The official biography below was current at the time of the award. Awardees may choose to provide their latest biographical information on their profile page.

Ashanti Johnson is Executive Director of the Institute for Broadening Participation. Executive Director of the Institute for Broadening Participation, Assistant Professor of Chemical Oceanography at the College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, Florida. She authored a unique program that focuses on creating a community of scientists that assists students’ professional development with support from peers, senior mentors and professional organizations. She founded Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S) an organization established with a goal of providing professional development experiences to facilitate the advancement of minorities committed to achieving outstanding Earth system science careers. Dr. Johnson has served as director of many programs important to mentoring at all educational levels; the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science Initiative, the University of South Florida College of Marine Science OCEANS GK-12 Fellowship Program and Georgia Tech’s FACES program serving as a member of the U.S. National Science Foundation Advisory Committee on Environmental Research and Education.