Erik S. Johnson, MS, OTR/L

Trustee

As an army occupational therapist for more than ten years, Major Erik Johnson was instrumental in the care for service members who had sustained devastating physical, cognitive and mental health injuries during combat operations. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his work with brain injuries while deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2011. Leaving the Army after 20 years, Erik now serves as an assistant professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Warfighter Engaged. As an occupational therapist, Erik specializes in the use of technology as a therapeutic medium for rehabilitation. He has used video games as a treatment tool for over 14 years and looks for opportunities to advance practice by incorporating them into the mix of traditional approaches. Erik also serves as a consultant to the video game industry as it relates to creating hardware and content that is more accessible for all gamers regardless of physical, mental, or cognitive deficits. He was on the team that worked with Microsoft to develop the Xbox adaptive controller and more recently worked with 343 Industries on their latest instalment of the Halo franchise to ensure proper representation of amputees in the game.