Before joining the Ithaca College community, Dr. Johnston held a variety of leadership positions in Academic Affairs at Roxbury Community College, Lesley University, and Vermont State University, Castleton.
Before moving into administrative roles, Dr. Johnston taught in the Psychology Department at SUNY, Fredonia where she was promoted to Professor in 2011. Her favorite courses to teach included Psychology of Women, Human Sexuality, Women’s Health, and Privilege, Power, and Prejudice. Along with many undergraduate student co-authors, she developed a program of published research on the influence of stigma and shame on women’s embodiment, sexuality, and reproductive health. Her book on this topic was published by the American Psychological Association in 2018.
She earned her B.S. in Psychobiology at Quinnipiac (College) University, her M.A. in Psychology at Connecticut College, and her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology at the University of Rhode Island.