Dr. Robert E. Johnson was appointed as the 6th president of Western New England University in August 2020, charged with leading the institution as it embarks on its second century. His unyielding belief in higher education as a public good and as a path for transforming individual lives has led him to dedicate his 30-year career to preparing students to adapt and succeed in a dynamic future—one where jobs as we know them may no longer exist, career mobility is the norm, and individuals are responsible for continuously adding and creating new value.
Dr. Johnson was featured as a guest on the Personalization Outbreak podcast titled: Building Belonging and Retention - Strategies for Workplace Wellbeing and a Sustainable Future.
Dr. Johnson joined Gallup CEO Jon Clifton in the latest episode of “Leading With Strengths,” a leadership series that uncovers how leaders use their innate talents to live their best life.
Dr. Robert Johnson of Western New England University says the moment of reckoning has come for higher education. Will leaders look to the future or get stuck in the past?
Our vision sets the course for our strategic focus over the next five years, guided by five themes that infuse and empower this vision. Together, we forge a path of growth and excellence, making a lasting impact within our academic community and beyond.
A proponent of innovation and entrepreneurship, hallmarks of Dr. Johnson’s leadership include elevating institutional stature and competitive market position; national recognition; enrollment growth and resource development success; fast-tracked facilities and infrastructure improvements; and innovating for social impact when leading one of the first higher education institutions in the nation to achieve a 100% social impact goal for its endowment.
