Born and raised in Montana, Jackson Rose is a resource geographer and GIS professional whose work includes geospatial and critical mineral policy analysis in the U.S. West. Jackson's scholarly research looks at rural communities that host large-scale underground mining projects, with a focus on non-regulatory agreements between community organizations and international mining companies.

Prior to accepting a faculty position at Montana State University, Jackson worked for two years in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, where he served as Executive Director of the Meagher County Stewardship Council, a grassroots group negotiating a community benefits agreement around an impending copper mine.