Title: Adjunct Professor of Global Health
Company: Milken Institute School of Public Health at The George Washington University
Location: Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States
Geralyn Johnson, DDS, MPH, adjunct professor of global health at The George Washington University’s Milken Institute of Public Health, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in health care education and administration.
Dr. Johnson has devoted more than 45 years to working in public health, both as a practicing dentist and as an educator. Showcasing her dedication to public service right from the start, she spent almost 30 years as a dentist with U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) beginning in 1979. As a commissioned officer in the USPHS, Dr. Johnson initially practiced as a clinician and dentist serving special populations but expanded into a wider range of health programs and strategic planning. Later in her time with USPHS, she led an emergency medical response team that was set up to respond to disasters anywhere in the United States within 24 hours and anywhere in the world within 48 hours. Dr. Johnson and her team assisted in Africa during the Ebola virus and in New York City during the events of 9/11. These experiences taught her leadership development and how to quickly adapt to emerging health threats.
Before leaving the USPHS in 2006, Dr. Johnson served as the chief of resource management for Project BioShield through the Department of Health and Human Services. Following that, she contributed as the vice president for telehealth at DIANAssociates. During this time, Dr. Johnson aided with controlling a potential tuberculosis outbreak by making smart use of the telehealth system. She considers this one of the most noteworthy achievements of her professional life.
Later in her career, Dr. Johnson held the positions of vice president of occupational health services at The GEO Group Inc. and consultant and adviser for the Federal Occupational Health Program Support Center at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Since 2012, she has operated as a health services consultant and an independent consultant, making her vast expertise available to a much wider audience that can benefit from it.
Though she’s proud of her extensive career in public health, Dr. Johnson considers all of these years to have been in service of her current role as an educator. Since 2019, she has served as part-time faculty and an adjunct professor in the subject of global health at The George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Dr. Johnson teaches a leadership course for students in the Doctor of Public Health program and helps with master’s degree program planning and evaluation. Prior to becoming adjunct faculty, Dr. Johnson had been a regular lecturer at The George Washington University for 20 years.
Prior to embarking upon her professional journey, Dr. Johnson set down a strong foundation in her own education. She completed predental studies at the University of Wyoming and the University of Tennessee. In 1983, Dr. Johnson obtained a Doctor of Dental Surgery in general dentistry from the Creighton University School of Dentistry. Subsequently, she returned to school to earn a Master of Public Health in health care administration and management from Johns Hopkins University in 1999.
In addition to her primary vocation, Dr. Johnson enjoys hiking, biking, sailing, outdoor activities, traveling and attending cultural events. As she moves forward, she is committed to teaching others and passing on the knowledge she’s gained throughout her lengthy professional life. Dr. Johnson believes she is well-placed to offer insight to future leaders in public health, and she is pursuing this goal with a focus on helping others rather than making money. She also plans to launch a blog about her career and post-career journey, with the aim of inspiring readers to become global adventurers.
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