The Emerging Young Leader Award is designed to recognize established and future leaders among recent William Penn University alumni. Standards for recognition include one or more of the following: demonstrated leadership capability, substantial indication of a commitment to service of others, demonstration of potential for leadership and distinction in the long term, and a substantial commitment to William Penn University and its mission. The award is open to all alumni who are within their first 10 years of graduating from William Penn University.
Zachary Johnson, Class of 2019, came to William Penn University because of the strong engineering and science programs that allowed him to obtain a dual-engineering degree in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University (ISU) through the 3+3 program. Not only did he value his education, but he was also able to participate in the sports he loved, including cross country and track. He served on student government as well, giving him the opportunity to work with a leadership team. Johnson states that Penn provided him with career-propelling internships at Musco, where he was able to conduct independent research on lighting systems.
This opportunity fostered a scientific curiosity that, when combined with the hands-on engineering skills gained at Penn, motivated him to pursue research as a Ph.D. candidate at Iowa State University. From 2019 to 2024, Johnson researched nanomaterials and developed biosensors for agrochemical and biomedical monitoring, motivating him to integrate scalable and affordable biosensing systems that could be deployed for smart agriculture and real-time health diagnostics. Alongside his colleagues, Johnson successfully manufactured pesticide- and fertilizer-specific sensors for efficient application and reduced non-target migration, establishing his expertise through multiple scientific publications and conference presentations.
After successfully defending his Ph.D. dissertation, Johnson accepted his current research position as a mechanical engineer at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., where he works on compact microelectronics to advance naval innovation and enhance the safety of our service men and women.
Johnson states, “Each day I am surrounded by some of the greatest scientists and engineers in the country, and I think about how fortunate I am to have found my way here. The truth is, this path was not of my own doing. God has watched over me and blessed me with the guidance and foundation that began first with my family, but was then further built by what William Penn University had to offer.” He credits professors Judy Williams, James Smith, Jim Hoeksema and Jim Drost as guiding lights throughout his engineering career.
Congratulations to Zach on being named the 2025 Emerging Young Leader Award recipient, a well-deserved honor recognizing his outstanding potential and impact.