Syracuse University names Johnson associate provost for academic affairs

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University on Monday announced it has appointed Chris Johnson as associate provost for academic affairs, effective immediately.

Johnson fills the vacancy created last June after Jeff Stanton stepped down as associate provost to resume his faculty and research role at the School of Information Studies, Syracuse said.

Johnson is a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering. As he moves into this new role, he plans to remain focused on research in the area of environmental geochemistry, Syracuse University said in an email response to a BJNN inquiry. Johnson doesn’t plan to teach during this academic year but anticipates adding some teaching duties in future semesters, per the email response.

He has been at Syracuse since 1989 and a member of the faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Science since 1990.

“Chris Johnson has proven himself as a scholar, teacher and departmental leader, and his passion for excellence across all three realms will be a tremendous asset to the university and to the work of academic affairs,” SU Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly said in a release.

About Johnson

Johnson started his career at Syracuse in 1989 as a postdoctoral research associate. He joined the civil and environmental engineering faculty the following year and chaired the department from 2010 to 2014 after serving one year as interim chair.

He also served as interim director of the school’s Renée Crown University Honors program from July 2016 until June of this year. He has served on many committees and task forces within the College of Engineering and Computer Science and across the university.

Johnson is “very excited to be taking on this role,” he said in the Syracuse release.

“This is a great time to be working on academic programs at Syracuse University, with new resources coming from the Invest Syracuse initiative and upcoming fundraising efforts. I look forward to working with students, faculty and the University’s leadership team to achieve the goals set out in the Trajectory to Excellence plan. We have a chance not just to improve the university’s rankings, but to create opportunities for students and faculty to expand significantly the breadth and depth of scholarship and creative work taking place here,” said Johnson.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Photo credit: Syracuse University