Anthony Johnson
Physicist Anthony M. Johnson was born on May 23, 1954 in Brooklyn, New York to James W. Johnson and Helen Y. Johnson. He initially wanted to study math or chemistry in college until a teacher at Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, New York introduced him to physics. Johnson attended the Polytechnic Institute of New York where he graduated magna cum laude with his B.S. degree in physics in 1975. He went on to earn his Ph.D. degree in physics from the City College of New York in 1981. Johnson conducted his thesis research at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey with support from the Bell Labs Cooperative Research Fellowship Program.
Upon graduation, Johnson was hired at Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey as a member of the technical staff in the Quantum Physics and Electronics Research Department. In 1988, Johnson was promoted as a distinguished member of Bell Labs technical staff; and, in 1990, he became part of the Photonic Circuits Research Department. Johnson joined the faculty of the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1995 where he served as chairperson, distinguished professor of applied physics, and professor of electrical and computer engineering. In 2003, Johnson was named as Director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Photonics Research (CASPR). He was then appointed as professor of physics, computer science, and electrical engineering at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) where his research focused on ultrafast optics and optoelectronics.
Johnson has authored two book chapters, over seventy scholarly articles, and he has been credited with four U.S. Patents. In addition, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Optics Letters from 1995 to 2001. Between 1991 and 2000, Johnson was elected as a Fellow into several academic and professional organizations, including the Optical Society of America (OSA), the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He was a 1992 Charter Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP). In 1993, Johnson received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Polytechnic University; and, in 1994, he was honored with the Black Engineer of the Year Special Recognition Award. The American Physical Society presented Johnson with the Edward A. Bouchet Award in 1996. In 2002, Johnson became the first African American to serve as president of the Optical Society of America.
Johnson is married to Dr. Adrienne S. Johnson. They have three adult children, Kimberly, Justin, and Brandon.
Anthony M. Johnson was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on May 24, 201
A2013.167
Male
7/25/2013
Johnson
City College of New York
Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Anthony
New York
JOH44
Fall
New York
Brisbane, Australia
Work hard, play hard.

Maryland
5/23/1954
Baltimore
United States
seafood, Chitterlings
Physicist Anthony Johnson (1954 - ) , a 1992 Charter Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists, became the first African American elected as president of the Optical Society of American in 2002.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Bell Laboratories
Electric Blue
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Anthony Johnson's interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Anthony Johnson lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Anthony Johnson describes his mother's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Anthony Johnson describes his father's family background
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Anthony Johnson talks about his parents
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Anthony Johnson describes his parents' personalities and who he takes after
Tape: 1 Story: 7 - Anthony Johnson talks about his siblings
Tape: 1 Story: 8 - Anthony Johnson describes his childhood household
Tape: 1 Story: 9 - Anthony Johnson describes his earliest childhood memory
Tape: 1 Story: 10 - Anthony Johnson describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood
Tape: 1 Story: 11 - Anthony Johnson talks about his interests as a child
Tape: 1 Story: 12 - Anthony Johnson describes becoming interested in physics
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Anthony Johnson talks about his elementary and junior high schools
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Anthony Johnson talks about his junior high and high schools
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Anthony Johnson remembers when the first astronaut was put on the moon
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Anthony Johnson describes his high school interest in science and science fiction
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Anthony Johnson talks about his high school
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Anthony Johnson describes his decision to pursue his doctoral degree in physics
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Anthony Johnson describes being encouraged go to college
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Anthony Johnson describes his time at the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute
Tape: 2 Story: 9 - Anthony Johnson talks about his summer at Bell Laboratories
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Anthony Johnson talks about his undergraduate research at Bell Laboratories
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Anthony Johnson describes his undergraduate research at Bell Laboratories and bachelor's thesis pt. 1
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Anthony Johnson describes his undergraduate research at Bell Laboratories and bachelor's thesis pt. 2
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Anthony Johnson describes how he met his wife
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Anthony Johnson describes his graduate education at Bell Laboratories and the City University of New York
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Anthony Johnson describes his doctoral dissertation
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Anthony Johnson describes being hired by Bell Laboratories
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Anthony Johnson talks about his first experience with the Optical Society of America
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Anthony Johnson describes his research at Bell Laboratories
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Anthony Johnson talks about the affirmative action program at Bell Laboratories
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Anthony Johnson reflects on his career at Bell Laboratories
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Anthony Johnson describes his involvement in his professional organizations
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Anthony Johnson talks about his patents at Bell Laboratories
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Anthony Johnson talks about the low numbers of African American physics doctorates
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Anthony Johnson describes his transition from Bell Laboratories to the New Jersey Institute of Technology
Tape: 4 Story: 9 - Anthony Johnson talks about African American graduate students in physics
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Anthony Johnson describes his transition from the New Jersey Institute of Technology to the University of Maryland Baltimore County pt. 1
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Anthony Johnson describes his transition from the New Jersey Institute of Technology to the University of Maryland Baltimore County pt. 2
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Anthony Johnson talks about the Mid-InfraRed Technologies for Health and the Environment Center
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Anthony Johnson talks about measuring light and the non-linearity of fibers
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Anthony Johnson describes the quantum cascade laser
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Anthony Johnson talks about the future of laser technology
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Anthony Johnson talks about the limitations of short pulses
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Anthony Johnson talks about the minority programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Anthony Johnson talks about the physics department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Anthony Johnson talks about his family
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Anthony Johnson describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Anthony Johnson reflects on his legacy
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Anthony Johnson talks about the encouragement of his parents
Tape: 6 Story: 7 - Anthony Johnson talks about how he would like to be remembered
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