James Johnson recognized for excellence in teaching and mentorship

Western Engineering is proud to announce James Johnson, professor in the department of mechanical and materials engineering, has received the 2025 R. Mohan Mathur Award for Excellence in Teaching.

James Johnson

The award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate outstanding commitment to student learning,  mentorship and educational leadership.

"I am deeply honoured and grateful to the committee and all those who supported the nomination," says Johnson.

"Teaching is certainly a collective effort, and I share this recognition with my valued students, colleagues and family, whose unwavering support makes it all possible."

Johnson has taught generations of Western Engineering students through core and elective courses, including Mechanical Components Design and Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System.

His approach often draws on his own research in upper-extremity biomechanics, using examples from medicine, sport and the human body to help students better understand fundamental engineering principles.

“Prof. Johnson is an energetic instructor who cares deeply for the success of his students,” said Anthony Straatman, professor and chair of the department of mechanical and materials engineering, who nominated Johnson for the award. “His excellence is evident in the classroom, the laboratory and in his interest in the development and leadership of programs at Western.”

That commitment has had a lasting influence on undergraduate and graduate students alike.

In letters supporting his nomination, former students described Johnson as an engaging lecturer and mentor who could make complex engineering concepts easier to understand while showing how they apply to real-world challenges. Several also pointed to his encouragement, accessibility and support as important factors in shaping their academic and professional paths.

Johnson’s impact extends well beyond the classroom. He is co-founder and co-director of the Roth McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, where engineering students and trainees work alongside clinicians and researchers on biomechanics, surgical planning, implant design and orthopaedic research.

Through that environment, Johnson has supervised and mentored graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and research trainees who have gone on to careers in academia, medicine, research and industry. Several of his former trainees now hold faculty positions, including at Western Engineering.

He has also played a central role in the growth of biomedical engineering at Western. Johnson served as the first director of the biomedical engineering program in Engineering and helped support its development into a program that brings together expertise in biomechanics, biomaterials, medical imaging and surgical technologies.

For students, that combination of teaching, research and mentorship has made Johnson’s impact especially meaningful.

Johnson’s teaching has previously been recognized through the USC Teaching Honour Roll and the Terry Base Award for teaching excellence in mechanical and materials engineering.

With the R. Mohan Mathur Award, Western Engineering recognizes Johnson’s sustained excellence in teaching and mentorship, as well as the lasting impact of his work in the classroom, the lab and the programs he has helped shape.