Don Johnson earns UNL Emeriti and Retirees Association research award

Don Johnson, professor emeritus of mechanical and materials engineering, received a research award from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti and Retirees Association for his work on the preservation of the sunken USS Arizona.

Johnson received a $1,500 Maude E. Wisherd Fund award for his project, which also includes work done by former mechanical engineering graduate students Dana Medlin and John Makinson and retired University of Nebraska chemistry professor Jim Carr.

The team's research is designed to provide science-based evidence for the long-term stability of the ship and ways to limit ecological damage that could come from the leaking of more than 500,000 gallons of fuel that have been on the ship since it was sunk during the Dec. 7, 1941 raid on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

“We are very proud to recognize these very deserving individuals for their contributions to the community, university and research fields,” said Rita Kean, president of the emeriti and retirees association.