David Johnson Wins CoE Outstanding Service Award
August 23, 2016
There’s more to computing than just algorithms and problem-solving. It’s also about having fun. No one knows more about that than David Johnson, the tireless organizer behind the successful GREAT Summer Camps.
This annual event is held on the engineering campus where hundreds of students from elementary, middle and high schools come to learn about computer graphics, robotics and programming. Thanks to David’s dedication, ingenuity and hard work, the summer-long camps have grown in just a short time from two sessions with 30 kids to more than a dozen camps that serve more than 700 students. And he does most of the work himself, including raising funds, finding the space, hiring and training instructors, and advertising the event. It’s because of these camps that the students come away with a new love and appreciation for computer science, many of whom later pursue an education and career in computing.
What David has nurtured is not only a valuable program for the university but an essential and treasured service for our community and its kids.