Dr. Barbara Johnson

As a first-generation college student, I can relate to the unique challenges such students face and how rocky the road can be.  By a series of fits and starts, I eventually graduated with an undergraduate degree in Art, which didn’t turn out to be a practical choice for me.  On a friend’s suggestion, in 1984 I took a class in Computer Programming, which lit a flame in me that’s still burning.

After earning a master’s degree in Computer Science, my first job was with a Department of Defense contractor in the Washington, DC area.  I was eventually promoted to Senior Software engineer on a large systems software project for the U.S. Navy.  As a systems software developer for real-time mission-critical military applications, I can appreciate the importance of each step in the software development process.

Later I started work on a PhD at the University of Tennessee.  My graduate work there was funded by a large grant from the Department of Defense.

I began my dream job of teaching at Maryville College in the fall of 2001.  Unfortunately, in 2011, as a tenured associate professor, I was sidelined by disability for the following ten years.  After years of rehabilitation, I was delighted beyond words to be able to return to Maryville College as a fulltime faculty member in the fall of 2021, where I have resumed my love of teaching and coaching our Computer Programming Team.

As you pursue your own dreams, I hope you will explore the majors in our division!