Dr. Laura Johnson is a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Environmental Studies Core Faculty, and an Associate Faculty of the Croft Institute for International Studies and at the University of Mississippi, where she directs the Nature, International, Cultural, and Community Engagement Lab NICEpsych Lab. Dr. Johnson’s research is transnational, spanning cultural, conservation, and peace psychology with a focus on positive youth development, community participation, and intercultural relations in a changing global environment. Dr. Johnson supervises doctoral students in clinical psychology and teaches environmental psychology, multicultural psychology, intercultural communication, and eco-psychology in Tanzania. While serving in the U.S. Peace Corps in Papua New Guinea (93-95) Dr. Johnson became invested in advancing the protection of the environment and the capacities of youth and communities to engage in culturally responsive conservation. During graduate school, Dr. Johnson heard her hero, Dr. Jane Goodall, speak about her ‘reason for hope’ being the power of youth and learned of her Roots&Shoots (R&S) global humanitarian and environmental program for youth. R&S provided the perfect platform for conservation psychology and positive youth development research. Dr. Johnson’s work has included the US and international populations but focuses on Sub-Saharan African youth and the use of engaged methodologies, such as photovoice. In addition to R&S, Dr. Johnson has been a long-term collaborator with Wildlife Clubs of Uganda and serves on the board of the NGO, Bush2Base. Dr. Johnson has been a Fulbright Research Scholar (2001, 2013), National Geographic Society Explorer (2007, 2015, 2021), member of the APA’s Committee on International Relations (CIRP) (2008-2010), and currently serve on U.S. National Committee for Psychological Science at the National Academies of Science (2018-current). In 2015, Dr. Johnson presented a TED talk, Engagement is the Answer! Cross-Cultural Lessons from Life and Psychology.
Laura R. Johnson PhD
Professor
Department of Psychology
University of Mississippi
Projects
Larger than Lions: A Collaborative Community-to-Community Photovoice Project to Protect People and Predators near Mikumi National Park in Tanzania
Environmental Literacy and Engagement in North Mississippi
Growing Youth Purpose and Compassionate Action Across Countries in Africa
Publications
Johnson, L.R., Johnson-Pynn, J, Drescher, C., Kleru, S. (in press). Cattle, cultivation and culture: Mixed methods reveal changing paths to Maasai positive youth development, International Perspectives in Psychology.
Johnson, L. R., Drescher, C., Assenga, S. (2019) Street-connected youth in East Africa: New angles with Participatory methods, Journal of Adolescent Research, 35 619-651.
Johnson, L. R., Johnson-Pynn, J., Drescher, C., Sackey, E., Assenga, S., Kihilio, R. (2018). Predicting Civic Competencies among East African Youth and Emerging Adults: Report on the Swahili General Self-Efficacy Scale, Emerging Adulthood, 1-6.
Walters, B. A., Drescher, C. F., Baczwaski, B. J., Aiena, B. J., Darden, M. C., Johnson, L. R., Buchanan, E. M., & Schulenberg, S. E. (2014). Getting active in the Gulf: Environmental attitudes and action following two Mississippi coastal disasters. Social Indicators Research, 118, 919-936.
Johnson-Pynn, J. S., Johnson, L. R, Lugumya, D. L., & Kityo, R. (2014). Students and Scientists Connect with Nature in Uganda, East Africa. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 9, 311-327.
Johnson, L. R., Johnson-Pynn, J. S., Lugumya, D. L., & Kityo, R., & Drescher, C. (2013). Cultivating youth’s capacity to address climate change in Uganda. International perspectives in psychology: Research, practice, consultation, 2, 29-44.
Johnson-Pynn, J & Johnson, L. R. (2013). Towards Inclusivity, Adaptation, and Collective Action in Ecopsychology: Lessons from East Africa. Ecopsychology, 5, 233-236.