.2.JPG "Keisha Johnson")
Keisha Johnson has been named associate director of the University of Pennsylvania College Achievement Program (PENNCAP). She will coordinate and oversee the Pre-Freshman Program (PFP), a free, invitation-only and academically rigorous pre-orientation program for first-generation and/or highly aided students, as well as those from underrepresented backgrounds, urban or rural high schools.
One hundred-eighty new undergraduates participate in PFP onboarding, gaining essential skills in critical analysis, reasoning and problem solving while forging a sense of engagement and belonging at Penn. Once their formal studies begin, PFP participants continue receiving support and advising from PENNCAP until graduation.
Johnson previously served as director of the Penn Knowledge is Power Program (PennKIPP), an innovative partnership offering comprehensive support to academically talented graduates of KIPP charter schools who attend Penn. PennKIPP was established in 2012 through the generous support of Bruce and Martha Karsh (Almanac October 9, 2012).
“Keisha is an extraordinary and indefatigable advocate for KIPP students at Penn,” said Rev. Will Gipson, associate vice provost for equity and access. “She took on her director role with great energy and learned very quickly how to navigate Penn to ensure that PennKIPP students got the support they needed. She built a network of relationships across the campus with key offices such as SFS, the four undergraduate advising offices, Career Services and The Tutoring Center. At the same time, she encouraged students and joined with them in their pursuit of their academic and intellectual goals and aspirations.”
“We are fortunate to have Keisha as a member of our growing team, and her expertise will be instrumental as we continue to advance this important work,” added Pamela Edwards, director of PENNCAP and PFP. “Keisha has been a wonderful partner in her work supporting first generation and low-income students. She’s a natural fit, and I look forward to collaborating more closely moving forward.”
In her new role, Johnson will cultivate and strengthen collaborations with Penn First Plus (P1P) staff and faculty directors to deepen faculty engagement with PENNCAP participants. “I am excited to join the PENNCAP team,” Johnson said. “Together, we have the opportunity to meet students where they are, while also providing holistic support that inspires unapologetic excellence throughout their Penn journey and prepare them to impact the global marketplace upon graduation.”
Johnson has more than 12 years’ experience managing programs designed to enhance student academic success, including first-generation, low-income and other traditionally underrepresented populations.
Prior to Penn, she served as assistant director of Science Diversity Initiatives in the Eberly College of Science at the University Park campus of Penn State University. She also worked as a biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office in Annapolis, Maryland.
Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in agricultural science with a concentration in water quality from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She completed doctoral coursework in soil science at Penn State.
Article appeared March 31, 2020 in the University of Pennsylvania Almanac. Reprinted and photo courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania.
