Erwin Johnson, PhD

Erwin Johnson is director at MSC Software Corporation, a company specializing in computer-aided engineering simulation software. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan before completing his Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering at Stanford University in 1973. His dissertation on the optimization of structures under harmonic or stochastic excitation applied mathematical optimization theory to structural engineering problems—work aimed at designing structures that perform robustly under dynamic loading conditions such as vibration or random forces. This expertise in structural optimization has informed his long career in commercial simulation software.