Mary Ann Johnson to step away from NHS

24 Oct 2023    

Mary Ann Johnson is stepping away from her role as chair of the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences. Her last day with the department will be November 10, 2023. An interim department chair will be announced at a later date.

“I am grateful to have served the people and programs in UNL’s Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences with its excellent staff, students and faculty,” Johnson said. “With enrollment of nearly 1,000 students, record external funding for research, and outstanding facilities across all three campuses, the department is in great shape for many productive years ahead." 

Johnson, who is also the J.S. Tinstman Professor, is in her sixth year at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Prior to arriving at Nebraska, she was a faculty member at the University of Georgia for 35 years where her career focused on aging, nutrition and chronic disease self-management, as well as training students and health professionals in food and nutrition policies to ensure access to affordable, safe and wholesome foods.

In her career, Johnson has co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She has mentored more than 40 master’s students and 16 doctoral students who went on to pursue careers in clinical and community settings, as well as careers with CDC, EPA, USDA, and academia. She was named a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition earlier this year.

The CEHS community is invited to a farewell open house in Johnson’s honor, scheduled for Nov. 10 from 2:30 – 4 p.m. at the Gwendolyn A. Newkirk Human Sciences Building, Room 121.