College of Veterinary Medicine

Ann L. Johnson, DVM, MS

2009 Distinguished Alumni Awardee

Dr. Ann Johnson received her DVM from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1975. Following an internship in small animal surgery at Grady Veterinary Hospital in Cincinnati, she came to The Ohio State University where she completed a residency in small animal surgery in 1981, receiving her MS in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. She was recruited to the faculty at the University of Illinois that year as an assistant professor and was awarded diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1983. Dr. Johnson went on to achieve the rank of professor in 1993. In 2008 she retired and was named a professor emeritus of Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Johnson's tenure at the University of Illinois is characterized by a dedication to clinical orthopedic education. Hundreds of students and residents have benefited from her instruction. Her lectures were clear, uncluttered and stimulating, attesting to a profound understanding of small animal orthopedics. As a table instructor she was the epitome of the surgical mentor; authoritative, surgically expect, approachable, and encouraging.

Dr. Johnson has authored numerous textbooks that have set the standard for surgical references, including Fossum's Small Animal Surgery, AO-Vet Small Animal Preoperative Planning Guide, Atlas of Orthopedic Surgical Procedures in the Dog and Cat, and AO Principles of Fracture Management in Small Animals. In addition, she is a pioneer in the development of web-based teaching. She has also made exceptional original research contributions with a focus on comparative skeletal growth deformity, reconstructive orthopedic surgery, and fracture healing. Dr. Johnson has inspired doctors here in Ohio with her knowledge and expertise of clinical orthopedics as a lecturer at the annual AO Vet Fracture Fixation Course held annually in Columbus.

Dr. Johnson has been an outstanding administrator for her college, serving as section head of small animal surgery, interim department chair, and interim hospital director. She has also served on numerous ACVS committees, being voted as president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1996. For many years she has been an actively engaged member or chairperson of the AO Vet International Education Committee and presided over seismic changes in the philosophy of fracture management.