Academics

American Society of Civil Engineers recognizes Johnson for lifetime achievements

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Peggy A. Johnson, Penn State Schreyer Honors College dean and professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been selected for the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE) Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI).

Schreyer Honors College Dean Peggy A. Johnson Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Johnson will receive the award during a reception at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress on May 20 in Pittsburgh.

“I have been engaged with ASCE and EWRI since I began my career in 1990, so to receive this prestigious award now is really thrilling,” Johnson said. “ASCE and EWRI have provided me with a network of colleagues and opportunities that I could never have had otherwise. All of these interactions helped me grow as a civil engineer, leader and colleague. It was great fortune to find such a warm, accepting professional home.”

The EWRI Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to members who are judged to have advanced the profession; exhibited technical competence; and significantly contributed to public service, research or practice in the environmental and water resources profession. Awardees must have demonstrated a lifelong and eminent contribution to the disciplines of environmental or water resources engineering or an ancillary discipline through research, education or public service.

Johnson, a past president of ASCE-EWRI, previously received the ASCE’s Hans Albert Einstein Award, recognizing her work in the area of sediment transport as it applies to control structures and stream restoration projects, and the ASCE-EWRI Margaret S. Petersen Outstanding Woman of the Year award, honoring her mentorship of young women pursuing water-related technical careers.

Johnson, who has been the dean of the Schreyer Honors College since July 2017, previously served as head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 2006 to 2015. She received her bachelor of science degree in geology from New Mexico State University and her master of science and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park. Before coming to Penn State, Johnson held faculty positions at the University of Maryland and served as a graduate research Fellow at the Federal Highway Administration in Virginia.

About the Schreyer Honors College

The Schreyer Honors College promotes academic excellence with integrity, the building of a global perspective, and creation of opportunities for leadership and civic engagement. Schreyer Honors Scholars total more than 2,000 students at University Park and 20 Commonwealth Campuses. They represent the top 2 percent of students at Penn State who excel academically and lead on campus.

Last Updated January 22, 2019