An accomplished higher education administrator with a background in both health sciences and business administration, Lea Johnson, EdD, brings over 20 years of academic experience to SH & A. Having served in a variety of academic healthcare leadership roles – from Director and Dean to Vice President and College President, Lea understands the nuances and requirements of numerous healthcare college programs. Her academic portfolio includes the college and university management of over a dozen healthcare specialty areas, and she brings recent hands-on experience with Nursing, PT, OT, Athletic Training, Exercise Science and Nutrition programs. She is also a former Dean of Business, having overseen both undergraduate and graduate business degree programs.
Lea spent a decade developing programs at Northeastern University in Boston and acquired strong programmatic expertise/experience while at private institutions including American International College, Manchester University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She brings a unique perspective having taken programs from concept through accreditation, managing both new and established programs, and having led numerous faculty and administrative searches in her college and university roles. Prior to entering academia, she was a Vice President at Hill and Knowlton, and enjoyed a career in the publishing industry.
Dr. Johnson earned her EdD in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania and her MSN (Advanced Practice Nursing/Adult Nurse Practitioner) from the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She also holds a MS in Public Relations from Boston University and a MS in Psychology from Western Illinois University. Her undergraduate degree in Psychology is from Lewis University.
Lea resides in Boston and is married to Walter Johnson – a university professor and Carnegie Foundation MA Professor of the Year.