Karl G. Johnson, the Sara Rampel and Herbert S. Rampel Professor of Neuroscience who inspired students at Pomona College for nearly 20 years, passed away July 19 in Claremont. He was 52.
Preparation for a stellar teaching and research career began at Grinnell College in Iowa and continued at UC San Diego. Johnson earned his Ph.D. at Cambridge University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School.
Johnson joined the Pomona faculty in 2005 and was the first professor at the College hired into neuroscience, with a joint appointment in biology.
“He was the heart and soul of neuroscience at Pomona College, and no one can ever replace him,” says longtime colleague Richard S. Lewis, professor of neuroscience and psychological science.
Unlike those who get annoyed by Drosophila—fruit flies—Johnson studied them to find windows into the way central nervous systems are constructed. His work sought answers to two important questions: How do neurons find the right synaptic targets and How do neurons build synapses?
He was the lead author of a 2006 paper in the journal Neuron reporting the discovery of a novel molecular mechanism that controls synapse strengthening, a process essential for learning and memory.
Johnson maintained an active research lab and involved scores of Pomona students in his work, funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. His lab group studied how heparan sulfate proteoglycans influence central nervous system development.
“Understanding how the brain works is one of the greatest and most valued challenges in contemporary science,” Johnson once said, noting how since the “decade of the brain” was declared in the 1990s, neuroscience research had exploded.
Students who flocked to Johnson’s courses—such as Vertebrate Sensory Systems and Introductory Cell Chemistry and Cell Biology—found him to be an exceptional lecturer and an approachable and humorous teacher.
Wrote one, “Professor Johnson has the amazing ability to take really complex scientific content and walk the class through it in a way that is comprehensive, non-intimidating and also fun.” And, the student added, “Most importantly, he is kind and welcoming to any and all students who ask questions.”
Another student, in nominating Johnson for the Wig Distinguished Professor Award, wrote, “He is great at instilling a comfortable atmosphere in class and a passion for neuroscience and biological subjects. Can he teach me everything for the rest of my life?”
Johnson won the Wig Award in 2008 and 2014. It is Pomona’s highest faculty honor.
Rachel Levin, emerita professor of biology and neuroscience, describes Johnson as “one of those magical teachers who makes his students want to know more about whatever he is teaching.” His classes, she says, were “always filled to capacity. He [was] adored and respected as a friend and colleague.”
“I will always remember Karl for his warmth, generosity, and laser-sharp wit,” wrote colleague Len Seligman, John P. and Magdalena R. Dexter Professor of Biology. “Karl truly loved being a professor at Pomona. He was the model for everything a liberal arts college faculty member should aspire to be.”
Robert Gaines, Edwin F. and Martha Hahn Professor of Geology, recalls Johnson’s joy in sharing the wonders of nature with his students.
“He is a remarkable example of someone who has successfully adapted a big time, R1 research agenda for a small liberal arts college, and he brought along numerous students in the experience,” says Gaines. “These are experiences that have shaped not only careers, but lifelong perspectives.”
Meredith Course ’12 is one such appreciative alumna.
“Professor Johnson had the superpowers of both seeing generously who we could become, and knowing how to help us get there,” she wrote in a tribute. “I think this ability to see clearly the potential in his students is why he accepted me into his lab as an overeager first year, providing me with the life-changing opportunity to find my home in the lab.”
Today, Course is a professor at Colorado College, and she credits Johnson as her professional motivation.
“In addition to his deep humanity, he was a great scientist and had the rare ability to teach others how to think scientifically, too,” she says. He “was everything I could ever hope to be as a teacher, mentor, advisor, and researcher. … I am forever grateful that I have had him as a role model.”