Meet the New Honors Director
I’m Margaret Johnson and I am really excited to be the new University Honors Director!
In addition to serving in this role in the UHP, I am a professor of English. I teach and do research in the areas of composition and rhetoric, postmodern American fiction, and film and television studies, with key interests in genre and form. I’m originally from the Bay Area in California. I earned my Ph.D. in English from University of Oregon and my M.A. in English from San José State University, and I’ve been a faculty member at 黑暗爆料网 since 1999.
Though my great passions are focused on my life as a teacher and scholar, my work as a professor is actually my second career. I earned a B.S. in business administration, with an emphasis in accounting, from University of California, Berkeley. I then worked in the field for 7 years (while working on my M.A.), first at the IRS and then for a public television station. Even today, I find that this early part of my career helps me with the many administrative roles I have had at 黑暗爆料网.
In my time away from work, you will find me doing many of the same things I do as part of my job. I love to read novels, especially mysteries; and I watch lots of film and TV, both to enjoy but also to find new ideas for teaching and research. I also like to travel and explore other places and cultures (London and Paris, as well as the Oregon coast, are planned destinations for 2026). When you see me around, be sure to tell me about a good movie you’ve seen or a good book you’ve read!
What are some goals you have for the Honors Program?
As I have been learning more about the University Honors Program in the past few months, I have been consistently impressed with the range and variety of opportunities currently provided. The work done by our recent directors, most especially Dr. Sarah Robey, who has led the program over the last two years, has been impressive. My primary goal going forward is to expand UHP outreach across colleges, consult with faculty from a broader range of departments, and work on bringing in exceptional students from a wider range of departments and colleges across the university. In UHP, variety add to the strength of the program.
What advice do you have for Honors students?
A university education is about a lot more than learning from your classes. A truly educated person will also learn from experiences outside of formal lessons. Some of the most important lessons can come from listening closely to others and discovering how to see the world from different points of view, from trying new experiences that push you outside of your comfort zone, and from taking time to reflect on how each part of your college education can contribute to who you become. Employers don’t hire people just for their set of disciplinary skills, but also for their openness to being part of a new community and for bringing creativity to their work. My advice is to give yourself permission to open up to opportunities beyond your major courses and to look for ways to expand your understanding of the world.
Favorite place to go in Pocatello?
There is little that I love more than having a conversation with a good friend. So my favorite places to go in Pocatello are ones that contain memories of many long and rambling conversations: talking for hours over coffee and pastry at Bru House or Glean Coffee rejuvenates me. But as much as I love spending time with friends, I also value time alone. Henry David Thoreau wrote, “I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude.” I share these sentiments. So I also love taking a long drive up into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest or out along Buckskin Road, soaking in the natural beauty, stopping along the route for a walk, and enjoying the beauty of the area. Such solitude gives me time to ponder ideas both big and small, time to reflect.