"Janie was amazingly committed to mentoring women in the sciences. Several of her students were at her celebration of life, and their stories were heartwarming. Janie did so much to make this world a better place." - Sue Johnston

In April of this year, the Geoscience Education community lost a passionate member: Jane A. Johnston. She was born in Wabash, Indiana, in 1952, received her BS degree in 1980 from the University of Miami in Florida (majoring in Marine Science and Geology), and her Master's Degree in Geology from the University of Georgia in 1986. In 1991, she completed a graduate Ed.S. Degree in Science Education.

Janie really had 2 careers: Education and Science. In her science career, Janie worked on Carbon-14 dating and studied volcanoes, conducting field work in Guatemala. While employed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and later Argonne National Laboratory, she focused on hazardous waste management, long-term nuclear waste storage, environmental issues, and homeland security. She was the recipient of numerous awards for her work. 

As an educator, Janie taught middle school, high school, and college/university classes for many years, covering a wide variety of subjects but often involving Geology or Environmental Science. She was also very active in encouraging students to participate in citizen science projects, including in conjunction with the Field Museum in Chicago.

For years, Janie was involved in educational outreach, curriculum development, and mentoring/advising hundreds of high-school, undergraduate, and graduate students. She was particularly active in encouraging females and minorities to pursue STEM education and careers. In 2003, Janie was named by the Governor as one of New Mexico's 20 Most Outstanding Women for these activities. 

Janie visited over 20 countries in her lifetime, often for geo-tourism, accompanied by her husband, Roger Johnston. She served on numerous advisory boards for environmental and earth science organizations. After retiring, Janie continued to mentor/advise undergraduate and graduate students. She also served as a reviewer for research proposals and geoscience curricula for various government agencies and educational organizations. This was all in addition to devoting considerable effort to spoiling her 3 grandchildren.

NAGT celebrates the life and contributions of Janie Johnston.