Kristina M. Johnson, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder since 1985, has been named dean of engineering at Duke University in Durham, N.C., effective August 1999.
An internationally known expert in optics, signal processing and computing, Johnson co-founded the Center for Optoelectronic Computing Systems headquartered at CU-Boulder. A joint effort with Colorado State University, the center is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Colorado Advanced Technology Institute.
"Kristina has been a wonderful colleague, a national leader in optoelectronics and a personal friend," said Ross Corotis, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU-Boulder. "While her departure is a loss for the University of Colorado, I am thrilled at this outstanding opportunity for her. Duke University is fortunate."
Johnson directed the center from 1993 to 1997 and is a pioneer in the field of "smart" pixel array devices and liquid crystal miniature displays. She has filed 30 patents on optical materials, devices and systems and has been the principal investigator or co-investigator on 75 research contracts and grants totaling over $40 million in funding.
"My experiences at CU have been very satisfying, and it was a difficult decision to leave," Johnson said. "But Duke is in the process of dramatically expanding its engineering school, including new faculty and facilities, and offers exciting challenges for me.
"Duke will give me the opportunity to provide leadership and vision as the university works to build a world-class engineering school."
In addition to her research efforts at CU-Boulder, Johnson helped develop and was featured in a 10-part, Emmy-nominated television series titled "Learning 4 Fun, The Physics of Light," which aired on Denver聮s KCNC several years ago. She provided an accompanying curriculum distributed to elementary and junior high schools throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Active in encouraging women and minority engineering students, Johnson also helped create the Entrepreneurial Start Company program with CU聮s College of Business to encourage the creation of new optoelectronic companies in Colorado.
She served on such committees as former U.S. Rep. David Skaggs' Advisory Committee for the Congressional Subcommittee on Space, Science and Technology, the National Research Council and the National Academy of Science聮s Committee on Optical Science and Engineering.
The first international recipient of the Novofer Foundation聮s Gabor International Medal for Technical and Intellectual Creation in 1993, Johnson is a former Fulbright Scholar and Presidential Young Investigator. She has been active on numerous committees at CU-Boulder, including the Vice Chancellor聮s Academic Strategic Planning Committee and the Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics.
Johnson also funds a scholarship for the CU women聮s basketball team and a partial scholarship in engineering for minority students.
A Denver native who earned three degrees at Stanford, Johnson proposed the Center for Advanced Photonic Technology, which opened at CU聮s Lowry campus in Aurora this month to train technicians and professionals for jobs at many of Colorado聮s 125 photonic companies.