04/23/2026
Dear Campus Community,
I am writing to you today to provide you with an update regarding our effort to appoint an interim vice president for institutional equity and diversity.
When I wrote to you in January to provide an update on this process and my decision to appoint an interim vice president for institutional equity and diversity in light of my upcoming retirement on July 1, 2027, I anticipated we would be able to bring multiple candidates to campus for formal interviews this spring. Over the course of the past few months, I have discussed the opportunity to serve in this role with a number of possible candidates, including several sitting vice presidents and former vice presidents from across the country. These conversations were productive and enlightening, and ultimately led to us welcoming our first candidate for this position to campus in early March. However, as we moved forward, we encountered unanticipated professional and logistical constraints that hindered our ability to bring subsequent candidates forward to participate in on-campus interviews in the way we had envisioned at the onset of this process. In addition, given the essential nature of this position, it was critically important that we only bring candidates to campus who would excel in this role and bring the level of expertise, experience, full-time capacity, proven collaboration, and dedication our campus deserves.
I believe we have found these qualities in John Johnson, Ph.D. He was the first candidate I interviewed, and the feedback from our community regarding his visit last month was overwhelmingly positive. I am delighted that the process yielded such an exceptional leader, and, following consultation with Board of Trustees Chair Beth Picardo, I am pleased to officially announce his appointment as our interim vice president for institutional equity and diversity. Dr. Johnson will join the Puget Sound community on July 6, 2026.
Dr. Johnson is a purpose-driven scholar-practitioner who brings 30 years of immersive experience as a student, faculty member, and senior administrator. His track record of advancing inclusive excellence through a collaborative, results-oriented approach makes him an ideal fit to lead our equity, inclusion, and diversity efforts during this important interim, two-year period (i.e., academic years 2026-27 and 2027-28).
Dr. Johnson joins the Puget Sound community from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where he serves as vice president for belonging and compliance. A social psychologist by training, Dr. Johnson has held cabinet-level positions at both Rhodes College and Whitman College, demonstrating a sophisticated ability to align institutional mission with operational excellence. At Whitman, he secured the institution’s first HEED Award for excellence in diversity and co-led initiatives focused on pluralism and community dignity. Most recently at Rhodes, he oversaw the Institutional Equity unit and spearheaded the creation of the Accessibility Advancement Commission.
Dr. Johnson is honored to join the University of Puget Sound and noted that he very much enjoyed his time on campus and meeting so many members of our community. He is eager to deepen those connections and work together to advance the university’s strategic goals for equity and belonging.
I am deeply grateful to all of our colleagues who participated in our process and have supported the meaningful work of our Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity. I am particularly grateful to Lorna Hernandez Jarvis, Ph. D. for her leadership and many contributions as vice president for institutional equity and diversity and look forward to our work together until her retirement on June 30, 2026.
Sincerely,
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President