Soft Power for the Journey: The Life of a STEM Trailblazer

This is a story of an African American woman working at the highest levels in STEM. Dr. Sandra K. Johnson earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Rice University in May 1988, the first black woman to do so.

Sandra K. Johnson's 26-year career at IBM included roles as Chief Technology Officer, Research Staff Member, WebSphere Database Development Manager, and Linux Performance Architect and Manager. Dr. Johnson was a member of the IBM Academy of Technology, an IBM Master Inventor with more than 45 pending and issued patents, author of over 80 technical publications and books, and a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. She is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering.