It could make anyone philosophical: a University program led by Baylor Johnson caught the attention of one of the world's largest and most influential media organizations by stepping back from the crush of the information age.

The Adirondack Semester, directed by Johnson, was the topic of a lengthy feature story in the education section of the New York Times in November of 2007. The article included three large color photographs and was featured on the Education Web page of the Times for well over a month. It ran in newspapers around the country through the Times syndicate and led to a story on a regional television station as well.

Johnson, associate professor of philosophy and director of outdoor studies as well as the Adirondack Semester, has been at St. Lawrence since 1972. He had a hand in creating the First-Year Program, the Outdoor Program and the Adirondack Semester, and regards his programmatic involvement in these initiatives as his most distinctive contribution to the University, in addition to “friendships with students built over the years” as the most rewarding aspect of his job. He adds that he finds it gratifying “to be paid to spend time thinking and learning and keeping company with smart and idealistic students and colleagues.”

His scholarly work is focused “mostly on ideas about responsibility and metaphysical theory that are used to justify belief in personal responsibility in the West, particularly the theory of free will,” he says. Johnson is also interested in environmental philosophy and has been concerned with societal causes of and solutions to environmental problems. He has published articles in journals such as International Journal of Wilderness, Environmental Values, Rethinking Sustainability and Liberalism, Oppression and Empowerment.  A graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Johnson earned a master's degree and the Ph.D. from Northwestern University.