James H. Johnson Jr.—Listen and find commonalities

James Johnson received his M.S. degree in sanitary engineering from the University of Illinois, and his PhD in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Delaware. He spent his entire academic career on the faculty at his undergraduate alma mater Howard University. During his tenure at Howard, he became Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering, was named the Samuel P. Massie Professor of Civil Engineering, and later served as the Dean of Howard University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences. His major research areas involve treatment of hazardous waste, including technology, regulatory issues, public policy, and minority equity issues in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). For many years, Dr. Johnson served on the Management Board for the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation that provides expert advice and technical assistance to the Department of Energy (DOE) to deal with their nuclear weapons legacy wastes. He served as the Associate Director of the Great Lakes and MidAtlantic Hazardous Substance Research Center. In 2010, he was appointed Chair of the independent National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and served on the Board of Scientific Counselors for this agency. He also served as the Director of USEPA’s National Center for Environmental Research. Dr. Johnson is a diplomat of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, and in 2005 received the National Society of Black Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award in Academia, as well as the Gordon Maskew Fair Distinguished Educator Award of the Water Environment Federation (2008). This award honors one of the pioneers of environmental engineering. Since retiring from Howard University, Dr. Johnson has continued his commitment to environmental education by being a Visiting Professor at Morgan State University, and Chair of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges that oversees 16 community colleges. In 2018, he began serving as the Interim President of the Baltimore City Community College, illustrating his strong commitment to education. His career combines a commitment to environmental protection, college education at all levels, especially community colleges and traditionally Black colleges and Universities. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at Howard University, and serves on several boards of colleges and universities, such as Anne Arundel Community College.