Christi Johnson works both as a drag racer and as a scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she contributes to technological projects. She applies the same skills in her scientific work that she uses in racing, according to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Christi Johnson, from Maryville, Tennessee, learned mechanical skills as a child while helping her father, a drag racer. She was one of three female physics majors at the University of Tennessee. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, she worked on a runway lighting system that helps FedEx planes land in bad weather and on technology for better salt brine distribution on icy roads.
Christi Johnson led the hardware design and fabrication for the BRIAR project, which improves biometric recognition technology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She started as an intern and now manages the laboratory, overseeing projects and mentoring new managers. Project leader David Cornett said, "Christi Johnson is the kind of teammate every technical team hopes for: brilliant, humble and fiercely reliable."
