Tim Johnson, associate professor of public management and public policy at Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management, has been named by President Thorsett the third recipient of the Grace and Elmer Goudy Professorship in Public Management and Policy Analysis effective June 1, 2017. On that same date, Johnson will become director of Willamette University’s Center for Governance and Public Policy.
Over the past decade, Johnson’s interdisciplinary research has answered questions about the social and psychological drivers of cooperation, the political values of unelected public officials, and the consequences of public policies that facilitate military veterans’ transitions into the civilian labor market.
Due to this research and his work in the classroom, Johnson was named a finalist for the Aspen Institute’s Faculty Pioneer Award in 2014, along with other top business school faculty in the world who study and teach about interactions between the public and private sectors. Johnson also received Willamette University’s Jerry E. Hudson Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2013 and was named the Atkinson Graduate School of Management’s Faculty Member of the Year in 2015.
The original Elmer and Grace Goudy Professorship of Public Administration was established by the Collins Foundation to honor Elmer R. Goudy and Grace Collins Goudy. A graduate of Willamette University, Grace Collins Goudy served as president of the Collins Holding Company and was a devoted Willamette University trustee.
William A. Medina (1981–1985) and G. Frederick Thompson (1986–2015) precede Johnson in this professorship. Both exemplified the ideals of the Goudy and Collins families — a commitment to the improvement of public service, excellence in teaching and impactful research.
Johnson is originally from Butte, Montana, and was raised in Portland. He holds a BA with honors from the University of Oregon and a PhD from Stanford University.