Jenny Johnson, P.E., PTOE, IMSA TS II
What is your current position and company?
Traffic Engineer at Kimley-Horn since June 2012.
What does a typical workday look like?
As a Traffic Engineering consultant at Kimley-Horn, I seek to lead our industry in developing innovative solutions to complex problems in efforts of improving the efficiency, mobility, and safety for all road users within our transportation networks. Throughout my career, I have developed a wide range of skills related to the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation systems. More specifically, I have gained extensive experience in signalized intersection design and ITS/ATMS design and have become well-versed in the processes needed to complete every phase of these complex, large-scale design projects. A typical workday for me includes being in the field coordinating with utilities and contractors, working at my desk designing traffic signals and ITS communication networks, and tinkering in our signals lab while testing new timing databases or emerging transportation technologies.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The thing I love most about my job is the people I have the pleasure of working with. The team at Kimley-Horn truly feels like family and reminds me a lot of the relationships I built while at Clemson. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed working on some pretty high-profile projects during my tenure at Kimley-Horn, including the new Braves baseball and Mercedes-Benz football stadiums in Atlanta.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I am an avid cyclist and Ironman triathlete. I also enjoy volunteering my time as an assistant mountain bike coach in the Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League.
What was your graduate research focus?
Due to the tremendous political, economic, and environmental pressures under which the transportation sector currently operates, increasing efforts are being expended to intelligent mobility technologies to meet ever-changing transportation demands. While at Clemson University, my research involved integrating Electric Vehicles into Connected Vehicle technologies and encompassed the necessity of developing and implementing high-performance communication and computational tools, where vehicles and infrastructure units are sharing and processing data in real-time, for creating truly sustainable communities. (Jenny was advised by Dr. Mashrur “Ronnie” Chowdhury.)
What is your fondest memory of graduate school at Clemson?
The relationship I was able to build with my advisor, Dr. Chowdhury, is something I’ll always cherish. He was my biggest fan and supporter – helping me to get both the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the FHWA’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Graduate Fellowship. But even more than that, he invested in me as a friend – often taking the team to lunches, telling “hysterical” Seinfeld jokes, and even checking in on me throughout my professional career long after I had graduated from Clemson. The faculty and professors at Clemson genuinely care and that is by far my fondest memory of graduate school at Clemson.
If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your graduate student self?
Stay involved and stay plugged in. While at Clemson, I had the unique privilege of serving as President of Clemson ITE and helped Dr. Chowdhury form Clemson ITS. Through these opportunities, I was able to network with other Clemson students and alumni, which ultimately allowed me to find my job after graduation. As a professional in Atlanta, I have stayed active in both Georgie ITE and ITS Georgia, even serving as the youngest and first female President of ITSGA from 2018-2019. I cannot recommend these types of professional organizations enough for the value they provide in building your network and developing your technical skills.
