Dr. Patricia J. A. Johnson Bio
Dr. Patricia J.A. Johnson
Director, Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority
Dr. Patricia J. A. Johnson is the youngest of five children (one deceased) born to the late Vernon J. E. Grant, a retired Police Officer and Business Owner and Ellen C. Grant, nee Roberts, A retired Educator. She received her early education at Xavier’s Lower School followed by Saint Augustine’s College and attended the then College of The Bahamas where she received an Associate’s degree in Agricultural Science. Dr. Johnson continued her tertiary education at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL. where she received both a B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in Food and Nutritional Science. Following this, she was hired by Tuskegee University for 3 ½ years as a Researcher in the Food Science Department during which she conducted research on hydroponically grown sweet potatoes as a part of a NASA funded project on Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) that investigated the potential to grow sweet potatoes on manned space missions. Dr. Johnson continued her quest for knowledge and completed a Ph.D. degree in Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE.
Before returning home to New Providence, she worked briefly at Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL. in the Ingredients Technology Department. Dr. Johnson found employment at The University of The West Indies, Nassau campus where she taught a Nutrition course before she was welcomed into the faculty at the then College of The Bahamas as an Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry, Environmental and Life Sciences (CELS) where she taught for 10 years followed by 4 ½ years at The Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) where she was Manager for both the Product Development Unit and Public Abattoir. Currently, Dr. Johnson is employed with the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA) - since May, 2018 - and as the Director of the Food Safety and Quality Unit, she oversees the regulation of food safety and quality throughout the food chain including the regulation of all food, inclusive of fish and meat, and ensures that human health and consumer interests are protected and there are fair practices in trade.
Dr. Johnson enjoys writing, getting her hands dirty in the soil, growing produce using hydroponics, looking at ways to preserve agricultural produce and developing unique recipes.