AEP Professor brings together faculty, students to restore local watersheds
Dr. Kelly Johnson, an associate professor of biological sciences and OHIO鈥檚 AEP Watershed Research and Reclamation Professor, is seen inside an 蜜柚视频 research greenhouse where funding from the AEP Professorship allowed for the construction of artificial stream channels. Photo by Darcy Holdorf, MA 鈥12, a former Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs Photojournalism Fellow
In her dual role as scientist and educator, Dr. Kelly S. Johnson has spent the past 20 years collaborating with 蜜柚视频 students and faculty, government agencies and private entities on efforts to permanently restore regional watersheds ravaged by decades of coal mining. Those efforts have been fueled not only by the passion and skillset of those involved but also by private philanthropy that has both recognized and financially supported the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs鈥 watershed research and reclamation work.
Specializing in entomology, Johnson, an associate professor of biological sciences, came to OHIO prepared to conduct research on plant-insect interactions and how organisms deal with natural toxins. What she quickly found were students who needed her entomology background for bioassessments they were conducting on local watersheds and faculty from the Voinovich School and the College of Arts and Sciences who needed her expertise to design biological assessment tools and strategies for acid mine drainage remediation projects in the region.
鈥淲ithin a couple years, it was very clear to me that there was a niche in Southeast Ohio for an aquatic biologist who could help implement the biotic end of things to track the recovery of streams,鈥 Johnson said. 鈥淚n this part of Ohio, it was such a pressing need.鈥
AEP Watershed Research and Reclamation Professor Kelly Johnson inspects a macroinvertebrate found in a local waterway during a demonstration in colleague Natalie Kruse鈥檚 watershed methods course. Photo courtesy of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs
Johnson developed quick and affordable protocols for long-term assessments of waterways once biologically dead from the effects of acid mine drainage, training and deploying 蜜柚视频 students to conduct the ongoing evaluations. ()
鈥淭he students loved the experience and especially liked doing something that actually made a difference,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think that was when I became committed to work with remediation of water quality in this area. 鈥 I like to think that this region kind of became an experimental ground for different treatments and strategies to address acid mine drainage.鈥
Johnson switched her interest in insect-plant studies to focus on aquatic biology and became involved in the Appalachian Watershed Research Group, an interdisciplinary cohort of OHIO faculty, staff and students dedicated to watershed restoration in Southeast Ohio and environmental education throughout the region. And, she continued to work closely with the late Mary Stoertz, an associate professor of geological sciences.
鈥淪he was my mentor, and it鈥檚 funny how that carries for a long time,鈥 Johnson said of Stoertz.
During her 17 years at 蜜柚视频, Stoertz immersed herself in acid mine drainage research and led a team of University, government, community and industry researchers in efforts to repair a system of watersheds in Southeast Ohio.
When the American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation announced in 2004 that it was pledging $250,000 to establish the AEP Watershed Research and Reclamation Professorship in the Voinovich School, Stoertz became the first recipient of that endowed professorship, supporting OHIO鈥檚 efforts in watershed research and reclamation. When Stoertz passed away unexpectedly in 2007, the AEP Professor title was transferred to Johnson.
By then, Johnson had fully invested herself in the long-term recovery of the region鈥檚 watersheds, crediting the inspiration she received from her dedicated colleagues and the strong sense of place she developed in monitoring and reassessing local sites.
鈥淲e all felt the same reward of working together on a project and improving it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think the fact that it鈥檚 in our backyard makes it all the more important. We know the land owners. We know the watershed groups who are in