C. Richard Johnson Jr.: An outstanding young EE: Do electrical engineering, academia, and international interests make a winning combo? Ask the winner of two coveted Eta Kappa Nu awards

If one word could describe C. Richard Johnson Jr., a professor of electrical engineering at Cornell University, New York, and the 1983 recipient of the C. Holmes MacDonald Outstanding Teacher Award for young electrical engineering professors, it would have to be diversified — in talent, interests, and experience. Using opportunities in your environment to become diversified, well-rounded individuals is advice that the 34-year-old professor also stresses to students. “Students should strive for closer contact with faculty and take advantage of their expertise,” says Dr. Johnson. “They should also seek to benefit from the enriching aspects of the university itself. I realize that an electrical engineering curriculum is demanding, but opportunities such as these should not be taken for granted.”