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GOLDEN, Colo. June 1, 2015 – The Colorado School of Mines Board of Trustees today announced the appointment of Paul C. Johnson as the 17th president of Colorado School of Mines. He will officially assume his duties on July 1, 2015.
The board had previously announced Johnson as the sole finalist for the presidency on April 16 and voted to offer the position to him during its regular meeting on May 18.
Johnson will join Mines from Arizona State University (ASU) where he has served as dean and executive dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering since 2006 and is a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and Built Environment.
Under his leadership the Fulton Schools established the “Fulton Difference,” which promotes learning beyond traditional coursework, nurtures entrepreneurs, and relies on a strong peer-mentoring culture. It emphasizes the philosophy that students are to experience engineering from day one. The result has been increased enrollment and student success, which fueled growth of the faculty. The impact and number of students engaged in research and development activities also grew. In 2014 the Fulton Schools attracted $96 million in research grants and contracts and tripled its generation of inventions and start-ups over four years.
Jim Spaanstra, chair of the board of trustees, said, “Paul Johnson brings a distinguished track record of teaching, research, public service and leadership. Throughout the search process it was clear that he understood Mines, its rich history, unique role and mission, and opportunities for enhancing its global distinction. We are confident the university will be in great hands to guide it as we seek to achieve our strategic aspirations.”
Mines President-designate Johnson said, “I am excited and honored to be named Mines’ 17th president. Since being named a finalist I have received emails from connections to Mines that I did not know existed. Mines’ far-reaching, engaged, and supportive network is impressive. From on-campus meetings it is clear that Mines has the components and drive to become the premier engineering and applied science university. I look forward to working with the students, staff, faculty, alumni and Mines’ global network to achieve that aspiration.”
He is also looking forward to participating in Mines’ longest-standing tradition for new incoming students. “I’ve been searching for the perfect 10-pound rock to carry up to the M on Mt. Zion,” said Johnson.
Johnson has been a member of the faculty at ASU since 1994, where he also served as ASU’s associate vice president for research and the Fulton Schools’ associate dean for research. Before joining ASU he was a senior research engineer at the Shell Oil/Shell Chemical Westhollow Technology Center. Johnson is internationally recognized for his expertise in soil and groundwater remediation and risk assessment. Teaching, though, remains his passion. Johnson has received numerous outstanding educator awards and was twice selected the top teacher in the Fulton Schools. Colorado School of Mines’ emphasis on both teaching and research was a key attraction for Johnson. “Every institution that I have chosen to be a part of has emphasized the importance of both teaching and research,” noted Johnson. “I have taught almost every semester during my 21 years as a university faculty member and administrator and will continue that at Mines.”
Born in Washington D.C., Johnson attended high school in Walnut Creek, Calif. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California-Davis, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from Princeton University. Johnson and his wife, Elyse, an elementary school teacher, have two adult children; Kyle is an editor in Mesa, Ariz., and Kaitlin is a chemical engineering graduate student at the University of California-Davis.
Johnson is the co-author of 12 U.S. patents and has received awards recognizing the impact of his research and contributions to the groundwater profession, including the National Ground Water Association’s Keith E. Anderson Award (2010) and the Lifetime Award in Remediation sponsored by Brown and Caldwell (2014). His research group has received Project of the Year Awards from both the Environmental Security Technology Certification and Strategic Environmental Research and Development Programs, which are given by the U.S. Department of Defense in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Johnson served on the National Research Council Committee on Future Options of the Nation’s Subsurface Remediation Effort. He also served as the editor for the National Ground Water Association’s journal, Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation.
About Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a highly selective, public research university, offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering and applied sciences. Mines is internationally recognized for its education and research programs focused on stewardship of the earth and its resources, development of advanced materials and applications, addressing the earth’s energy challenges, and fostering environmentally sound and sustainable solutions. Through its three colleges and fourteen academic departments, Mines enrolls 5,674 undergraduate and graduate students (Fall 2014) and conducts over $60 million in sponsored research.
Contact:
Kathleen Morton, Communications Coordinator, Colorado School of Mines | 303-273-3088 | kmorton@mines.edu
Karen Gilbert, Director of Public Relations, Colorado School of Mines | 303-273-3541 | kgilbert@mines.edu