Many academics describe their sabbatical as rewarding. For Dr. Nicholas Johnson (C’04), Chair of the Sustainability Department, it was awarding as well. Johnson’s year-long sabbatical with the U.S. Department of Energy earned him the Secretary of Energy’s Achievement Award. Twice.

The award is the highest recognition for federal employees and/or contractors at the U.S. Department of Energy. It recognizes “outstanding achievements of individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond in fulfilling the Energy Department's mission and serving the Nation.” 

As an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Johnson contributed his expertise to a wide range of public policy-related work. “I got to do a lot of cool things because there weren’t a lot of hands on deck,” says Johnson. 

The areas where Johnson and his fellow team members received recognition were in tax accreditation—contributing invaluable technical expertise to the Department of Treasury on 20 new or expanded tax credits, which are leading to a significant acceleration of investments in clean energy technologies—and commercial “liftoff” reports that are helping to deploy these clean energy technologies.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Johnson and his colleagues on these incredible accomplishments!