Robert Johnson
His forecasts can be seen Monday-Wednesday at Noon and 4 p.m. and on the Weekend Evening editions of ABC11 Eyewitness News.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Robert grew up watching local news and dreamed of becoming a meteorologist since the age of two! He was especially fascinated by 6abc Action News, our powerhouse sister station in Philadelphia. While in 4th grade, he was featured in a PBS Kids commercial spotlighting his passion for broadcasting.
Robert is a proud Nittany Lion and graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science with a concentration in weather forecasting and communication.
He also holds a minor in Energy Business & Finance. In January 2023, he earned the prestigious Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation from the American Meteorological Society.
"It is the highest seal a meteorologist can have, that can only be earned by holding an accredited meteorology degree", per the AMS website.
Robert was very active during his time at Penn State. He served as the weathercaster for the Centre County Report, the university's Emmy-award-winning student newscast. From his thorough coverage of the 2017 hurricane season, Robert was awarded "Best Student TV Weathercaster" in the nation by the Broadcast Education Association.
He was also elected as Vice President of Penn State Meteorology's Campus Weather Service, the oldest and largest student-run forecasting organization in the country. During his time as VP, Robert managed the club's massive social media presence and served as Executive Producer for CWS' live broadcast coverage of major storms.
In addition, he spent two years as the student host of the PBS public affairs program "Digging Deeper" with Penn State President Dr. Eric Barron. In this role, he helped WPSU win a Mid-Atlantic EMMY award for Overall Station Excellence. He completed internships at WTXF-TV (the FOX-owned station in Philadelphia) and WPVI-TV (the powerhouse ABC-owned station in Philadelphia) which is also the sister station of ABC11 WTVD.
But some of his most impactful moments came from hosting 46 LIVE, the official livestream for the Penn State Dance MaraTHON. THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, is committed to providing emotional and financial support to children and families impacted by childhood cancer. The year-long efforts from over 16,000 student volunteers culminate in a 46-hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon.
Robert is devoted to remaining active in the community. He is currently the Communications Chair for the Penn State Alumni Association's Triangle Chapter. When he's not forecasting the next big storm, you can find him listening to music, exploring new coffee shops or going - as they say in Philly - "down the shore".
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