Camille Johnson, PhD: Division volunteer

My first teaching position was  a teaching position at a university without other active social psychologists. I made a decision, then, that I would continue to attend conferences and stay engaged with my professional society, even if I had to pay my own way. I didn’t have graduate students in my position, and I felt that by volunteering with the society, particularly around professional development and equity, I could contribute and stay involved. As a result, I have always felt a feeling of belonging to the group. As a friend once said, “I’m much better known than my CV [curriculum vitae] would suggest.”

I’m a social psychologist and came to the field as a college junior. Reading about social cognition, aversive racism, and interpersonal influence, I saw psychology as a way to describe the levers to enact change. I’m an administrator now, and I use my social psychology skills and knowledge every day. I’m able to look at numbers and translate them into meaning, consider different attributions for people’s behaviors, and shape contexts to improve outcomes. I value the skills I gained as a researcher and as a theorist every day.

I currently serve as the dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona. Every day brings something different, which I enjoy. I have one-to-one meetings with department chairs and faculty, and I get to shape the processes in the college to make sure they are transparent and equitable. I translate our research into action.

I don’t have a favorite place to travel to because I always like to try something new. Just as I think I am well-suited to life as a higher education leader because there is always some new problem to figure out, I like to travel to new places  that are less well-known. Last year, I traveled to Slovenia for a 9 day hiking tour in the Julian Alps and climbed the highest mountain in Slovenia (Mt. Triglav).  

Other people. I’m an extrovert—and have always worked better in collaboration with others. Solo research was never as satisfying for me—and sometimes never made it past the draft stage. While some academics truly enjoy pondering questions and finding solutions alone, I  find that I need people to share ideas with and laugh with.

Contact: Camille Johnson