Born in 1949 in Mobile, Alabama, Lonnie Johnson has always been a tinkerer. What about Lonnie Johnson’s Education? He dismantled his sister’s baby doll to figure out what made its eyes close and tried to cook up rocket fuel in the family kitchen, earning him the nickname “The Professor.” In 1968, he was the only Black student to present a robot he created at a science fair sponsored by the Junior Engineering Technical Society—the fair that ultimately gave him his first patent for a water gun he designed using plexiglass and a two-liter soda bottle as the reservoir.
Lonnie Johnson Education
Lonnie Johnson is a bona fide “rocket scientist” and inventor, holding over 150 patents with dozens more pending. He also devotes much of his time to educational efforts and encouraging students from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in science. He is a member of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame and the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.
Lonnie Johnson grew up in Mobile, Alabama during the days of legal segregation. His interest in science and invention was sparked at an early age by his father’s ability to repair and build things. Johnson began tinkering with items in his home, even cooking up homemade rocket fuel to see what would happen. This interest in experimentation continued to grow and earned him the nickname “the Professor” among his high school classmates. His passion for tinkering led him to create a robot out of scraps that ran on compressed air, winning him a state science fair prize.
After graduating from high school, Lonnie Johnson went on to Tuskegee University, earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in nuclear engineering. He worked for Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the United States Air Force, including leading the Space Nuclear Power Safety Section at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico before joining NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1979.
During his time at the lab, Johnson helped design deep-space probes for the Galileo mission to Jupiter and Cassini to Saturn. He also helped develop the technology that keeps a probe’s memory preserved during power-downs.
Inventions
Lonnie Johnson is best known for inventing the Super Soaker water gun, but he has also worked on spacecraft and green energy technology. His companies produce technology for everything from toys to spaceships and radon detectors.
As a child, Lonnie Johnson was taught by his father how to work with his hands and build things. This interest in inventing grew as he became a teenager. At the all-black Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, he entered a science fair with a remote-controlled robot he constructed out of junkyard scraps and a lawn mower engine. He won first place at the fair and went to Tuskegee University on a math scholarship.
After graduating from college, he worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the U.S. Air Force, where he eventually became an Advanced Space Systems Requirements Officer at the Strategic Air Command headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, and then at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. He helped to develop thermodynamic and control systems for spacecraft, including the Galileo Jupiter probe and the Mars Observer project.
While at JPL, Lonnie Johnson created the JTEC, an environmentally friendly heat pump that uses water rather than Freon. He has since won several awards for this invention. He has continued to invent, including creating ceramic solid-state and lithium batteries for cell phones, a system that converts waste heat to electricity,y and a new generation of air-powered toy guns.
Public Speaking
Lonnie Johnson grew up in Mobile, Alabam, and started tinkering with machines at an early age. He was inspired by his father, who taught him how to repair household items. By the time he was 13, Johnson had used junkyard scraps paired with a lawn mower engine to create his go-kart. He even won a national inventing competition for a remote-control robot he built, called Linex. He went on to attend the all-black Williamson High School and then Tuskegee University, where he received both a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering.
Throughout his professional career, Lonnie Johnson has helped develop thermodynamic systems for NASA and the Air Force missions lab. He holds more than 250 patents but is best known for the Super Soaker. His work with NASA earned him a place in the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2011. Outside of his professional pursuits, Johnson is a member of the Georgia FIRST and Hank Aaron Chasing the Dream Foundation boards of directors, as well as the 100 Black Men of Atlanta.
Public speaking helps individuals cultivate an expanded professional network by connecting with others who share similar interests. In addition, it allows individuals to establish themselves as an expert in their field by sharing research and information on industry-specific topics.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make friends. You often have similar interests and passions with other volunteers, which makes it easy to break the ice and develop friendships. This is especially helpful for those who have recently relocated to a new area or are suffering from loneliness. Volunteering can also improve your sense of purpose. For example, if you are struggling to find meaning in your life after the loss of a loved one, volunteering may help give you a new perspective on life and a reason to get out of bed each day.
Volunteers often receive training and support from their organization, which can help them build skills that they can apply to other aspects of their lives. For example, if you are interested in becoming a graphic designer, you can volunteer to assist local charities and non-profits with design tasks. This can also provide you with valuable experience to add to your resume.
Studies show that volunteering can have many health benefits, including lower blood pressure and a longer lifespan. However, the exact reasons for these positive effects remain unclear. Some researchers suggest that it might be because volunteering gives people a sense of purpose and social connection, while others argue that it might be the result of reduced stress levels or improved self-esteem.