Research fellow
Dr. Elizabeth Johnston
Dr. Elizabeth Johnston
Elizabeth Johnston, EdD, is a senior research fellow with the Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR). Elizabeth’s 2016 fellowship focus is exploring participation in online classrooms to find the antecedents for conversations revealing highest levels of meaning construction and dialogic patterns as assessed through frequency and textual content analysis. Elizabeth is an educator, researcher and artist with extensive experience in K-12 and Higher Education, including 12 years at University of Phoenix®. Elizabeth brought experience as a faculty member and college chair for secondary education to SAS.
As University of Phoenix faculty, Elizabeth worked as a member of the Global Council (serving the School of Advanced Studies [SAS]) and the Academic Cabinet (serving the entire University). Elizabeth has been a peer reviewer for the Journal of Leadership Studies, Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture and the American Educational Research Association conferences (2011, 2013). Recently Elizabeth accepted an invitation to become an editor for the Media Symposium at the Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture. Currently, Elizabeth is continuing with the SAS Global Council and serving as co-chair for Criterion 5 (University Governance) preparing for the 2017 comprehensive Higher Learning Commission visit.
As a 2012 recipient of an Office of Scholarship Support grant, Elizabeth collaborated with colleague Anthony Kortens to research SAS doctoral student experiences in theoretical thinking. An article is in review. Other articles have been featured in the Journal of Corporate Citizenship, the Journal of Leadership Studies and the Journal of Psychological Issues in Organizational Culture. Conference presentations include the 2013 International Conference on Thinking (ICOT), Qualitative Research in Management conference (QRM, 2014, 2012), Business as an Agent of World Benefit (BAWB, 2009), Narrative, Arts Based and Post Approaches to Social Research (supported by AERA) 2010. Elizabeth presented multiple workshops at professional organizations in the decades from 1990-2010.
As a K-12 educator, Elizabeth worked as a senior central office administrator, Principal, Director of Assessment, Curriculum, Special Education, and teacher. These experiences included collaborative supervisory and administrative work with faculty members, staff, and administrators, social and regulatory agencies at both K-12 and higher education levels. For over twenty years (1990-2010), Elizabeth served as an advisor to many school districts and superintendents as an independent contractor for special projects, staff development, and board presentations, where she applied expertise gained in both K-12 and higher education.
Elizabeth earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from Loyola, Chicago, and an MA and BA from Michigan State University in Fine Arts and Education. An Illinois Women and Minorities scholarship supported her doctoral studies. She earned a type 75 administrative certificate in policy development (similar to a Masters degree) from University of Illinois in Champaign. Her interests lie in fine arts and her paintings have shown at regional shows and galleries. She writes a monthly column on painting for the California Watercolor Association.