Eric Johnson
Professor Emeritus of Chemistry
Professor, Ball State University, 1976-2009
Research Associate, Duke University Medical Center, 1974-1976
Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1974
Predoctoral Fellow, Minnesota School of Medicine, 1969-1974
B.S., Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 1969
Dr. Eric Johnson earned his B.S. degree in chemistry from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. After a post-doctoral research fellowship at Duke University Medical Center with a Nobel Prize nominee, Dr. Johnson joined the Ball State Department of Chemistry in 1976.
As the only biochemist in the department for many years, Dr. Johnson played a major role the department’s development by providing the expertise and background in the rapidly emerging field of biochemistry. Dr. Johnson provided research avenues in peptide and protein structure elucidation for both undergraduate and graduate students who have served as co-authors on his published and presented work. He has served on numerous thesis committees for students in exercise physiology and other related programs outside the chemistry department as well. In 1984-85, Dr. Johnson was awarded a sabbatical at the School of Medicine at UCLA, and in 1988 he was awarded a Faculty Research Fellowship at the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas. Dr. Johnson received major funding for his research from the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Johnson taught advanced courses in biochemistry to chemists, biologists, and pre-professional students. When he arrived at Ball State, he upgraded the biochemistry laboratory by asking all students to perform “real-world” biochemistry projects. Despite the rigorous demands on his students, Dr. Johnson’s student evaluations were among the highest in the department.
Later in his academic career, Dr. Johnson served as coordinator for general chemistry. In his large lectures of general chemistry, he introduced chemical animations, developed on-line homework, and helped to set-up wireless computing in the freshman laboratories. He mentored many colleagues across the University in making the leap from chalkboard to modern teaching technology.
Finally, Dr. Johnson has been an active and contributing citizen of the university and department, having served on the University Senate, the Senate Agenda Committee, the Senate Finance and Budgetary Affairs Committee, the Master Planning and Facilities Committee, the Judicial Committee, and on nearly every departmental committee.