Perianne Johnson

Perianne Johnson is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Geophysics, part of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on planetary science, particularly the outer solar system, planetary ices, and geophysics. She holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics and Planetary Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder (2023), and master's degrees from the University of Colorado (2019) and New Mexico Tech (2017).

• Areas of Expertise: Climate modeling of Pluto, volatile loss mechanisms, and planetary reorientation dynamics.
• Awards: Ray Mace Smith Fellowship (2022), Hartmann Travel Grants (2016/2018), and recognition in the 3MT competition.

Her research uses thermophysical models to study Pluto’s atmospheric evolution and surface volatiles, with a focus on Sputnik Planitia’s formation and infilling processes. She contributed to NASA’s New Horizons mission, analyzing albedo maps and atmospheric pressure dynamics.