A Dedication to Distinguished Professor Dr. David M. Johnston, A Beloved Mentor, Colleague and Friend

By ProFellow Founder Dr. Vicki Johnson

This weekend the world very suddenly lost the person who was my mentor and PhD supervisor, Distinguished Professor David Johnston of the Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey University of New Zealand. We did not have the chance to have the call we discussed in December and he’ll never get to read the dedication I wrote for him in my forthcoming book. I did not have the chance to really tell him how much his support and mentorship from 2010 – 2015 influenced who I am today and what I have achieved in my work with ProFellow. I wrote this piece to share what he meant to me and so many other people in the emergency management community.

It wasn’t until I started working with many PhD applicants and students myself that I could appreciate what an extraordinary person and academic supervisor he was. David is the entire reason I completed my PhD with full funding and finally reached my highest academic potential. I am forever indebted to him. Here are some special things about David.

#1 He deeply cared about his staff and students, and the work itself. He is known globally for his research and applied work in disaster resiliency, response and community engagement, which opened up doors for the JCDR’s involvement in many international programs and research collaborations from this small island nation. David secured them but did not keep all these opportunities for himself – he shared them widely with experienced staff and new students alike.

#2 If you proved yourself reliable and tenacious, he handed you the keys to the kingdom. David always found a way to get me and other dedicated students the funding we needed, not just for basic living expenses but for exciting projects and international experiences. He co-authored my first journal articles, which gave them an in. I published 6 first-author articles with his guidance before earning my PhD. He had little patience for excuses and rightly so; he singlehandedly orchestrated an unprecedented number of opportunities that he shared generously. Once you recognized this, you wanted to do well by him and make him proud.

#3 He was the most disorganized and organized person I have ever met. Like your typical absent-minded professor, his office was piles of papers and books and boxes, he was notorious for being unresponsive to email, and he often had a look of being fueled by coffee rather than sleep. But I could not fully appreciate then just how many projects and people David was supporting at any one time. He was prolifically applying for and managing grants, leading a staffed organization (at some points, two at a time), doing research and writing and co-authoring papers, serving as Editor of academic journals (at some points, two at a time), traveling for research collaborations and conferences, and supporting students and colleagues professionally and personally. He was the reason JCDR was well-funded and attracted some of the best students and scholars in the world.

#4 He was fun. While there were always serious things going on, he always had a funny quip and sparkle that kept him young at heart. One of our favorite things he organized was “Disaster Movie Night” at the JCDR where students and staff would eat pizza and watch movies like “Dante’s Peak” and laugh at the ridiculous “government officials” who won’t listen to the brilliant volcanologist who becomes the unsung hero. He cared about the social fabric of the community he led and, in a quiet way, made sure we were all fed, supported, and whole.

#5 He was a feminist and an ally of Maori communities and other marginalized groups. We had a very good representation of women of all ages in our program and dare I say, on the whole, he handed us more opportunities than the men. I know what he would say to this comment: “I just give opportunities to the best.” He was also very involved in the engagement of the indigenous Maori community in disaster research and applied work, and was greatly respected for this. His son Joshua carries David’s values and legacy on. Joshua is fluent in the Maori language, and I still chuckle remembering Joshua tell me he was the only young man in his high school Feminist Club. We need more men like David and Joshua.

These are just a few things I can say about David. I think of him as a member of my family, and I’m so devastated by this loss to the world, and especially to his partner Carol and son Joshua. He was young and had a lot more to give.

David, you were the mentor of my life and taught me so much about the power of helping other people achieve opportunities. Thank you.

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