A Biography of Russell A. Johnson

RussellA.JohnsonwasborninFairmont,MinnesotaonJanuary27,1947.HeobtainedhisB.S. degree in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota, Magna cum Laude, in 1969,and his Ph.D. degree in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1975. His earlyacademic career consisted of assistant professorships: one year at the University of Wiscon-sin-Parksideand5yearsintheDepartmentofMathematics,UniversityofSouthernCalifornia(USC). In 1981 he was promoted at USC, first to the rank of associate professor and then toafullprofessorshipin1988.AtUSCheservedastheVice-DirectorofAppliedMathematics(1986–1988)andastheDirectorofGraduateProgramsinMathematics(1988–1989).In1991heacceptedapositionoffullprofessoratUniversitadiFirenzeintheDipartimentodiSistemie Informatica, which is his current academic home. While at Firenze, he also served as theDirector of the Department (1995–1997). He has had visiting positions at the University ofMinnesota (1980 and 1989–1990) and the Universitat Heidelberg (1983–1985).He has delivered numerous invited lectures at professional conferences and at universi-ties/institutesworldwide.Forexample,hewasamainlecturerattheC.I.M.E.SchoolheldinCetraro,Italyin2000,theDANCEWinterSchoolheldinGranada,Spainin2007,andhehaspresentedseveralmini-coursesatPekingUniversity(1990),UniversityofValladolid(2005),andEastChinaNormalUniversity(2010).In2007hewashonoredonhis60thbirthdaywhentheUniversityofValladolidinSpainhostedthereanInternationalConferenceonDynamicalMethods and Mathematical Modelling.Russell has made extensive services to the international mathematical community.Besides being on numerous professional committees, he is (or has been) a member of theeditorialboardsoftheJournalofDynamicsandDifferentialEquations,TopologicalMethodsin Nonlinear Analysis, Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata and six other professionaljournals. He has organized more than twenty international conferences, workshops, and