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SFP Editor: What inspired you to be a scientist? Andrew Johnston: Even as a child, I was fascinated by maps and images of the Earth. I was drawn into these graphical and visual layouts, which can be simple or complex but always had a kind of beauty. Later in life they inspired me to better understand how the planet works and how it is changing. Access Interview

SFP Editor: What inspired you to be a scientist?

Andrew Johnston: Even as a child, I was fascinated by maps and images of the Earth. I was drawn into these graphical and visual layouts, which can be simple or complex but always had a kind of beauty. Later in life they inspired me to better understand how the planet works and how it is changing. <SFP Editor: Why did you pick the Smithsonian to conduct your research?

Andrew Johnston: While still an undergrad I volunteered and interned at the Smithsonian, and I was fortunate to continue there after completing school. It turned out to be the perfect place for this kind of work. <SFP Editor: What do you enjoy the most about the Smithonian?

Andrew Johnston: The best part of working there is meeting people in a wide range of fields. I've met and worked with people studying volcanoes, sand dunes, birds, bugs, elephants, whales, and humans. It never gets boring. <SFP Editor: Describe the most interesting place you have conducted research.

Andrew Johnston: I really enjoyed working in Kenya, where I performed mapping and training to help set up a research center. Kenya probably has the most diverse cultural, biological, and physical landscape out of all the places I've worked. <SFP Editor: What about your job do you find the most challenging?

Andrew Johnston: Getting funding. All the work we do is supported by outside money, which requires writing books or grant proposals. <SFP Editor: What is your favorite exhibit at the Smithonian in which you helped implement?

Andrew Johnston: We put together a small exhibit about the Global Positioning System (GPS) many years ago. That was before most people had heard of GPS, while today it's becoming common in cars and hand-held devices. It was an interesting project because I also arranged a donation of equipment that we use in our research, which has completely changed the way we do field work. <SFP Editor: What is the process for setting up an exhibit?

Andrew Johnston: It takes a long time to create an exhibit. Right now we're working on an exhibit about time and navigation. We began working out the concept and content about five months ago, and we have a preliminary layout drawn. Hopefully within about six months we'll have a draft of the text completed. We don't have any money to actually fabricate the exhibit, but hopefully we'll be able to find a donor. If the funding comes through, the whole project will take about two years. Large exhibits can take much longer. <SFP Editor: What do you find the most facinating about the muesum world?

Andrew Johnston: Museums are places where people are invited to see objects that connect them to the past and enable them to better understand the world in which they live. I really enjoy participating in that process and working on public programs that directly touch museum visitors. <SFP Editor: If you could study at a museum anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Andrew Johnston: I've traveled to many places all over the world and visited more than 1000 museums, but if I had to choose one place to study in museums, it would be right here in DC. <SFP Editor: What is your next scientific project?

Andrew Johnston:I'll be studying the effects of urbanization on vegetation cover. The majority of people now live in urban areas, and expanding urbanization removes existing vegetation and replaces it with new trees and grass cover in suburban lawns. Better information on this process will help us understand how expanding urban areas effect global climate.