Kristina Johnson

Kristina M. Johnson
Born	Kristina M. Johnson
Nationality	American
Occupation	Engineer, academic administrator, entrepreneur
Known for	16th president of The Ohio State University; optics and 3D display technology research
Education	PhD
Awards	National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2025)

Kristina M. Johnson is an American engineer, entrepreneur, and academic administrator who served as the 16th president of The Ohio State University from 2020 to 2023. A researcher in the fields of optics and three-dimensional display technology, Johnson held a series of prominent academic and governmental positions over the course of her career, including service as Under Secretary of Energy at the United States Department of Energy. Her tenure at Ohio State, though marked by ambitious institutional goals and fundraising achievements, ended abruptly when she announced her resignation in November 2022, a departure that drew significant public scrutiny and media attention. In January 2025, President Joe Biden awarded Johnson the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, one of the highest honors bestowed by the United States government for achievements in technology and innovation.

Career

Academic and Government Career

Prior to her appointment at Ohio State, Kristina Johnson built a career spanning academia, government service, and the private sector. She held academic positions at several universities and developed expertise in optics and three-dimensional display technology, contributing to research that led to multiple patents. Johnson also served as Under Secretary of Energy in the United States Department of Energy, a role in which she was involved in energy policy and the management of the department's research programs.

Her combination of academic credentials, government experience, and involvement in technology entrepreneurship made her a distinctive candidate for university leadership positions. Johnson's background as an engineer and inventor set her apart from many university presidents who come from more traditional academic disciplines.

Presidency of The Ohio State University

Kristina Johnson was appointed the 16th president of The Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States. Her appointment was notable in part because she was the first woman to serve as president of the institution. From the outset, Johnson's presidency was characterized by ambitious goals for the university and a leadership style that drew both admiration and scrutiny.

According to a profile in Columbus Monthly, Johnson made a strong initial impression on members of the Ohio State community. Tanny Crane, a member of the university's board of trustees, recognized early on that Johnson was different from her predecessors. Johnson arrived at the university with a vision for expanding its research profile, enhancing its fundraising capacity, and raising its national prominence.

Johnson's tenure, however, proved to be short. On November 28, 2022, she announced that she would transition out of her role as president at the end of the academic year in May 2023. The announcement came as a surprise to much of the Ohio State community and to external observers. Ohio State's official news release stated that Johnson had made the decision to step down and that she would continue in her role through the end of the academic year to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

Local media reported extensively on the announcement. 10tv.com, a Columbus-area television station, confirmed that Johnson would step down as president at the conclusion of the academic year, noting the unexpected nature of the announcement.

Circumstances of Resignation

The circumstances surrounding Johnson's departure from Ohio State became the subject of significant media coverage and public interest. Columbus Monthly published an in-depth feature in January 2023 titled "The Dazzling Rise and Stunning Fall of Ohio State University President Kristina Johnson," which examined the trajectory of her presidency from her appointment through her resignation. The article documented how Johnson's initial promise and the excitement surrounding her appointment gave way to internal tensions and a rapid unraveling of her presidency.

In May 2023, approximately six months after her resignation announcement, Johnson sat for an interview with WOSU Public Media, a public radio station affiliated with Ohio State. In the interview, Johnson discussed her resignation and responded to criticisms that had been leveled against her during and after her tenure. The WOSU report noted that much of the Ohio State community had been caught off guard by the resignation announcement and that questions remained about the factors that led to her departure.

In July 2023, The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, obtained and published a signed agreement and general release between the university and Johnson. The document, obtained seven months after the resignation announcement, shed additional light on the terms under which Johnson departed. The existence and contents of the agreement attracted further attention to the nature of Johnson's exit, which appeared to have been more formally negotiated than a simple voluntary resignation might suggest.

The combination of the Columbus Monthly investigation, the WOSU interview, and the Lantern's publication of the separation agreement collectively painted a picture of a presidency that ended under complicated and contested circumstances. While Johnson offered her perspective in the WOSU interview and responded to criticism, the university and its board of trustees also communicated through official channels about the leadership transition.

Post-Ohio State Career

Following her departure from Ohio State, Johnson continued to be recognized for her contributions to science and technology. In January 2025, The Columbus Dispatch reported that former President Joe Biden had awarded Johnson the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, a distinction that recognized her work in engineering and technology rather than her university leadership role. The award is among the most prestigious honors in the United States for individuals who have made lasting contributions to the nation's economic competitiveness and quality of life through technological innovation.

The Dispatch noted that Johnson had a "short stint" as Ohio State's president, underscoring the brevity of her tenure relative to many of her predecessors at the institution. Nevertheless, the national science award highlighted the breadth of Johnson's career and the significance of her contributions in fields beyond university administration.

Recognition

Kristina Johnson's most prominent recognition came in January 2025, when President Joe Biden awarded her the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The award, one of the highest honors granted by the United States government for technological achievement, recognized Johnson's contributions to engineering, optics, and technology development over the course of her career.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on the award, noting that it placed Johnson among a select group of American scientists, engineers, and innovators who have received the distinction. The award was notable in that it came approximately two years after Johnson's departure from Ohio State, underscoring that her reputation in the scientific and engineering communities remained strong despite the controversies surrounding the end of her university presidency.

Johnson's receipt of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation reflected her longstanding career in engineering research and technology development, areas in which she had built her professional reputation well before entering university administration. The award recognized the cumulative impact of her work, including her research in optics and three-dimensional display systems, her government service, and her entrepreneurial activities.

Legacy

Kristina Johnson's legacy is shaped by the dual nature of her career: her substantial contributions to engineering and technology, and her abbreviated tenure as president of The Ohio State University. In the field of engineering, her work on optics and 3D display technology earned recognition at the highest levels of the American scientific establishment, culminating in the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.

As a university president, Johnson's tenure at Ohio State remains a subject of analysis and debate. The Columbus Monthly profile characterized her presidency as both a "dazzling rise" and a "stunning fall," capturing the contrast between the optimism that accompanied her appointment and the circumstances of her departure. Her resignation, the subsequent media investigation into its causes, and the publication of her separation agreement by The Lantern all contributed to a complex narrative about leadership, institutional governance, and the pressures faced by university presidents at large public research institutions.

Johnson was the first woman to serve as president of Ohio State, a milestone that gave her tenure additional historical significance regardless of its duration. Her appointment reflected broader trends in American higher education toward greater diversity in university leadership, and her presidency — however brief — represented a historic marker for one of the nation's largest universities.

Her post-presidential recognition with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation served as a reminder that Johnson's career extended well beyond her role at Ohio State. The award reaffirmed her standing as a significant figure in American engineering and technology, and indicated that her contributions to those fields were assessed independently of the controversies surrounding her university presidency.