Nathan JohnsonView profile
Associate Professor
Nathan Johnson is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University (ASU) within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering's Polytechnic School. He directs the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions and the ASU-Starbucks Center for the Future of People and the Planet, while serving as Assistant Director of Research for the Global Futures Laboratory. His work focuses on sustainable development through energy decarbonization, microgrid innovation, and public-private partnerships. Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2012) M.S. International Development & Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2008, 2005) B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2004) Research interests span microgrid resilience , energy-water-food nexus , grid modernization , and resource circularity , with applications in defense energy security, global energy access, and climate adaptation. His recent publications examine cascading infrastructure failures, hydrogen's role in decarbonization, and AI-driven solar panel diagnostics, reflecting interdisciplinary work in energy economics , control systems , and climate-resilient infrastructure . Over $70 million in funding includes projects like: DoD-funded microgrid resilience programs ($1.05M, 2022) World Bank climate-adaptive energy solutions in West Africa ($39.95M, 2021) NSF grants for urban resilience modeling ($3.6M, 2019) As leader of ASU's LEAPS initiative, he develops deployable energy solutions for disaster relief and underserved communities, combining hardware innovation with workforce development programs for veterans and civilians.




