Jacobs began her career in science communications in 1969, working as a reporter for Chemical and Engineering News (C&EN).[5] In 1972, she left C&EN to work for National Institutes of Health and the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards & Technology), where she worked for two years.[4] Jacobs then moved to Smithsonian Institution to work as a chief science writer in 1979. She was promoted to director of the Office of Public Affairs in 1987, the position she held until 1993. During her time at Smithsonian, Jacobs' work in outreach programs toward underrepresented communities has been recognized and earned her the Smithsonian's Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service in 1993.[2][6]
Jacobs returned to C&EN as a managing editor in 1993. After being promoted to editor-in-chief in 1995, she became the first female CEO of the ACS in 2004, after the previous CEO John K. Crum retired in late 2003.[7] She was also the first person to hold that position without having a PhD.[8]
Diversity and inclusion advocacy work
Under the slogan of "The Smithsonian is for everyone," which was coined during her time at Smithsonian, Jacobs developed a variety of outreach programs that earned her the Smithsonian's Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service.[9]
When Jacobs first joined C&EN in 1969, she was the only woman reporter among magazine's staffs.[10] This led to her work dissecting the challenges that women chemists face, which was the first major story of this sort in C&EN.[10][11] Jacobs also initiated the annual release of the "scorecard," where C&EN tracks how the academia and the industry are doing in hiring women chemists.[9]
