PULLMAN – Professor of marketing Jean Johnson has been awarded WSU’s Gardener O. Hart Faculty Excellence Distinguished Professorship.
The Hart professorship was established in 2003 by a gift from late alumnus Gardener O. Hart (’29 B.A. Economics). The Spokane native’s career at Lockheed in southern California spanned three decades.
“I am extremely honored to be appointed to the Hart Professorship,” said Johnson. “I am grateful not only for the acknowledgement of my work, but also for the resources that come with the professorship because they provide research support.”
Johnson has demonstrated “commendable service to the university and excellence in teaching and research,” said College of Business Dean Eric Spangenberg. “I am pleased to honor her in this way and provide resources for her to continue her outstanding work.”
After receiving her doctorate degree from the University of Nebraska in 1988, Johnson joined WSU in 1990. She teaches courses at the undergraduate, graduate and doctorate levels, including classes in international, strategic and business-to-business marketing, as well as distribution channels management. Before beginning her academic career, Johnson spent a number of years as a market researcher/analyst in the advertising industry.
Johnson’s major research emphasis is domestic and cross-culture inter-firm relationships. Along with distribution relationships between Japanese and U.S. firms, her research focuses on the management of equity and non-equity based strategic alliances between Japanese firms and firms from other cultures. Johnson’s work has appeared in the Journal of Marketing, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Business Research and International Marketing Review, among others. She has received awards for her research including the College of Business Outstanding Faculty Scholarship/Research, and for her performance as a reviewer from numerous journals.
Named a Dean’s Faculty Fellow and Teaching Innovation Grant recipient in 2006, Johnson recently received the college’s award for Outstanding Faculty Service. She chairs the College of Business’ Tenure and Promotion Committee and is past president of the Association for Faculty Women. She has lived, taught and conducted research in several different countries, including France and Japan.
