Johnson most recently served as an under secretary of energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she was responsible for unifying and managing a broad $10.5 billion energy and environment portfolio. The portfolio included research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects involving the national laboratories, universities, state and local governments and private industry in renewable energy, carbon capture and sequestration, nuclear power, energy efficiency, smart grid and nuclear waste.

Prior to joining the Department of Energy, Johnson served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins University. From 1999-2007, Johnson was dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. In addition to her academic career, Johnson is an inventor and entrepreneur, holding over 45 U.S. patents (129 U.S. and international patents) and co-founder of several successful companies including, ColorLink, Inc.

Johnson was the 2008 recipient of the John Fritz Award, the highest honor of the Engineering Societies. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.