 years, STEM trailblazer, physicist and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is retiring.

In 1973, Jackson graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a doctorate in theoretical elementary particle physics, making her the first Black woman to receive a doctorate in any field from the renowned university. She was also one of the first Black women to receive a bachelor’s degree from the school.

Her time at MIT set the stage for her professional life, putting her on the path to help others along the way, Jackson told ABC News. She described how the events of the last 50 years helped shape not only her work but also how to help be an example for others.

“I knew when I looked around, there weren’t very many African Americans when I was an undergrad, and especially as a graduate,” Jackson said. She added that doing the best work she could in her own career could help guide others.

Jackson said she looks back on her life through “windows in time” marked by historical events that led her to create some of her own.

Jackson recalls feeling close to the politics that so greatly influenced her childhood. Though she lived in a predominantly white neighborhood, she could not attend the segregated school closest to her home. The landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, however, changed that.

“It was an interesting experience,” she said. “One could say it was more competitive because it was a wider range of people with whom one competed.”

Just a few years later, the launch of Sputnik 1 intensified the Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

“That made the public policymakers and politicians nervous. And so the curriculum in the public schools was changed to give much more emphasis to science and math,” Jackson said of how she was further immersed in the field.

Her focus secured her two scholarships to MIT. Though she initially thought she’d pursue math, Latin and Greek, she soon became interested in quantum mechanics, where she excelled despite the social challenges she faced.

“At MIT, it wasn’t always friendly,” she said. “If I sat at a table alone, no one else would come and join many times, but if I went and joined the table, then people would suddenly be finishing up their meals…and so in that sense, it was very isolating.”

Undeterred, she found community in the regional chapter of the historically Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta. She would go on to serve as president of the sorority for two years. She said it taught her “resilience, inventiveness, resourcefulness” while giving her an outlet since MIT did not have its own chapter at the time.

Near the end of her senior year, in April 1968, Jackson was driving back from a graduate school visit when she learned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot in Memphis. Hearing the news of his death made her think about how she could make a difference.

“I thought about how quiet I’ve been as an undergrad. And I felt there was something that I needed to do and should do at MIT to get more African American and minority students in and to become more hospitable for such students. And so in the end, I decided to stay at MIT,” Jackson told ABC News.

Taking action, Jackson co-founded the school’s Black Student Union, which was instrumental in starting Project Interphase, which is a summer program designed to help transition new students into life at MIT. The program, which still runs today, evolved from a task force on educational opportunities that sought to expand the applicant pool and promote diversity at MIT.

After years of making strides in her postdoctoral work at research and development company Bell Labs, and particle physics laboratory Fermilab, Jackson was appointed Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by President Bill Clinton in 1995.

She returned to academia in 1999 as the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s 18th president to create an institution with the “global reach and global impact” that it has today. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Jackson as co-chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board.

From notable firsts to nuclear frameworks, Jackson has left her mark on the world. In reflecting on what it all has meant for her, she told ABC News that what she holds close is her father’s memory and the impact her work has had on others.

“It’s about being able to walk so you can carry someone else,” she said. “The more influential the positions I’ve had and the more powerful they’ve become, the more I’ve been able to help people develop open doors and help people step through. That is what’s meaningful to me.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.