Mathew Johnson

Mathew Johnson is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies, and Director of Academic Community Engagement (ACE), at Siena College, having been tenured faculty in the University of Maine System and serving as a Department Chair at West Virginia Wesleyan. He is the founding director of ACE including the Siena VISTA Fellows Program, the Siena Bonner Service Leaders Program, the Academic Service Learning/ Community Based Research Program, the Academic AmeriCorps Program, and International Service Internship Program that, combined, have brought more than 3 million dollars of state, federal, and private investments in community development partnerships throughout New York’s Capital Region annually. Dr. Johnson has been honored by Campus Compact as a National Engaged Scholar and has won several competitive federal and foundation grants to support the ongoing integration of academic service learning and community engagement into the institutional life of Siena College. He served on the National Educational Roundtable that resulted in the AACU “Crucible Moment” report, and was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve on the New York State Commission on National and Community Service. Dr. Johnson is the co-founder of the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement and has been a co-author on the last two New York Civic Health Index reports of the National Council on Citizenship, and is the co-coordinator of the national High-Impact Initiative, a partnership between the Bonner Foundation and AAC&U to build a national learning community around linking high impact learning practices and high impact community engagement practices. Dr. Johnson’s teaching and research foci are on issues of civic health and participation, community development and democracy, community and environmental sustainability, and higher education. He serves as an executive officer on the Board of Directors several non-profits in the Capital Region.