Wayne Johnson
Adjunct Faculty
Department: Physical Sciences
Contact Information
Campus: Main
Office Number: PS-162
Email: wayne.johnson@gccaz.edu
Phone number: (623) 845-3217
Bio
Biography
Like many Arizonans, I was transplanted here from the Midwest (Chicago) when I was 4 years old. Raised in Scottsdale, I graduated from Scottsdale High School in 1973. My family moved to the west side of the "Valley of the Sun" during my senior year, and I wound up going to Glendale Community College as a result. I took my first college-level geology classes at GCC from J. Robert Thompson. I knew I liked geology, and then went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University in 1979.
Upon graduating from NAU, I went to work for a highly unusual company that had acquired (mineral specimen) collecting rights with many of the large mining companies in Arizona (Phelps Dodge, Kennecott, etc.). Though not very monetarily rewarding for the miners, I got to live and work at many world-famous old mining sites like the Red Cloud Mine, and the Grand Reef Mine, and others over a period of about 3 years. After that, I took on the responsibility of managing the world-famous Stewart Lithia Mine in San Diego County, California, where we mined the highly prized "Hot Pink" tourmaline. In 1983, I moved eastward of the Continental Divide (something I swore I'd never do!), and took on another mining project, a quartz crystal mine in Mt. Ida, Arkansas area, and lived in the Ouachita mountains for 5 years. Although the Smallmouth Bass fishing was good, I missed the wide-open spaces of the Southwest! So, in 1989, I returned to Arizona after being offered a Science Lab Technician job at GCC (full circle!), and have since been made the Coordinator of Science Labs in the Physical Sciences Department. The opportunity to teach introductory geology lab classes (GLG 103) came about shortly after my arrival, and I have found this to be a very satisfying, enjoyable and rewarding experience every semester since 1990!
Things I like to do? Well, obviously I like Minerals and Rocks - they're all over my house and my office! Oh yeah, I am also a big fan of just about anything in the "Marvel Universe" (...Hail Hydra)! Whitewater rafting, camping, touring, and shopping antique stores are some of the things my wife Renee (married in 1983) and I enjoy the most. Music is another passion, I enjoy playing bass guitar, guitar, mandolin, guitjo, wooden flutes, digeridoo, Tibetan bowls, Mouth harp, keyboards - whatever I can get my hands on! Getting together for music with my friends occurs on a regular basis.