Royel M. Johnson

Royel M. Johnson is a nationally recognized scholar and tenured professor of Higher Education and Social Work at the University of Southern California, where he serves as Principal Investigator of the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) at the USC Race and Equity Center and Co-Director of the Research Institute for Scholars of Equity (RISE). He also serves as Co-Editor of Educational Researcher, a leading interdisciplinary journal that shapes national conversations in education research and policy

Dr. Johnson’s research program advances three interconnected strands. First, he examines how institutional policies, practices, and cultural norms shape access to opportunity, belonging, and student success in higher education—particularly for racially minoritized and system-impacted students. Second, he investigates racial equity as an institutional and political project, analyzing how colleges and universities define, implement, resist, or reconfigure equity initiatives amid shifting policy landscapes and intensifying political backlash. Third, he advances theoretical and methodological tools for studying marginality in higher education.

He is the author and editor of four books and more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and chapters published in leading academic journals. His recent books include The Big Lie About Race in America’s Schools (Harvard Education Press) and From Foster Care to College: Navigating Educational Challenges and Creating Possibilities (Teachers College Press), which received the 2026 Outstanding Publication Award from National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

His scholarship has been supported by more than $6.3 million in grants and contracts from federal, state, and private funders, including the Spencer Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

For his contributions to research and practice, Dr. Johnson has received numerous recognitions, including the 2023 Early Career Award from American Educational Research Association Division G, the 2022 Outstanding Contribution to Multicultural Education and Research Award from ACPA—College Educators International, and the 2020 Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was also named a top diversity, equity, and inclusion visionary in 2023 and 2024 by the Los Angeles Times.

National and regional media outlets—including The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, The Los Angeles Times, and Education Week—regularly seek his expertise. A sought-after speaker and consultant, Dr. Johnson works with colleges, universities, K–12 systems, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to translate research into policy and practice.

Dr. Johnson earned a BA in Political Science and an EdM in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a PhD in Higher Education and Student Affairs, with a cognate in Race and Social Policy, from The Ohio State University.

Research

Current Research Initiatives:

JusticeReFramed — A Russell Sage Foundation–funded digital storytelling intervention designed to reduce stigma toward justice-impacted individuals and improve institutional responses to criminal legal system involvement.

California Black-Serving Institutional Designation Project — Research examining the development, implementation, and policy implications of a statewide Black-Serving Institutional designation in California higher education.

Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) Initiative — A HUD-funded collaborative initiative leading a countywide youth needs assessment focused on housing stability, mental health access, and cross-system service coordination for transition-age youth experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County.

FosterEd AI — An Amazon Web Services-funded project developing an AI-supported college navigation and advising tool for young people with foster care experience.