Steven Mana‘oakamai Johnson
Assistant Professor, Natural Resources and the Environment
Dr. Steven Mana‘oakamai Johnson (he/him/‘oia) is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) scientist, born and raised on the island of Saipan, located in Micronesia. His research questions are informed by his heritage and upbringing, focusing on the impacts of climate change on coastal communities, primarily in the Pacific Islands. He uses social, environmental, and climate data to develop equitable and cooperative solutions for coastal communities. This work is a direct practice of his kuleana (responsibility) to use his knowledge and skills to improve the social and environmental spaces he is a part of.
Education
- Ph.D., geography, Oregon State University, 2021
- M.S., biology, University of Guam, 2017
- B.S., biology, Barry University, 2010
Recent Research
- Selected Publications:
- Nguyen, K.H., A. K. Akiona, C.C. Chang, V.B. Chaudhary, S.J. Cheng, S.M. Johnson, S.S. Kahanamoku, A. Lee, E.E. de Leon Sanchez, L.M. Segui, and R.L. Tanner (2022). Who are we? Highlighting Nuances in Asian American Experiences in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Bull Ecol Soc Am 103(1):e01939.
- Johnson, S.M., and Watson, J.R. (2021). Novel environmental conditions due to climate change in the world's largest marine protected areas. One Earth 4(11):1625-1634.
- Johnson, S.M., Reyuw, B.M., Yalon, A., Mclean, M., and Houk, P. (2020). Contextualizing the social-ecological outcomes of coral reef fisheries management. Biological Conservation 241:108288.
Contact Information
Fernow Hall 102
Ithaca, NY 14853
steven.johnson [at] cornell.edu
Steven in the news
Spotlight
Academic focus: Ocean conservation and social-ecological systems. Research summary: I study the relationship between people and the ocean, ranging from Indigenous Pacific Islander communities traditionally managing coral reefs to geopolitical...
- American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program
- Natural Resources and the Environment
- Development Sociology
Spotlight
This is the fifth in a series of stories detailing actions CALS students, faculty and staff have taken over the past several years to make our community a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place for everyone. In fall 2021, CALS announced its first-ever faculty cohort initiative focused on hiring a group of scientists whose work explicitly addresses systemic challenges facing marginalized communities through transdisciplinary collaboration. The first search was received with great enthusiasm and 381 people applied for the six positions.
- American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program
- Biological and Environmental Engineering
- Computational Biology