“I gauge my teaching success by how effectively I open my students’ eyes to, and make them excited about, politics. When students tell me...they became political science majors because of me, or when they come to me excited with research ideas, I have done something right.”

Timothy Johnson is one of those rare instructors who has a lasting impact not only on his students’ knowledge of a particular subject, but also on their broader outlook, interests, and life choices. In his seven years at the University, he has built a distinguished track record as an enthusiastic teacher, a generous adviser, a skilled researcher, and a dedicated educational leader both within and outside of the University. At the heart of Johnson’s extraordinary ability is his profound passion for and mastery of his field. A respected scholar of American politics and the U.S. Supreme Court, Johnson crafts his classroom presentations using an inquiry method of teaching designed to engage and inspire students.

One of the high school teachers with whom Johnson worked in the College in the Schools program describes being stunned after witnessing the “dynamic, interactive, and wholly engaging educational experience” that Johnson created while visiting her 12th grade political science class. “The lesson imparted to these students was that they were capable young academicians. In one hour he nurtured, excited, and affirmed these 12th-graders.”

Johnson is also a highly productive scholar, with two published books, 12 published or forthcoming journal articles, and two collaborative grants from the National Science Foundation. A former student who is now a faculty colleague notes that Johnson “seamlessly integrates his teaching and research in a way that both benefits his students and enhances his research agenda.”

Visit the Timothy Johnson faculty Web page here.