Theodore Johnson
- Assistant Professor
- Aviation Institute
email:
office:
- CPACS 120
office phone:
department phone:
Biography
Theodore W. Johnson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and Director of Aircraft Dispatch at the University of Nebraska at Omaha within their Aviation Institute. A commercial multi-engine and instrument rated pilot, certificated flight instructor, and FAA-certificated aircraft dispatcher, Dr. Johnson brings both operational and policy perspectives to his teaching and research. His scholarship sits at the intersection of aviation/aerospace and public administration, with particular emphasis on student and workforce experiences, mental health and wellbeing, access and opportunity, recruitment/retention, and persistence within the aviation/aerospace workforce. Specifically, his research interests centralize social, racial, and educational equity, and inclusion to promote opportunities in traditionally underrepresented fields such as aviation/aerospace. Dr. Johnson currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) and is an executive member for the Section on Transportation Policy & Administration (STPA) within the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).Credentials, Certifications & Awards
- Certificates & Ratings
- FAA Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI)
- FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate – Airplane Single-Engine Land (ASEL) and Airplane Multi-Engine Land (AMEL)
- FAA Instrument Rating – Airplane
- FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate
- FAA Remote Pilot Certificate – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)
- Professional Certifications
- Google Project Management Certificate
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate – University of South Florida, Muma College of Business
- QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training
- Selected Fellowships & Awards
- Samya Rose Stumo National Air Grant Fellowship – Federal Aviation Administration, 2023–2024
- Minority Dissertation Fellowship – American Educational Research Association (AERA), 2023–2024
- Founders' Fellowship – American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), 2023
- The Jewel Prestage Trailblazer Award – Conference of Minority Public Administrators, 2023
- Inaugural Emerging Leader Award – College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS), Diversity, Equity, Access, & Inclusion, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2023
- Outstanding Faculty Member Award – UNO Housing & Residence Life, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2023
- Young Professionals (YP) Summit Change Maker Award – Greater Omaha Chamber, 2022
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship – Federal Highway Administration, 2022–2023
- Equity and Inclusion Student Fellowship – Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM), 2022
Education
- Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 2023
Dissertation: Siloed Voices with a Resounding Experience: A Phenomenological Analysis of the Experience of Black HBCU Aviation Students - M.A., Public Administration, Eastern Michigan University, 2020
Certificate: General Public Management - B.S., Aviation Management Technology, Eastern Michigan University, 2017
Courses Teaching
- AVN
- AVN 1000 – Introduction to Aviation & Aerospace
- AVN 1160 – Aviation Safety
- AVN 2510 – Diversity in Aviation
- AVN 2900 – Independent Study in Aviation: Introduction to Aircraft Dispatch
- AVN 3600 – International Aviation
- Aircraft Dispatch I/II (Non-credit)
- Public Administration/Transportation
- PA 8896 – Transportation Policy
- PA 9970 – Independent Study/Directed Readings
Publications & Presentations
- Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications
- Johnson, T. W., Sanders, T., & Liao, W-J. (2026). ACE and Attitudes: Examining the Influence of OBAP's ACE Academy on Youth Perceptions of Aviation and Aerospace Careers. International Journal of Aviation Research. [Accepted for publication]
- Johnson, T. W., Sanders, T., Liao, W-J., & Garvey, T. (2026). Assessing Effectiveness: A Program Evaluation of OBAP's ACE Academy.International Journal of Aviation Research. [Accepted for publication]
- Scott, C. P., Johnson, T. W., Forbes, L. W., Puello, S., & Willis, K. (2026). DEIJ: Graduate Student Experiences in an Era of Political Backlash and Uncertainty. [Accepted for publication]
- Johnson, T. W., & Jones, A. (2025). Turbulence in the Mind: A Literature Review of Mental Health in Aviation and Aerospace. International Journal of Aviation Research, 17(1).
- Johnson, T. W., Webley, J., & Sanders, T. (2025). Bridging the Gap: OBAP as a Catalyst for Access and Inclusion in Aerospace. International Journal of Aviation Research, 17(1).
- Johnson, T. W., Liao, W., & Bragg, K. (2025). The Mental Health Symposium: An Effective Tool to Improve Collegiate Aviation Students' Knowledge, Understanding, and Comfort with Mental Health. Collegiate Aviation Review International, 43(2).
- Johnson, T. W., Liao, W., Timmons, A., Sanya, H. K., & Ford, K. V. (2024). A Double Taboo? An Exploratory Study of Mental Health Perceptions amongst Black Aerospace Professionals. International Journal of Aviation Research, 16(1).
- Johnson, T. W. (2024). Quieted Voices: A Phenomenological Analysis of the Experiences of Black/African-American Collegiate Aviation Students.Collegiate Aviation Review International.
- Lutte, R. K., Johnson, T. W., & Liao, W. (2023). In Plain Sight: An Analysis of Factors that Influence the Recruitment and Retention of Black Aviation Professionals. International Journal of Aviation Research, 15(1).
- Selected Presentations
- State of Mind: Real Talk, Real Tools for Mental Health – Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals 50th Annual Conference, 2026
- Drone Rush: A NASA-Focused Drone Program for Workforce Readiness – Nebraska Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, 2026
- A Double Taboo? An Exploratory Study of Mental Health Perceptions amongst Black Aerospace Professionals – National Training Aircraft Symposium, 2024
- Siloed Voices with a Resounding Experience – American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, 2024
- Siloed Voices with a Resounding Experience – Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, 2023
Professional Experience
- University of Nebraska at Omaha – Aviation Institute
- Assistant Professor | Director of Aircraft Dispatch
- Instructor
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Samya Rose Stumo National Air Grant Fellow
- U.S. House of Representatives – Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- FAA Legislative Fellow, Aviation Subcommittee
- Eastern Michigan University
- Director of Aircraft Dispatch | Lecturer
- Masco Corporation
- Flight Operations Intern
- Spirit Airlines
- Acting Supervisor – Ramp Services
- Lead Ramp Service Agent
- Ramp Service Agent