Background
Johnson, Torrence Vaino was born on December 1, 1944 in Rockville Centre, New York, United States. Son of Vaino Oliver and Priscilla Welch (Sneed) Johnson.
Johnson, Torrence Vaino was born on December 1, 1944 in Rockville Centre, New York, United States. Son of Vaino Oliver and Priscilla Welch (Sneed) Johnson.
Bachelor of Science with honors, Washington University, St. Louis, 1966. Doctor of Philosophy, California Institute of Technology, 1970. Laurea Honoris Causa in Astronomy, University Padua, Italy, 1997.
Research associate, Planetary Astronomy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1969-1971; resident research associate, National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, 1971-1973; senior scientist, member technical staff, National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, 1973-1974; group supervisor, Optical Astronomy Group, 1974-1985; project scientist Project Galileo, Optical Astronomy Group, since 1977; research scientist, Optical Astronomy Group, 1980-1981; senior research scientist, Optical Astronomy Group, since 1981. Visiting associate professor California Institute Technology, 1981-1983. Consultant Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, 1971.
Fellow Explorers Club, American Geophysical Union (president planetology section 1990-1992). Member American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Astronomical Society (secretary-treasurer division planetary science 1977-1980), International Astronomical Union, Planetary Society (founding member), International Academy Astronautics (correspondent), Sigma Xi.
Married Mary Eleanor Zachman, March 31, 1967. Children: Aaron Torrence, Eleanor Nancy.