Title: Associate Professor

Company: Purdue University

Location: West Lafayette, Ind.

Mary Johnson began her career in 1985 as an industrial engineer at LTV Aerospace and Defense upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science from The University of Texas at Arlington. During her time at LTV Aerospace and Defense, she earned a Master of Science, graduated in 1989, and found her love for educating others in industrial engineering. Dr. Johnson began pursuing a Ph.D. in the topic, graduated in 2001, and became an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, Commerce.

Since 2007, Dr. Johnson has been an associate professor at Purdue University. She initially chose this career path because she loves doing research, learning new facets of the industrial engineering field, and working on new discoveries. Her current goal is to continue working in aviation research, drawing upon her strong persistence and perseverance. Dr. Johnson’s greatest accomplishment to date was raising her children and putting them through college, as this balance has been the biggest challenge of her professional life.

The one aspect of Dr. Johnson’s working condition she would most like to change is to have a more diversified representation of culture and backgrounds in the industry. Her advice to the younger generation of professionals entering the work-force is to find something they love doing every day. She would most like to be remembered as a person who empowered others to do their best and reach their goals. During her free-time, Dr. Johnson supports missions for Habitat For Humanity and traveling.