Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D., Appointed Executive Vice President and Provost of Saint Louis University

Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D., Appointed Executive Vice President and Provost of Saint Louis University

ST. LOUIS (May 22, 2026) - Saint Louis University has appointed Kathy E. Johnson, Ph.D., executive vice president and provost, effective July 13.

Johnson will serve as the University's second-ranking officer, working closely with the president to help shape SLU's long-term direction. The newly created role will bring academic and administrative leaders together around institutional priorities, guiding efforts to keep the University competitive in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

"Dr. Johnson is a deeply experienced academic leader who has dedicated her career to helping urban research universities take concrete and courageous action to better serve their students, their communities and the common good," said SLU President Edward Feser, Ph.D.

"I look forward to working in partnership with Dr. Johnson, as she builds robust and collaborative relationships with leaders, faculty and staff across the institution," Feser added.

Johnson is currently the president of the University of New Orleans, where she has led the university through a period of financial stabilization, strategic planning and institutional transition since taking office in November 2023.

Under her leadership, the University of New Orleans launched the UNO2030 strategic plan to align academic priorities, student success initiatives and long-term planning with state higher education goals.

She also expanded student-focused initiatives, creating a Division of Enrollment Management, launching a University College to centralize advising and improve the first-year experience, and strengthening retention and graduation efforts.

Johnson also played a leading role in preparations for the university's planned return to the Louisiana State University System on July 1, including accreditation planning and governance transition work.

"Although it has been an honor and privilege to serve as president, I recognize that my greatest passion lies in the work of the provost: partnering with faculty and academic leaders to strengthen teaching, research and innovation across the university," Johnson said.

Before the University of New Orleans, Johnson served eight years as executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at IU Indianapolis, one of Indiana's largest urban research universities.

She oversaw a complex research enterprise that encompassed the work of faculty at both IUPUI and the Indianapolis-based IU School of Medicine, helping to strengthen a research ecosystem that today generates over $550 million in annual expenditures.

Johnson co-led the university's 2030 strategic planning process, helping position the campus for the realignment of IUPUI into separate Indiana University and Purdue University institutions and the launch of IU Indianapolis.

She also led efforts to improve graduation rates, expand access for students with significant financial need and transfer students, and strengthen hands-on learning opportunities through internships, research and service learning.

Earlier in her career, Johnson served as associate vice chancellor for undergraduate education and dean of University College at IUPUI, and as chair of the Department of Psychology. She was a member of the faculty there from 1993 to 2023.

"Serving as the executive vice president and provost at SLU will enable me to integrate the values that have shaped my life with the opportunity to help lead a dynamic academic enterprise grounded in the Jesuit tradition," Johnson said.

Johnson earned a doctorate in psychology from Emory University and bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Throughout her career, she has received numerous state and national honors recognizing her leadership in higher education, civic engagement and student success.

In her new role as executive vice president and provost, Johnson succeeds Provost Michael Lewis, Ph.D., who in March was named the 12th president of Saint Anselm College, a private Benedictine liberal arts institution in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Feser chaired the search committee, and School of Law Dean Twinette L. Johnson, J.D., Ph.D., served as vice chair. The committee included representatives of the SLU Board of Trustees, faculty, Student Government Association and Jesuit community.

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic research institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 13,300 students a rigorous, transformative education that challenges and prepares them to make the world a better place. As a nationally recognized leader in research and innovation, SLU is an R1 research university, advancing groundbreaking, life-changing discoveries that promote the greater good.