[1] He is the Vilas Distinguished Professor of Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and director and chief research scientist for Wisconsin's Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB) in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research.
He earned tenure in 2007, was promoted to full professor in 2011, and then rewarded with a named professorship from the Vilas Estate Trustees in 2012.
[5] Jackson conducts research on and evaluations of interventions designed to broaden participation for underrepresented group in STEM fields.
In 2010, he founded the Wei LAB, a social science research laboratory investigating ways to promote equitable learning and work environments in education.
[7] In 2012, it founded the International Colloquium for Black Males in Education, a convening that gathers global experts at a different university or institute annually.