George Lee Johnson Jr.

Dr. George Lee Johnson Jr. is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Education at South Carolina State University's College of Education, serving as academic coordinator of the Special Education Program. He ensures CAEP and SPA accreditation compliance, develops research-based curricula, and fosters culturally relevant pedagogical approaches to advance educational equity and social justice.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (Special Education), University of South Carolina, 2004
• M.A.T. in Education of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, University of South Carolina, 1995
• M.Ed. in Management, Cambridge College, 1988
• B.A. in Government/Political Theory, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 1988

Johnson's research centers on culturally relevant pedagogy, social justice in education, and the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students. He investigates disproportionality in special education placement and advocates for place-based education frameworks to create inclusive learning environments that empower marginalized learners through African diaspora literacy.

He received the Outstanding Book Award from the Society of Professors of Education for co-editing "We Be Lovin’ Black Children: Learning to Be Literate about the African Diaspora".

Johnson mentors future educators through student teacher supervision and professional development programs. He secured significant grants including the Next Generations of Black STEM Teachers (NGBST) Consortium and co-investigated Fulbright-Hays projects in Ghana, Nigeria, and Barbados to integrate global perspectives into teacher preparation.

He coordinates the NGBST Consortium to increase Black STEM teacher representation in rural/urban districts and has served as Visiting Scholar at Elizabeth Cowan University (Australia) and University of Uyo (Nigeria).