McKenzie Frances Johnson

McKenzie Frances Johnson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, with affiliate appointments at the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment; Center for Global Gender Equity; Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies; and Center for African Studies. Their research bridges environmental governance, human security, and environmental justice across global contexts.

• Education: PhD in Environmental Policy (Duke University), MA in Conservation Biology (Columbia University), AB in Environmental Studies (Vassar College)

Johnson’s work applies institutional change theories to analyze the adoption of international environmental standards and their local impacts. Key projects include:

• Environmental Peacebuilding in Colombia: Examines post-FARC conflict governance of natural resources as a pathway to lasting peace
• Contesting Carbon Democracy: Analyzes landowner experiences with the Bakken Pipeline System across five U.S. states

Recent publications focus on just energy transitions, environmental peacebuilding, and carbon sequestration policies. The (in)Secure Landscapes Lab at Illinois investigates how global environmental governance frameworks create patterns of security/insecurity and justice/injustice. Johnson teaches courses on environmental justice, political ecology, and U.S. environmental policy from equity perspectives.