Degree program: JD/MMA

Year accepted: 2022

Advisor: TBD

Research: Coastal law and policy in New England Area

Background: Background: B.S. in English, U.S. Naval Academy

Susannah Johnson is a graduate student enrolled in the University of Rhode Island (URI) dual degree Juris Doctor/Master of Marine Affairs program. Originally hailing from Wellesley, MA, she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in English. During her eight years as a Surface Warfare Officer, she acquired frontline experience in support of U.S. Navy Fifth and Sixth Fleet strategic objectives, conducting maritime security operations in the Arabian Gulf, Norwegian Sea, and Mediterranean Sea. Susannah sharpened her leadership and managerial skills as a Navigator responsible for the safe transit of multiple Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and an instructor for critical bridge resource management positions at the Surface Warfare Officer School in Newport, RI. While transitioning to the civilian workforce, Susannah served as a Department of Defense SkillBridge Intern at the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and as a Victim Advocate intern, leading a pilot program to integrate misdemeanor cases into an online victim notification system. Additionally, she worked for the Aquidneck Land Trust as a Summer Stewardship Assistant responsible for field monitoring, managing, and improving properties while managing the trust’s diverse stewardship project portfolio. Susannah enjoys volunteering as a certified URI Extension Master Gardener in her free time, assisting local gardening projects educate the community about environmentally sound gardening practices. Upon completing her degree at URI, Susannah intends to apply her military and academic expertise to a career focused on ocean and coastal law and policy in the New England area.