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Dr. Sylvia M. Johnson – A Profile in Excellence
  Dr. Sylvia M. Johnson - A Profile In Excellence ACerS congratulates Dr. Sylvia M. Johnson, Chief of the Thermal Protection Materials and Systems Branch at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, for her excellence in ceramic science and engineering. She has been a member of the Society since 1977 and was elevated to Fellow of ACerS in 1992. She has served as ACerS vice president in 1996–97 and as an elected board member from 2002–2005. At NASA Ames Research Center, Dr. Johnson provides technical leadership and guidance in research, development, and application of new and improved thermal protection materials for access to space and planetary missions. Specifically, her research delves into ceramic materials and composites for reusable and new ablative materials and coatings. In particular, she has led the development of a new process for UHTCs (ultra high temperature ceramics) and continues research in this field where she is an acknowledged leader. She leads the thermal protection materials research for the Fundamental Aeronautics Program of NASA.
Educational Background: BSc (with honors) - Ceramic Engineering, University of New South Wales, Australia MS, Ph.D. - Materials Science and Engineering, University of California at Berkeley
ACerS Involvement & Honors: Dr. Johnson
has been a member since 1977 and was elevated to Fellow of ACerS in 1992. She has served as ACerS vice president in
1996–97 and as an elected board member from 2002–2005. In addition to many committee assignments, she
has been counselor of the Northern California Section since 1988 and chaired
five Pacific Coast Regional Meetings.
Employment Positions and Prior Company Affiliations:· NASA March 2005 to
2006 March 2000 to
present Since 2000 · SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025 August 1982 to
March 2000 1999 to 2000 Director, Ceramic and Chemical Product Development Laboratory 1988 to1999 Program Manager, Ceramics Senior Materials Scientist Materials Scientist ·
University of California at Berkeley ·
CSR Building Materials,
Sydney, Australia
Accomplishments in Ceramic Science and Engineering: Dr. Johnson has done extensive work on the use of preceramic polymers for processing ceramics, coatings, and composites. Her technique for fabricating SiC from coke was patented and later developed as a commercial process. She developed an innovative process of making silicon nitride fibers from a polymeric precursor and led a DARPA project that involved 3M and Rockwell in the development of a new and inexpensive process for creating mullite matrix composites. Dr. Johnson developed a freeze-drying technique for powder synthesis and holds patents for the synthesis of high temperature superconductor powders.
She has served on the National Institute of Standards and Technology evaluation board, the Organizing Committee of the National Space and Missile Materials Symposium, and has been involved on the National Materials Advisory Board for 6 years. In addition, she has served on various of National Research Council Committees and currently serves on the evaluation board for Materials Science and Technology at Sandia National Labs. Dr. Johnson has served on the advisory boards of many conferences and is currently on the advisory board for the Advanced Ceramics and Technology for Sustainable Energy Applications (ACTSEA) symposium in Taiwan. She also serves on the advisory committee for the Second International Congress on Ceramics (Verona, 2008). She is chair of an ICC committee on ”Health Aspects of Ceramic Nanoparticles” and is co-chair of the TPS Working Group, a government /industry coordinating body. She has given many invited lectures and was Plenary Speaker at the 5th European Workshop on Thermal Protection Systems and Hot Structures in The Netherlands in 2006. Dr. Johnson holds five U.S. patents and her approximately 50 publications are referenced in many journals, patents, and books.
Personal background: Dr. Johnson grew up in Sydney, Australia and currently resides in Piedmont, California with her husband, James W. Evans. Their two children are students at the University of California, one at UC Santa Cruz and one at UC Berkeley. Dr. Johnson’s hobbies include cooking, hiking, sailing, and traveling.
Why Dr. Johnson belongs to ACerS: “I think of myself as a ceramist and I belong to ACerS because it is the premier association of people in ceramics. Over the years, I have met a great many friends and colleagues through ACerS.” |
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