Kirk Johnson (scientist)

Kirk R. Johnson (born 1960) is an American paleontologist, author, curator, and museum administrator, and is currently serving as Sant Director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.[1]

Kirk Johnson
Born
Kirk Richard Johnson

1960 (age 62–63)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Scientific career
FieldsGeology
Paleobotany
InstitutionsDenver Museum of Nature and Science, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

Early life and education

Johnson was born in 1960 and grew up in Seattle, Washington.[2][3] He attended Amherst College as an undergraduate, where he received a bachelor's degree in geology and fine arts. He joined Chi Psi Fraternity. He then attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning a master's degree in geology and paleobotany.[4] He received his Ph.D. in geology and paleobotany from Yale University in 1989.

While in graduate school, in 1987, Johnson discovered an extinct species of linden leaf, which was named Tilia johnsoni in his honor.[5] His postdoctoral work included field research in the northern Australian rainforests, while he served as a postdoctoral research associate in the department of botany at the University of Adelaide.[6]

Career

From 1991 to 2012, Johnson worked at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, first as a lead scientist, then the chief curator and vice president of research and collections.[7] In 2010, he led a nine-month excavation of thousands of Ice Age animal bones, including mammoths and mastodons, in Snowmass Village, Colorado.[7]

In 2012 Johnson was selected to lead the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., one of the Smithsonian Institution’s most popular museums on the National Mall.[6] He is the host of the PBS Nova series, Making North America, which is a three-part series that describes the shaping of North America, which aired on November 4, 11 and 18, 2015.[8][9][10] He is also the host of the two-hour Nova special Polar Extremes, first shown on February 5, 2020, which explores the history of the North and South Poles ranging from ice sheets to warm forests.[11]

Personal life

Johnson's sister, Kirsten Johnson, is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, whose Dick Johnson Is Dead explores their father's battle with dementia.[12]

Selected books
  • Johnson, Kirk; Troll, Ray (2018). Cruisin' the fossil coastline: The travels of an artist and a scientist along the shores of the prehistoric Pacific. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 9781555917432. OCLC 1029091568.
  • Johnson, Kirk (2012). Digging Snowmastodon: Discovering an Ice Age World in the Colorado Rockies. Denver, CO; Aspen, CO: Denver Museum of Nature & Science; People's Press. ISBN 9781936905065. OCLC 756579046.
  • Johnson, Kirk; Troll, Ray (2007). Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway: An epoch tale of a scientist and an artist on the ultimate 5,000 mile paleo road trip. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Pub. ISBN 9781555914516. OCLC 125404857.
  • Johnson, Kirk (2006). Prehistoric Journey: A history of life on Earth. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Pub. ISBN 9781555915537. OCLC 62118347.
  • Johnson, Kirk (2005). Ancient Denvers: Scenes from the past 300 million years of the Colorado Front Range. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Pub. ISBN 9781938486210. OCLC 911181981.

Awards and honors

References
  1. "Kirk Johnson Named Director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History" (Press release). Smithsonian. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  2. "The Real Seattle Underground: Rocks, Fossils, and the Future of the Pacific Northwest". Burke Museum. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  3. "Kirk Johnson". VIAF: Virtual International Authority File. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  4. "Kirk Johnson to head Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History". Graduate School News and Events. Yale University. 12 November 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  5. Wesley Wehr (January 2004). The Accidental Collector: Art, Fossils, & Friendships. University of Washington Press. pp. 196 ff. ISBN 978-0-295-80256-5.
  6. O’Neal Parker, Lonnae (26 July 2012). "Kirk Johnson named director of Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  7. Zongker, Brett (26 July 2012). "Smithsonian picks paleontologist to lead DC museum". Denver Post. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  8. "Making North America". PBS. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  9. "Making North America". PBS/SGPTV. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. Catlin, Roger (3 November 2015). "Smithsonian's Kirk Johnson Steps up to be the rock star of geology". Smithsonian.
  11. "Polar Extremes". PBS. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  12. Zuckerman, Esther. "Netflix Doc 'Dick Johnson Is Dead' Is One of 2020's Must-See Films". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  13. "AAAS Honors Three Smithsonian Scientists as Lifetime Fellows". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
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