Jennifer Johnson

MS in Sustainable Design

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Jennifer Johnson fell in love with the intricacies. The vernacular nature of the built environment and the way people interacted with them — they fascinated her during her undergraduate years.

This passion led her to pursue an MS in Sustainable Design (MSSD) at the College of Architecture and the Built Environment. “The MSSD curriculum explores solar power, water harvesting, passive building envelope strategies for heating and cooling, geothermal and green roof systems while also providing a well-rounded understanding of practice and preparation for LEED accreditation as a design professional,” she enthused.

It wasn’t just the distinctive curriculum that stood out to her, but the program’s approach and emphasis on “thoughtful design.” This focus introduced her to tools and software that enabled exposure to insightful data, playing a key role in helping her realize her career goals.

Today, Johnson is a geodesign specialist for the Nashville Metro Planning Department. Previously, she was the Lead GIS Analyst for the city of Philadelphia — a position that allowed her to support informed policy decisions with maps.

Johnson credits both her professional and academic success to the MSSD program and her supportive professors. “I have since earned an MS in Geospatial Technology for Geodesign at Jefferson as well to dive deeper into mapping, analyzing and modelling cities. The knowledge I gained from the MSSD program was not only invaluable for me to carry on with my education but to find career opportunities as an accredited professional.”