Kathy Johnson (academic administrator)

Kathy E. Johnson is an American psychologist and academic administrator who is the 8th president of the University of New Orleans. She was the chief academic officer of the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis from 2015 to 2023.

Kathy Johnson
8th President of the University of New Orleans
Incumbent
Assumed office November 1, 2023
Preceded by	Jeannine O'Rourke (interim) John Nicklow
Personal details
Education	University of Massachusetts Amherst (BS, MS) Emory University (PhD)
Academic background
Thesis	The effect of expertise on hierarchical systems of categorization (1992)
Doctoral advisor	Carolyn B. Mervis
Academic work
Discipline	Psychology
Institutions	Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis University of New Orleans

Career

Johnson earned a B.S. in psychology, summa cum laude (1987), and an M.S. in developmental psychology (1989) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.^[1] She completed a Ph.D. in psychology focusing on cognition and development from Emory University in 1992.^[1]

Johnson joined the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 1993 as an assistant professor of psychology.^[1] She was promoted to associate professor in 1999 and professor in 2006. She served as chair of the department of psychology from 2008 to 2011.^[1] From 2011 to 2015, she was the associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education.^[1] In August 2015, she was promoted to executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer.^[1]

In September 2023, she was named the 8th president of the University of New Orleans.^[2] She is the first female president of the institution.^[2]