Fred Johnson
Inspiring Forestry Mentor Receives Honorary Doctorate
Frederic (Fred) D. Johnson, professor emeritus of forest ecology, educator, researcher and mentor, receives a University of Idaho Honorary Doctorate at the May 16, 2009, commencement ceremony.
This honor recognizes a lifetime of excellence and his many contributions to Idaho, the university and the nation.
For more than half a century, Professor Johnson has made outstanding contributions to forest ecology and botanical education and science. He began work at the University of Idaho in 1952 as a radioisotopes technologist.
He became an assistant professor in the then-College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences at the University of Idaho in 1956, and served until his retirement in 1990.
During his career, he influenced, inspired and educated generations of students who went on to careers as ecological scholars and leaders in national and international forest ecology and management.
Professor Johnson’s vision and expertise are broad, and radiate from his infectious enthusiasm to learn everything one can about plants. His interests range from the forest ecosystems in Idaho to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He has achieved scholarly distinction through his work on understanding:
He was a leader in advancing natural resource science by working to expand the number of research natural areas in Idaho from 20 in 1974 to 113 today.
In the classroom and the field, Professor Johnson was an inspiring mentor to students. He was recognized four times as the College’s Teacher of the Year, among many other honors and awards. His outreach efforts include authoring “Wild Trees of Idaho” and starting the Idaho Big Tree Program that has inspired many Idahoans to learn more about trees and their natural surroundings. He also has been an active supporter and contributor to the University’s Stillinger Herbarium, the official state repository for plant specimens.
Said a former student of Professor Johnson, “He is the best example of a university professor, with his life-long dedication to the world, focused on the globe’s forests and the people who use, manage and love them.”
Professor Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in botany from Oregon State University in 1950 and a master’s degree in forestry from the University of Idaho in 1952.
Frederic (Fred) D. Johnson, professor emeritus of forest ecology, educator, researcher and mentor, receives a University of Idaho Honorary Doctorate at the May 16, 2009, commencement ceremony.
This honor recognizes a lifetime of excellence and his many contributions to Idaho, the university and the nation.
For more than half a century, Professor Johnson has made outstanding contributions to forest ecology and botanical education and science. He began work at the University of Idaho in 1952 as a radioisotopes technologist.
He became an assistant professor in the then-College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences at the University of Idaho in 1956, and served until his retirement in 1990.
During his career, he influenced, inspired and educated generations of students who went on to careers as ecological scholars and leaders in national and international forest ecology and management.
Professor Johnson’s vision and expertise are broad, and radiate from his infectious enthusiasm to learn everything one can about plants. His interests range from the forest ecosystems in Idaho to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He has achieved scholarly distinction through his work on understanding:
- types of forest habitats
- ecological processes in ancient cedar groves and Pacific yew communities
- plants of the northern Rockies
He was a leader in advancing natural resource science by working to expand the number of research natural areas in Idaho from 20 in 1974 to 113 today.
In the classroom and the field, Professor Johnson was an inspiring mentor to students. He was recognized four times as the College’s Teacher of the Year, among many other honors and awards. His outreach efforts include authoring “Wild Trees of Idaho” and starting the Idaho Big Tree Program that has inspired many Idahoans to learn more about trees and their natural surroundings. He also has been an active supporter and contributor to the University’s Stillinger Herbarium, the official state repository for plant specimens.
Said a former student of Professor Johnson, “He is the best example of a university professor, with his life-long dedication to the world, focused on the globe’s forests and the people who use, manage and love them.”
Professor Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in botany from Oregon State University in 1950 and a master’s degree in forestry from the University of Idaho in 1952.
