Biography

Dr. Catherine Johnson is currently the Robert H. Quenon Associate Professor of mining and explosives engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology. She holds a PhD in mining engineering from the University of Kentucky and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mining and quarry engineering from the University of Leeds, UK. She is an expert in shock physics and has been studying the effects of blast induced TBI through the VA funded OFBC. She serves as Associate Directors of the PRECISE-TBI Education Core for the VA Interagency Resource Center (I50) to advance rigor, reproducibility, transparency, and translation of preclinical TBI research. She is also the director of the Explosives Research Facility at Missouri University of Science and Technology where she has the full use of multiple blast chambers and research equipment.

Dr. Johnson’s total collaborative research funding is $11.7M ($3.6M personal effort). She has published 39 peer reviewed journal publications with 2 more accepted or under review, 41 peer reviewed conference proceedings, three book chapters and 32 other conference presentations and posters. She has graduated six PhD and four MS students, and her current research group consists of ten PhD and one MS student. She has taught mining and explosives engineering courses including Principles of Mining Engineering, Mining Industry Economics, Explosives Handling and Safety, Theory of High Explosives, and Scientific Instrumentation for High Explosives and Blasting. She is also the vice chair of the program committee for the International Society of Explosives Engineers, where she won the President’s award in 2018. Also in 2018, Catherine was named an inaugural member of the University of Missouri System Presidential Engagement Fellows. She is the 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023 recipient of the mining engineering department research award, and the 2020, 2022 recipient of the department teaching award. In 2021 Catherine was named a dean’s scholar in the College of Engineering and Computing as well as a recipient of the 2020-2021 university research award. In 2023 Catherine was named the Missouri S&T woman of the year for her service as a role model for S&T students, and contributions to the university through research, scholarship, teaching and service.

Research Interests

Her research interests are in the adverse effects of high explosives and blasting agents, specifically researching coal dust explosions, air overpressure from quarry blasting, shock physics, and shock wave injuries such as traumatic brain and lung injuries and coming up with policy, training and protective equipment improvements to overcome them.

Education

• 2014 – Ph.D. in Mining Engineering – Explosives Emphasis, University of Kentucky
• 2012 – M.Eng. in Mining and Quarry Engineering, University of Leeds
• 2012 – B.Eng. in Mining and Quarry Engineering, University of Leeds