Sharon Johnson

Sharon Johnson is a Professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) within The Business School and serves as Director of the Industrial Engineering Program. She holds a PhD from Cornell University (1989), an MS from Cornell (1986), and a BS from the University of Michigan (1983). Her research focuses on healthcare delivery systems, leveraging lean methodologies and information technologies to improve care processes. She is a founding member of WPI's Healthcare Delivery Institute (HDI) and has secured grants from the National Science Foundation and the New England Veterans Engineering Resource Center.

Research interests include applying lean methods in healthcare, electronic health record (EHR) system impacts on care delivery, and process analysis modeling. Notable projects include evaluating lean strategies for suicide safety interventions, optimizing mobile integrated health systems, and analyzing EHR effects on primary care. Her work aligns with UN SDGs 3 (Health & Well-Being), 4 (Education), 8 (Economic Growth), and 9 (Industry & Innovation).

Johnson has received prestigious awards such as the Chairman’s Exemplary Faculty Prize (2019) and leadership roles in professional societies like the Institute of Industrial Engineers. She advises numerous student projects, including robotic surgical instrument design and emergency department workflow improvements. Her research emphasizes operational excellence and continuous improvement in healthcare and business systems.