Kristie Johnson

As the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Martin University, the only  Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) in Indiana, Kristie Johnson enjoys supporting her institution by identifying external funding opportunities. She has worked in the field of higher education for nearly 20 years raising funds to support low-income and first generation college students. As a former Peace Corps Volunteer and Fulbright Scholar (both in China), Kristie enjoys serving on boards that focus on improving the lives and experiences of immigrants and refugees in her community.  

Kristie learned her bachelor’s degree in Asian studies from Florida State University, her master’s degree in international development and social change from Clark University (Worcester), and her Ph.D. in Leadership in Higher Education from Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. She also earned her designation as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Her dissertation “We live in two worlds:” Foreign-born college and university presidents–perspectives, leadership, and resiliency explored the lived experiences of immigrant college and university presidents in the United States to determine how their cultural backgrounds and traditions influenced their leadership and prepared them to lead.