Dr. Abigail Johnson

I was born and raised in the Dallas Fort Worth area and earned my B.S. in Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where moving from a landlocked home to the Texas coast shaped my interest in environmental systems. As an undergraduate, I worked as a supplemental instructor, supporting students with a range of learning styles, an experience that sparked my interest in teaching and motivated me to pursue an academic path combining research and instruction. I went on to complete an M.S. in Environmental and Earth Science from the University of Rhode Island and a PhD in Ocean Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where I studied microbial interactions with rocks and methane clathrates beneath the seafloor, and remained actively involved in mentoring undergraduate students. Following my PhD, I completed a postdoctoral appointment in the University of Georgia’s Marine Science department, focused on subseafloor biogeochemistry research. While this role deepened my research expertise, it also clarified how much I missed teaching. This realization led me to transition into an introductory biology lecturer role and then into my current position as an Academic Professional Associate at the University of Georgia, where I serve as a primary instructor for BIOL 1103 and contribute to biology education research and program-level assessment.