Mathew Johnson, Ph.D.

Co-Founder, Co-CEO

Email: mathew@sparcinsights.com

Dr. Mathew Johnson is a globally recognized leader and change agent who has led higher education institutions, nonprofits and businesses through strategic and transformational change. A celebrated sociologist, he has partnered with organizations worldwide to develop strategies that support sustainable, equitable growth. Dr. Johnson’s deep commitments to diversity and inclusion have led to fundamental changes in fiscal sustainability, institutional commitments, organizational structure and culture and orientations to partner organizations and communities. His bold leadership has challenged communities, organizations and associations to face the challenges of equity, democracy and sustainability. 

Dr. Johnson most recently served as the 17th president of Albion College. At Albion, Dr. Johnson led significant organizational change, re-aligning resources to better support student success and modernizing infrastructure, technology and business processes to improve outcomes for the College.

During his tenure as president, Dr. Johnson transformed the college by establishing the School for Public Purpose and Professional Advancement, a new home for the College’s experiential and professional learning opportunities and a new, national model for an engaged approach to the liberal arts. His focus on equitable student outcomes led to the creation of the Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement, a multimillion-dollar investment. His commitment to position the college as a DEI leader led to the creation of an Office of Belonging and the implementation of a Blueprint for Belonging, a multi-year process in which all departments on campus create actionable continuous improvement goals to solidify the College’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Dr. Johnson significantly improved the financial health of the college, overseeing the restructuring of financial operations to ensure the College’s sustainability, securing a BBB+ bond rating from Standard and Poors.

From 2017 to 2022, Dr. Johnson led the development of the Carnegie Foundation Elective Classifications, the Elective Classification for Community Engagement and a multi-year international Carnegie Community Engagement Classification project involving 26 higher education institutions worldwide. Dr. Johnson co-founded and co-directs the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement and has been a fellow at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders, Rice University, and a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. He has served on the editorial board for Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement, as a reviewer for Temple University Press and has been recognized as an Ashoka Change Leader by the Ashoka Foundation. He has consulted for universities globally and has led projects in Ghana, Bolivia, India and elsewhere, and delivered workshops and professional development seminars in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Canada and Mexico, among other locations.

From 2015 to 2020, Dr. Johnson served as Associate Dean of the College for Engaged Scholarship, Senior Fellow, and Executive Director of the Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University. Under his leadership, the Swearer Center partnered with more than 20 academic departments to create an engaged scholarship curricular pathway and create standards of good practice for capstones and experiential learning. 

Dr. Johnson led the development of a transformational strategic plan and secured substantial new resources for the Center. He led the evolution of curricular and co-curricular programs, including Brown in Washington, the Engaged Scholars Program, the Bonner Community Fellowship, the Brown University AmeriCorps VISTA Fellowship, Community Corps and the Royce Fellowship. Under his leadership, the Center reimagined the Center’s approach to faculty fellowships and community practitioners in residence. 

Earning his Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology from Brandeis University, Dr. Johnson has been a faculty member for more than 20 years. He has held appointments as a Professor of the Practice in Sociology and served as a tenured professor in sociology and environmental studies at his undergraduate alma mater, Siena College.

Dr. Johnson maintains an active research and professional academic profile, including several edited volumes, chapters and articles on community engagement, including “Elective Carnegie Community Engagement Classification” (co-editor, Stylus, 2018), editor and author of “Deepening Community Engagement in Higher Education: Forging New Pathways” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and “Crossing Boundaries: Tensions and Transformation in International Service-Learning” (Stylus, 2014).