Lawrence J. Johnson Appointed Interim Provost of the University of Cincinnati

Lawrence J. Johnson is now the chief academic officer at the University of Cincinnati. Interim UC President Santa J. Ono announced on Aug. 22 that he appointed Johnson to serve as UC’s Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

“Larry Johnson will be my key partner as the university’s chief academic officer and will be the university’s second ranking officer.  He has the perfect combination of academic and budgetary experience and leadership skills to serve as provost,” says Ono.

Johnson holds a long history in academic administration at the University of Cincinnati. Since 1999, he has served as dean of the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH).

Johnson is an internationally recognized education researcher who is prominently published in books and journals. He has advocated for excellence in teacher education on the local, state and national levels.

In 2007, Johnson was appointed co-chair of the university’s two-year self-study for successful re-accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools – a process that takes place every decade as the university examines its successes and future goals regarding excellence in education, research and service.

He co-chaired the committee that developed the university's Performance Based Budgeting system.

Johnson has also served as chair of the operations committee for Strive, the regional partnership that aims to build the best educational pipeline from preschool to college.

Johnson was first appointed to the university in August, 1990, as professor and head of early childhood and special education. He has also served as associate dean of research and executive director of UC’s Arlitt Child and Family Research and Education Center.

Johnson was associate professor and chairperson of early childhood and special education at the University of Alabama from 1986-1990, where he established the early childhood special education program. In 1984, he served as assistant director of a research and development center – focusing on the needs of young children and their families – at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Born and raised in Chicago, Johnson was a first-generation college graduate who earned his bachelor’s degree in special education from Western Illinois University; his master’s in special education from the University of Illinois in Chicago and his PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In addition to research and analysis, his doctorate specializes in preparing teachers to educate children with mild learning and behavior problems. He has participated in research and analysis of Head Start programs on the local, state and national levels.

Under his leadership, UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services in 2008 opened the Gen-1 Theme House – a living and learning community to support the academic success of first-generation, Pell-eligible college students. Last year, the program expanded with a residential component for Gen-1 sophomores – alumni of the Gen-1 House – to serve as mentors for the incoming Gen-1 House freshmen. The house has earned national recognition for its innovations in transforming student struggles into success.

In 2008, Johnson was honored with the Connecting Cultures and Communities Award from the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission for his significant contributions to promoting inclusiveness and positive human relations in Greater Cincinnati.