Johanna is a native of Detroit, Michigan.  She began her studies in the Honors Program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.  After graduation, she decided to continue her pursuit of a liberal arts education earning an M.A. in Political Science from University of Toronto, as well as an M.A. and M.Phil. in Philosophy from Fordham University.  Currently, Johanna is working on her dissertation entitled: A Humanistic Approach to Bystander Responsibility in Cases of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity.  She is deeply dedicated to learning about, and educating others on the importance of respecting human rights.

Johanna loves to travel abroad with her husband Roald~ learning about other cultures and traditions together. In her free moments she likes to read, cook, and enjoys listening to jazz, opera, Italian, Albanian and classical music.  Johanna has a dog Viola, named for a character in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.  She lives with Roald in Cayuga Heights.