Interim Vice President of Research

Christa Johnson, a longtime executive in the Office of the Vice President for Research, is serving as interim Vice President of Research. She leads the entity that oversees CSU’s research enterprise, which totals $457 million in expenditures annually.

Johnson has served the OVPR for the past eight years as senior associate vice president and as chief of staff. She also functions as a liaison between the OVPR and stakeholders.

Prior to joining CSU, Johnson spent 16 years in higher education, including as associate vice chancellor for sponsored research services and interim associate vice chancellor for integrity and compliance at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and associate dean for research at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. She is a leader in national research organizations, including the Federal Demonstration Partnership, the Council on Government Relations and the National Council of University Research Administrators. She earned her doctorate in humanities and German studies from Stanford University and an MBA from Washington University.