Professor Emerita of Biology

University of the District of Columbia

Marian Johnson-Thompson, Ph.D., a member since 2012, is Professor Emerita of Biology, University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill, and former Director, Education and Biomedical Research Development, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH (1992 – 2008).

As an NIEHS environmental health scientist administrator, she developed programs to address the environmental health research and training needs of underserved populations and programs in K-12 STEM education. As an academician, beginning in 1971 at UDC, she taught microbiology, virology and trained many students in biomedical research. Her publications include over 45 articles, book chapters and abstracts, and her significant contributions have been in training, mentoring and developing policy to advance underrepresented groups in STEM fields.

She has served as reviewer/consultant for several federal agencies, academic institutions and the private sector. Among her board memberships are: the NC Environmental Defense Fund; Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Triangle of the Coast affiliate; external advisory boards for The Rutgers’s University ADVANCE; and the Center for Research on Minority Health, MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Her honors include: the 2009 Howard University Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award; several NIEHS and NIH Director’s Awards; the 2004 Alice Evans Award--American Society for Microbiology for her major contributions toward the full participation and advancement of women in microbiology; the 2003 Thurgood Marshall Alumni Award; the 2001 UMBC Meyerhoff Mentor of the Year; and the 1994 Geraldine P. Woods Sciences Award. She is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She received BS and MS degrees from Howard University and a PhD degree in Molecular Virology from Georgetown University Medical School.