Professor Johnson earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Public Communication and Technology in the Department of Journalism and Media Communication (JMC) here at Colorado State University (CSU). She earned her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication with an emphasis in magazine writing from Iowa State University (ISU). Additionally, she earned her home design and staging certification in March 2022.

When she joined the JMC Department in 2009, she began teaching JTC 300: Strategic Writing and Communication as a graduate teaching assistant. She continued to teach JTC 300 as a lead instructor while earning her Ph.D. and was eventually hired to be the JTC 300 Program Coordinator, a role she held for four years and greatly enjoyed! As Coordinator, she oversaw teaching assistants, taught classes, and redeveloped the course several times.

Dr. Johnson teaches courses in media studies, advertising, strategic writing, and corporate business communication. Her research interests include creativity, consumption, identity, media and cultural studies, environmental communication, and feminism.

In fall 2023, Professor Johnson began working part-time as an instructor for the JMC Department and pursue her interior design and staging business, The Collected Self. She is an avid antique collector and purveyor (selling at markets and venues in northern Colorado) and aspires to open a boutique where she can also incorporate her love of floral design and plants.

Professor Johnson believes in the power of using digital platforms, such as Pinterest and Instagram, to become inspired, fuel your passion, and bring your dreams to life. Her book, Feminism, self-presentation, and Pinterest: The Labor of Wedding Planning, explores these ideas from an academic perspective.