ExecutiveBiz has selected Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) CTO Dr. Ray Johnson as a “Person to Watch in 2011.”
Here’s why:
“A few years ago, a congressional report sounded the alarm: A shortage of American scientists and engineers was now upon us — and the time for doing something about it was drawing to a close.
“If Dr. Ray Johnson has his way, that deficit will be a thing of the past sooner rather than later. As senior vice president and chief technology officer for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Johnson has been busy weighing in over what he sees as ‘nothing short of a crisis.’
“Johnson’s stance goes beyond words. This year, he helped launch a partnership between the University of Maryland at College Park and Lockheed Martin. The goal is to focus more research and collaborative programs at the university, and, by extension, pave the way for future advances in cybersecurity and other key issues on the national front, such as healthcare, energy, and climate change. Johnson is also passionate about ensuring a diverse, educated workforce. It’s something for which others have taken note. In August, the Hispanic College Fund elected Johnson to its board of directors.
“Over the past year, Johnson has also been busy helping Lockheed Martin tap into additional avenues for collaborative, world-class research. To positive conclusion, no less. In July, R&D Magazine named the global security company and Sandia National Laboratories’ research on multifunctional optical coatings one of the 100 greatest technologies of 2010. The technology opens the door to a repair system in which breakdowns can be addressed in the field rather than the factory, at significant cost savings.
“Those strides in research — and in helping shape future generations of science and engineering professionals — speaks to one goal: ‘creating the future, ‘ as Johnson puts it. As he recently told EarthSky: “Engineers of the future are going to develop clean and renewable energy sources. They’re going to continue to battle international terrorism. They’re going to continue to create new technologies to make our lives better.” Johnson, for his part, is doing his part to make sure we get there faster.”
