Johnson, Matthew
Professor and Program Director
Biography
Dr. Matt Johnson is a professor of higher education at Central Michigan University and serves as the program director for the Master’s in Higher Education Administration program. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland in college student personnel. His research focuses on the intersections of leadership, democratic engagement, and social justice. Prior to his appointment at Central Michigan University, Matthew served as a visiting assistant professor at Miami University, and before that, he taught Navy and Marine company officers for the US Naval Academy as part of the Navy LEAD program at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Johnson’s scholarship focuses on how colleges can foster students’ capacities for engaging in a diverse democracy, particularly conversations about and across differences and social perspective-taking. Dr. Johnson serves a project consultant for the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership and is a board member for the National Issues Forum. He has published over 45 journal articles and book chapters, including publications in the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, and Journal of Leadership Education. He serves as an associate editor of the Journal of College & Character and is an editorial board member for Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors.
More about Matthew Johnson
Publications & Presentations
Mitchell, T. D., Johnson, M. R., Parker, E., Soria, K. M., Weerasekara, N., & Dann, L. (2025). The power of identity-based and multicultural student organizations in college students’ prosocial leadership development. Journal of College & Character, 1-20. doi.org/10.1080/2194587X.2025.2546456
Johnson, M. R., Ashby, L. K., & Hornak, A. M. (2025). Building the strongest team: The case for diversity and inclusion in youth sports. In E. L. Buschlen & A. C. DiOrio (Eds.), The coach’s playbook: Becoming a transformational coach and leader (pp. 193-204). International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership.
Correia-Harker, B., Soria, K. M., Johnson, M. R., VanEnkevort, J., Dugan, J. P. (2024). Comparing college students’ capacities for resiliency before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of College & Character, 25(2), 159-176. doi.org/10.1080/2194587X.2024.2326224
Soria, K., & Johnson, M. R. (2023). Classic and emergent approaches to researching leadership education and development. In S. R. Komives & Owen, J. (Eds.). A research agenda for learning and developing leadership through higher education (pp. 235-254). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Education
Ph.D., College Student Personnel, 2012, University of Maryland;
M.S. in College Student Personnel, Miami University, 2006;
B.B.A. in Marketing, Saginaw Valley State University, 2003
Research Interests
My research centers on the intersections of leadership, democratic engagement, and social justice. I am interested in how college students develop necessary capacities for democratic engagement with a particular emphasis on the role of collegiate experiences in building those capacities. I utilize both advanced qualitative and quantitative methods.
Membership in Professional Organizations
Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE);
National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA)
Courses Taught
EDL216: Race in Higher Education;
EDL700: Advanced Administrative Research Design;
EDL757: Student Development Theory;
EDL800: Qualitative Research Design