Rebecca L. Johnson (born 1955) is an American natural resource economist and academic administrator serving as the interim president of

Linfield University Linfield University is a private liberal arts college with campuses in McMinnville, and Portland, Oregon. Linfield Wildcats athletics participate in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Linfield reported a total of 1,755 students after ...

since 2023. Her research focuses on the economic valuation of non-market

natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

s, including recreation,

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

, and

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

. She was the interim president of

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...

from 2021 to 2022 and served as the vice president of Oregon State University–Cascades from 2008 to 2022.

Early life and education

Johnson was born in 1955 in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, where she was raised. Her family vacationed at a lake cabin in northern Wisconsin, which contributed to her early interest in

s. Johnson attended the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

, earning a B.A. in economics in 1977. While enrolled, she participated in varsity basketball and golf. She pursued graduate studies at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

, earning a M.S. in

agricultural economics Agricultural economics is an applied field of economics concerned with the application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber products. Agricultural economics began as a branch of economics that specif ...

in 1981 and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics with minors in

resource economics Natural resource economics deals with the Supply (economics), supply, Demand (economics), demand, and Resource allocation, allocation of the Earth's natural resources. One main objective of natural resource economics is to better understand th ...

policy analysis Policy analysis or public policy analysis is a technique used in the public administration sub-field of political science to enable civil servants, nonprofit organizations, and others to examine and evaluate the available options to implement th ...

, and

quantitative methods Quantitative research is a research strategy that focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data. It is formed from a deductive approach where emphasis is placed on the testing of theory, shaped by empiricist and positivist philoso ...

in 1985. Her doctoral dissertation examined the impact of

user fee A user fee is a fee, tax, or impost payment paid to a facility owner or operator by a facility user as a necessary condition for using the facility. People pay user fees for the use of many public services and facilities. At the federal level ...

s on grain exports from the

Great Lakes region The Great Lakes region of Northern America is a binational Canadian– American region centered on the Great Lakes that includes the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin and the Ca ...

, focusing on transportation economics and trade.

Career

Early career and research

In 1984, Johnson began her academic career as an assistant professor in the department of resource recreation management at

's (OSU) college of forestry. Her early research focused on the economic valuation of non-market resources, including recreation, fish and wildlife, and

. Her scholarship included analyses of tourism economics,

wildlife management Wildlife management is the management process influencing interactions among and between wildlife, its Habitat, habitats and people to achieve predefined impacts. Wildlife management can include wildlife conservation, population control, gamekeepi ...

, and forest resource use. Notable publications addressed topics such as the economic impacts of tourism, the valuation of recreational sites, and the effects of land use decisions on natural resource management. She contributed to research on public participation in wildlife management and the economic effects of

forest management Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, forest protection, and forest regulation. This includes man ...

on neighboring properties. Johnson's work often involved interdisciplinary approaches, combining quantitative modeling with policy analysis to address resource management challenges. From 1990 to 2000, Johnson served as an associate professor in the department of forest resources. During this period, she also participated in service roles, including membership on the

governor of Oregon The governor of Oregon is the head of government of Oregon and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. ter ...

's council of economic advisors from 1990 to 2003. From 1991 to 1992, she was a visiting scholar at Lincoln University in New Zealand, focusing on resource management practices.

Academic administration

Johnson transitioned to administrative roles within OSU in 2000 when she became associate dean for academic affairs in the college of forestry. In this capacity, she managed

student services ''Student Services'' () is a 2010 French television film directed by Emmanuelle Bercot. It had a theatrical release in Poland and Italy. It is based on the book '' Mes chères études'' by Laura D. Plot Laura is a college freshman who works in ...

, oversaw accreditation processes, and supported efforts to increase student diversity through initiatives such as the

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...

in Forestry Program and partnerships with schools. In 2002, Johnson chaired the OSU 2007 steering committee, which coordinated the university's

strategic planning Strategic planning is the activity undertaken by an organization through which it seeks to define its future direction and makes decisions such as resource allocation aimed at achieving its intended goals. "Strategy" has many definitions, but it ...

process. Her leadership in this role led to her appointment as vice provost for academic affairs and international programs in 2004, a position she held until 2008. Her responsibilities included overseeing academic support units, international collaborations, and diversity hiring initiatives. In December 2008, Johnson was appointed interim vice president of Oregon State University–Cascades. Her role became permanent in May 2009. Under her leadership, OSU-Cascades expanded from an upper-division capstone program to a four-year university, offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Johnson played a central role in securing state funding for campus expansion, navigating land use challenges, and introducing new programs, including engineering,

hospitality management Hospitality management may refer to: * Hotel management occupation, the practice of running hotels * Hospitality industry The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, food and beve ...

, and outdoor products. During her tenure, the campus grew to include over 1,000 students and a 128-acre campus. She remained vice president of OSU-Cascades until 2022. Following the resignation of F. Alexander King in 2021, Johnson was named interim president of OSU. She served during the 2021 to 2022 academic year and was succeeded by

Jayathi Murthy Jayathi Y. Murthy is an Indian-American mechanical engineer who is the current President of Oregon State University. Previously, she was the Ronald and Valerie Sugar Dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at t ...

. After leaving OSU, she was named interim president of Linfield University in December 2023, succeeding Miles K. Davis.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Rebecca L Living people 1955 births Date of birth missing (living people) Scientists from Madison, Wisconsin 21st-century American women scientists 21st-century American economists American women economists Environmental economists Economists from Wisconsin Economists from Oregon Oregon State University faculty Linfield University faculty Women heads of universities and colleges Heads of universities and colleges in the United States American women academic administrators