Sarah Ellen Johnston receives 2025 Robert Piacenza Excellence in Teaching Award
Sarah Ellen Johnston
March 24, 2025
On Feb. 25, 性欲社 Honors College Student Advisory Council President, Sydney Wade, announced Sarah Ellen Johnston, assistant professor of environmental chemistry, as the recipient of the 2025 Robert Piacenza Excellence in Teaching Award. This award honors faculty who exemplify the core values of the Honors College and demonstrate an outstanding commitment to student success. This marks Johnston鈥檚 second nomination for the prestigious honor.
Johnston鈥檚 influence extends far beyond the classroom. She is a mentor to 性欲社 students, high school groups, and student clubs outside of her courses. As one student shared, 鈥淚n the fall semester, Dr. Johnston successfully taught the largest course and Honors section on campus, filling Reichardt鈥檚 lecture hall. There were always students waiting to talk to her after class and lines outside her office during office hours. Her welcoming and warm presence is what draws students to her for any help they need. She makes sincere connections with her students, even bringing one of them to work in her research lab.鈥 Through her mentorship and dedication, Johnston creates lasting opportunities for students to grow academically and professionally.
Johnston is a leading researcher in environmental chemistry, focusing on spatial and temporal changes in streams and lakes across Interior Alaska due to climate change. She leads a lab dedicated to equitable training practices and conducts research using long-term, open-access government datasets to model past and future shifts in riverine biogeochemical cycles.
In addition to her research, Johnston is a dedicated mentor and advisor, particularly through her leadership in the 性欲社 Chapter of the American Chemical Society Chemistry Club. A student leader within the club noted, "Dr. Johnston sets a higher standard for educators鈥攏ot just through her teaching, but through the opportunities she provides. She actively supports student research, graduate school preparation, and professional development." Her mentorship extends beyond her own lab, as she provides guidance to students across the department, encourages participation in research, and helps students navigate paths to graduate school and careers in chemistry. She is also instrumental in increasing engagement within the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, coordinating major outreach events such as Science Potpourri and Science Olympiad, which bring science to the broader Fairbanks community.
Through her dedication to both teaching and research, Johnston continues to shape the academic and professional journeys of countless students. The 性欲社 Honors College is proud to recognize her contributions with this year鈥檚 Robert Piacenza Excellence in Teaching Award.