Kristina M. Johnson, former Director of the Optoelectronic Computing Systems (OCS) center, a graduated NSF ERC based at the University of Colorado-Boulder, is one of nine 2025 recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, a recognition by the President of the United States which honors Americans for outstanding contributions to engineering in service to the country. Dr. Johnson was recognized for research in photonics, nanotechnology, and optoelectronics. Her discoveries have contributed to sustainable energy solutions and advanced manufacturing technologies, as well as advancements in medicine, where her work with liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) has helped develop a way to detect cancerous cells more precisely. Her work with LCOS also has application in audiovisual technology, quantum computing, and telecommunications.

Dr. Johnson’s career after OCS has included Dean of Engineering at Duke University, Senior Vice-President and Provost of Johns Hopkins University, Undersecretary of Energy at DOE, Chancellor of the State University of New York, and president of The Ohio State University, in addition to founding several successful startups.