Brianna Davis Johnson is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research seeks to understand the ways in which colleges and universitiesthrough organizational structures, policies, and norms that are often racializedfacilitate or impede the work of diversity administrators as they seek to create inclusive campus environments. Her dissertation examines the experiences of diversity administrators at a historically white university as they implement the universitys strategic diversity and inclusion goals and the racialized organizational barriers they encounter in realizing these efforts.
Brianna brings to her research extensive experience in the field as a practitioner. She serves as a graduate research assistant in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement's Center for Community Engagement where she convenes faculty to provide them resources about community-based learning and research, supports the Center's strategic planning efforts, and trains undergraduate students on qualitative research methods. Prior to her doctoral studies, she led departmental diversity and inclusion education initiatives and trained both students and professional staff on how to incorporate equitable practices into their everyday work. She also designed an intergroup dialogue series and trained staff members on its implementation. At the campus level, Brianna served on the Chancellors Committee on the Status of Blacks and collaborated on an annual report assessing campus bias incidents. She also speaks on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education; leadership; and university-community partnerships. Brianna holds a Master of Science in Higher Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and Urban Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.
