Benton-Johnson, Ed.D. named Vice President for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Clemson University

Felicia Benton-Johnson, Ed.D. has been named Vice President for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Clemson University. Her appointment followed approval by the Clemson University Board of Trustees on February 3, 2023, at the recommendation of President Jim Clements. The search committee was chaired by Leslie Hossfeld, Ph.D., dean of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences at Clemson. Benton-Johnson also received faculty appointments with two colleges: the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, and the College of Education. Benton-Johnson will report to President Clements. Her appointment is effective March 1, 2023.

Most recently, Benton-Johnson served as assistant dean and director of the College of Engineering’s Center for Engineering Education and Diversity at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). She has extensive experience in research centered upon expanding inclusive excellence in STEM education and serves on a number of national boards.

The vice president for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence is responsible for working across campuses and sites, community and grant partners to foster an inclusive and supportive environment. The role serves on campus commissions, committees and boards established to address various dimensions of diversity and inclusion.

“I am excited to welcome Dr. Felicia Benton-Johnson to Clemson,” said President Clements. “Her reputation for inclusive excellence, including successful collaboration and engagement across academia, corporate and federal agencies, will be of great value at Clemson.”

“I have enjoyed visiting with Clemson faculty, staff and students, President Clements and other leaders during this process and have felt the University’s warmth and engagement,” said Benton-Johnson. “I look forward to serving the University’s land grant mission of enhancing teaching, research and impact in this role.” 

FELICIA BENTON-JOHNSON, ED.D., VICE PRESIDENT FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE

About Felicia Benton-Johnson

Felicia Benton-Johnson is a national thought leader, researcher and practitioner specializing in inclusive excellence at the undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral and faculty levels.

As assistant dean in the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech, her focus was on expanding levels of participation in STEM fields at the undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral and faculty levels. She is the founding director of the Center of Engineering Education and Diversity (CEED), where she has established outreach programs, including collaboration with minority serving institutions, to initiate outreach programs for the recruitment and retention of students to post-secondary engineering education.

Since 2016, Benton-Johnson has been principal investigator (PI) or co-principal investor (Co-PI) on grants and awards of more than $10,000,000 related to expanding participation in STEM fields with many organizations including the National Science Foundation.

Benton-Johnson serves as vice chair for the Executive Board of Directors for the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (GEM) Consortium. She also serves on the National Materials and Manufacturing Board on Mathematical Sciences and Analytics National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, American Society of Engineering Education, and Women in Engineering Proactive Network, among other organizations.

Benton-Johnson received both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University, and received her Education Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Argosy University Sarasota.