Publication Date
5-3-2021
Abstract
p>JOHNSON CITY (May 3, 2021) – Dr. Keith Johnson, vice president for Equity and Inclusion and chair of the Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology and Surveying at East Tennessee State University, is among 32 higher education leaders in the U.S. selected by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) as a 2021 protégé for its Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI).
MLI provides individuals traditionally underrepresented in the highest ranks of postsecondary education opportunities to develop skills, gain a philosophical overview, and build the network and knowledge needed to advance in higher education leadership, according to the AASCU website.
“During the past year, it has become more evident how important diversity, equity, and inclusion are,” said Dr. Mary Evans Sias, MLI program director. “With the selection of this class, we are hoping to reflect the diversity of this nation and the institutions that our protégés serve.”
Before being named vice president of Equity and Inclusion in 2019, Dr. Johnson began his academic career as an assistant professor of engineering at ETSU, and was later promoted to associate professor and assistant chair. Since 2001, he has served as chair and helped lead the department through several successful accreditations.
He holds a B.S. and M.S. in industrial technology from North Carolina A&T State University, a Ph.D. in industrial technology from The Ohio State University and studied as a fellow in the Tennessee Board of Regents Maxine Smith Fellows Program. He is also active in the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and the American Society for Engineering Education receiving the 2019 Fredrick J. Berger Award. Johnson remains dedicated to teaching, service and research, having helped develop a joint engineering degree program with Tennessee Tech University, and represents ETSU nationally. In 2020, he was named to the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute (CTLI) cohort.
The AASCU is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of nearly 400 public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.
A complete list of 2021 MLI Protégés is available at aascu.org/MLI/Classof2021/.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion is located in Burgin E. Dossett Hall, room 230. For more information, visit etsu.edu/equity or call 423-439-4445.
Document Type
News Article
