Biography

Dr. Jennifer M. Johnson is a critical, collaborative researcher and active scholar-practitioner in the fields of college access and student success. A former Philadelphia middle school teacher with a background in science and mathematics, she spent several years working as a counselor and advisor for college access and success programs. Broadly defined, her research areas include pre-college access programs, historically black colleges and universities (HBCU), STEM student pathways and outcomes, and high achieving students of color. Her scholarship, both qualitative and quantitative in nature, examines intersections of race, class, and gender with a focus on how institutional contexts shape college access, experiences, and outcomes among diverse minoritized students. Her research team engages in projects designed to inform best practices in student success with a particular emphasis on equity and advocacy for populations historically marginalized in education.

Research Interests

  • Equity
  • Postsecondary Education
  • Research Methodology

Courses Taught

Number

Name

Level

HIED 8093

Advanced Higher Education Research Seminar

Graduate

HIED 8103

Equity in Higher Education Policy and Practice

Graduate

HIED 8287

Research Practicum

Graduate

EDAD 0855

Why care about College: Higher Education in American Life

Undergraduate

Selected Publications

  • Curci, J.D., Johnson, J.M., Gabbadon, A.T., & Wetzel-Ulrich, E. (2023). Expanding the Pipeline to Teach: Recruiting Future Urban Teachers of Color Through a Dual Enrollment Program. The Urban Review, 55(2), pp. 224-243. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi: 10.1007/s11256-022-00646-1

  • Johnson, J.M. & Winfield, J.D. (2022). Institutionalizing Success: Practices and Policies at HBCUs that Promote Student Development and Degree Attainment. JOURNAL of HIGHER EDUCATION. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2022.2082759

  • Johnson, J.M., Scott, S., Phillips, T., & Rush, A. (2022). Ivy Issues: An Exploration of Black Students' Racialized Interactions on Ivy League Campuses. JOURNAL of DIVERSITY in HIGHER EDUCATION. doi: 10.1037/dhe0000406

  • Mobley, S.D., Johnson, J.M., & Drezner, N.D. (2021). “Why aren't all the White kids sitting together in the cafeteria?”: An exploration of White student experiences at a public HBCU. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. doi: 10.1037/dhe0000298

  • Johnson, J.M., Paris, J.H., Curci, J.D., & Horchos, S. (2021). Beyond College Access: An Exploration of the Short-Term Impact of a Dual Enrollment Program. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice. doi: 10.1177/15210251211056319

  • Mwangi, C., Johnson, J.M., & Brown, V. (2021). Family and community engagement among college students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 27(4), pp. 35-57. doi: 10.1615/JWOMENMINORSCIENENG.2021032901

  • Scott, S. & Johnson, J.M. (2021). Racial realities: Exploring the experiences of black male doctoral candidates in "all but dissertation" status. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, pp. 171-187. doi: 10.28945/4701

  • Johnson, J.M. & Scott, S. (2020). Nuanced navigation: narratives of the experiences of Black ‘All but Dissertation’ (ABD) women in the academy. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. doi: 10.1080/09518398.2020.1852485

  • Johnson, J.M. (2019). Pride or Prejudice? Motivations for Choosing Black Colleges. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 56(4), pp. 409-422. doi: 10.1080/19496591.2019.1614936

  • Williams, M.S. & Johnson, J.M. (2019). Predicting the quality of black women collegians' relationships with faculty at a public historically Black university. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 12(2), pp. 115-125. doi: 10.1037/dhe0000077

  • Mobley, S.D. & Johnson, J.M. (2019). "No Pumps Allowed": The "Problem" With Gender Expression and the Morehouse College "Appropriate Attire Policy." J Homosex, 66(7), pp. 867-895. United States. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2018.1486063