Community involvement earns Johnson BGSU recognition

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Dr. Paul Johnson, an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Bowling Green State University, received the Recognition for Community Involvement at the Faculty Excellence Awards on April 16.

The award is presented by Faculty Senate to recognize a faculty member for outstanding contributions to the community or to other local, state, national or international communities, and includes $1,000.

Johnson serves on numerous community boards and committees, including the Ohio Leadership Advisory Council, Crawford County 20/20 Vision Leadership Committee, Ohio Superintendent Standards Committee, Bucyrus City Board of Education and the Ohio Schools Research and Education Foundation (SOS).

While he serves as an active member of these organizations, it’s Johnson’s work with SOS that prompted the nomination for the award. Johnson is well known for his research on school levies and lends his expertise to help districts across the state in their levy campaigns. Those school districts, particularly ones with a long history of failing levies, have had successful outcomes.

Jerry Rampelt, executive director of SOS, conducted workshops and training sessions in 2012 and 2013 with Johnson.

“Those sessions were among the highest rated by participants who attended,” Rampelt said. “What Paul has given to support Ohio schools over the past four years has been enormously valuable, and he unselfishly asked for nothing in return.”

Johnson teaches Diversity of School Communities and Political Dynamics, and School Finance.

“It is wonderful to know that communities turn to faculty experts for guidance in their work. We are lucky to have Dr. Johnson as a faculty colleague, community expert and citizen,” said Dr. Patrick Pauken, director of the School of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Policy.

Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in education from Ohio State University, and a master’s degree in education and a Ph.D. in educational administration and supervision from BGSU. He joined the faculty at BGSU in 2005.