Glenn Johnson: A Focus on Justice

Glenn Johnson, associate dean for research and graduate studies of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, is one of those rare individuals who completed all of his degrees, from his BA to his PhD, in sociology at the University of Tennessee.

“I had an awesome and supportive graduate student experience in the Department of Sociology with my mentors and now colleagues Sherry Cable, Donald Clelland, John Gaventa, Tom Hood, and Asafa Jalata,” says Johnson.

His graduate research focused on environmental justice, specifically solid waste disposal and landfills in communities of color. 

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Johnson began working at Texas Southern University in 2012. In addition to his administrative role at TUS, he holds a joint appointment as professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy and the Department of Political Science.

“My research over the last decade and half has shown that environmental injustice is highly relevant in the twenty-first century,” says Johnson. “It will require that all of us take a responsible role in solving the issues and problems associated with it.”