Biography
Dr. Stephen P. Johnson began his service as Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Palm Beach Atlantic University on January 1, 2024.
Prior to coming to Palm Beach Atlantic University, Dr. Johnson served in leadership at Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, California) for 10 years across the roles of Interim Provost, Vice Provost, and the Founding Dean of the College of the Arts. Dr. Johnson previously served as Dean of the historic School of Music at Southwestern Seminary (Fort Worth, Texas) for eight years. Before that, he was a faculty member at the Master’s University (Santa Clarita, California).
After earning a bachelor’s degree in composition from Moody Bible Institute and a masters in composition from DePaul University in Chicago, Dr. Johnson earned a doctorate in musical arts from the University of Southern California.
Throughout his 18 years in higher education leadership, Dr. Johnson worked to elevate faculty research (leading to the Carnegie designation for High Research Productivity at APU), nurture cross-disciplinary collaboration, increase student retention, introduce 10 market-sensitive academic programs (online, residential, low residential, bi-lingual), and collaboratively raise more than $44 million for student scholarships, capital projects and the endowment.
As a composer, his repertory includes numerous solo, chamber, and large ensemble works that have been performed in recitals, concerts, and festivals across the country, from Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center to 20th Century Studios.
Dr. Johnson’s interests include spending time with his family, boating, and recurve archery. He is married to Dr. Crystal Rivette Johnson, a pianist and educator. They have three children.