O ver the past decade, Merck has invested more than a billion dollars in their manufacturing facilities in the U.S. One of those facilities was stood up by Merck engineer Roschelle L. Jackson.

Merck was proud to salute Ms. Jackson for her role as global distribution and logistics coach at the 2011 Women of Color Conference. She won a Special Recognition Award for process support in bulk pharmaceutical ingredient and vaccine manufacturing at the Merck Vaccine Plant in Durham, N.C.

In 2006, Jackson was vaccine technology, engineering and biological process technology senior process engineer at the Merck Vaccine Plant. She assisted with the Food and Drug Administration inspection and license of the facility. When completed the $900 million plant had 900 workers.

Innovation, Inspiring, Impacting, and Integrating

Accomplished in Merck’s I’s (Innovation, Inspiring, Impacting, and Integrating), Jackson led the launch of employee resource groups at the Durham site and assisted with the activities of employee resource groups such as the Merck Hispanic Organization, Veterans Leadership Network, and the Merck Women’s Network.

With Merck since 1997, Jackson has served as both a quality operation chemist and engineer. She has led transfers of quality standard and in-process tests, training of chemists in synthetic methods, and provided engineering and chemistry support for the outsourcing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Jackson graduated magna cum laude in 1994 with two bachelor degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering technology from Savannah State University.

Over her four years at Savannah State, she served in the 165th Georgia Air National Guard.

At the 2011 Women of Color Conference, a commanding officer from the Guard presented her award.

Jackson also graduated magna cum laude from Howard University in 1995 and served as a chemist at a Pittsburgh-based supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, chemicals, glass, and fiber glass before joining Merck, one of the world’s largest pharmaceuticals.

Merck provides people around the globe with innovative prescription medicines, vaccines, consumer care, and animal health products.