About Me
E. Janet Johnson
Dr. E. Janet Johnson, a retired South Dakota State University professor, has enjoyed writing poetry since her youth. She has lived in New England, New York, the Midwest, the Northern Great Plains, and the Southeast.
Janet graduated from North Salem High School, North Salem, New York, (Westchester County) in June, 1965, where she studied Russian, Latin, and French. She met her future husband Carter in November 1965 as undergraduates at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD. They married in 1969.
In addition to completing an undergraduate degree from Augustana University (B.A., English), Janet has earned multiple graduate degrees--Virginia Tech (M.A., Education/Reading Specialist), the University of Iowa (M.A., Russian Linguistics and Literature), and the University of South Dakota (Doctorate—Ed.D. in Higher Education).
After living in Blacksburg, Virginia, for 12 years where she taught English and Russian at Virginia Tech, Janet and family moved to Brookings, SD, where she worked at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, from January 1990-December 2021.
At SDSU, Janet was a pioneer in television teaching and creating online courses. Her first and second year Russian language interactive television classes were awarded national honors—Best Live Distance Learning Program in Higher Education from the US Distance Learning Association in 1994 and1995. She has also taught English composition, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and strategic reading classes.
From January 2014 to December 2021, Janet worked as Faculty Mentor at SDSU's Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. She observed 605 classes during that time, giving feedback and sharing her teaching expertise with others. In 2018 she received a Woman of Distinction Award at SDSU.
Janet is a member of the South Dakota State Poetry Society and the South Dakota Art Museum Guild. Fom July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024, she has been the President of the Brookings Toastmasters Club. From July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025 Janet will serve as its Vice President of Education.