Kristina M. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kristina Johnson
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Johnson in 2009
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| 16th President of The Ohio State University | |
| In office August 24, 2020 – May 7, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Michael V. Drake |
| Succeeded by | Walter E. Carter Jr. |
| 13th Chancellor of the State University of New York | |
| In office September 2017 – June 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Nancy L. Zimpher |
| Succeeded by | Jim Malatras |
| 12th Provost of Johns Hopkins University | |
| In office 2007–2009 |
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| Preceded by | Steven Knapp |
| Succeeded by | Lloyd B. Minor |
| 7th Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering | |
| In office 1999–2007 |
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| Preceded by | Earl H. Dowell |
| Succeeded by | Robert L. Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 7, 1957 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Spouse | Veronica Meinhard |
| Education | Stanford University (BS, MS, PhD) |
| Awards | International Dennis Gabor Award (1993) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical engineering |
| Institutions | University of Colorado Boulder Duke University Johns Hopkins University State University of New York Ohio State University |
| Thesis | Holographic Reciprocity Law Failure, with Applications to the 3-D Display of Medical Data (1984) |
| Doctoral advisor | Joseph W. Goodman |
Kristina M. Johnson (born May 7, 1957) is an American electrical engineer, business leader, and university administrator. She is a chosen member of the National Academy of Engineering.
She used to be the 13th leader (chancellor) of the State University of New York from 2017 to 2020. After that, she became the 16th president of Ohio State University from 2020 to 2023. Kristina Johnson is an expert in creating special light-based systems, 3-D imaging, and color management tools.
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Early Life and Education
Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Denver, Colorado. When she was a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, she won science fair awards. She placed second in Physics at the International Science Fair. Her project was about studying tiny fungi using holograms.
Kristina grew up in a big family that loved sports. She practiced Tae Kwon Do and played lacrosse on the boys' team. Her grandfather, Charles W. Johnson, played football for the Buckeyes in 1896. Years later, Kristina would become the president of that same university.
While studying at Stanford University, Johnson started the women's club lacrosse team. She also played on the field hockey team. In 1979, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, which made her focus more on her studies. Johnson earned her bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford. She also did advanced research at Trinity College Dublin.
Kristina Johnson's Career Journey
After her advanced research, Johnson became a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1985. There, she helped start a research center for light-based computing systems. She also created companies from her research. One company, ColorLink, Inc., was later sold to RealD. This company's technology helped bring 3D movies back to popularity.
In 1999, Johnson became the Dean of the School of Engineering at Duke University. This school was later named after a famous former student, Edmund T. Pratt Jr.
Leadership Roles in Universities and Government
In 2007, Johnson became a Senior Vice-President and Provost at Johns Hopkins University. A provost is a high-ranking academic officer. In 2009, President Obama chose her for a role in the United States Department of Energy. She became the Under Secretary of Energy for Energy and Environment. The United States Senate approved her appointment.
Johnson also founded Enduring Hydro, a company that focuses on hydropower. Hydropower uses moving water to create electricity. Her company works with another firm to own and run 19 hydropower plants in the Eastern United States.
In 2016, Johnson was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for her work on liquid crystal display technologies. These technologies are important for high-speed 3D imaging.
Johnson has served on the boards of several large companies. These include Cisco Systems, Minerals Technologies Inc., and Boston Scientific. In 2019, she left the board of AES Corporation. This was due to concerns about the company's environmental impact in Puerto Rico.
In April 2017, Johnson was named the chancellor of the State University of New York. This university system has 64 different schools. She started this role in September 2017.
On June 3, 2020, it was announced that Johnson would leave her role at the State University of New York. She became the next President of Ohio State University. During her time as president at Ohio State, research spending grew a lot. The university also raised significant funds and increased scholarships for students.
Ohio State University Leadership Change
In 2023, Kristina Johnson resigned from her position as president of Ohio State University. This happened about halfway through her contract. Reports suggested that her decision was due to disagreements with a major donor and some members of the university's Board of Trustees. These disagreements were about the direction and leadership of the university. Johnson and university leaders agreed not to discuss the details publicly. She was replaced by Walter E. Carter Jr.
Personal Life
Kristina Johnson is married to Veronica Meinhard. Veronica is the founder and president of Juniper Philanthropy Partners.
Awards and Honors
Kristina Johnson has received many awards for her work:
- In 1993, she was the first woman to win the International Dennis Gabor Award. This award recognizes creativity in modern optics.
- In 2003, she was named a Fellow of the IEEE. This was for her work on optoelectronic systems and liquid crystal devices.
- In 2004, Johnson received the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award. This is the highest honor given by the Society.
- In 2008, she received the John Fritz Medal.
- In 2010, Johnson won the ABIE Award for Technical Leadership from the Anita Borg Institute.
- In 2014, Johnson was added to the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.
- In 2015, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This was for her work on polarization-control technologies.
- In 2016, Johnson was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
- In 2017, she received an honorary doctorate from NUI Galway.
- In 2021, Johnson received the IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal. This award recognizes important technical contributions in science and engineering.
- In 2025, Johnson was a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
