Mass Communication professor named to lead organization for scholars

     The North Carolina Association of Scholars (NCAS) recently selected Campbell University professor Ed Johnson as its executive director.
     The group includes 120 NCAS members throughout the state and it is affiliated with the National Association of Scholars (http://www.nas.org/index.html).
     Johnson plans to improve communication among scholars regarding the state of higher education in North Carolina. He intends to personally visit with groups of NCAS members in the spring. He also hopes to establish an NCAS Website for scholars to discuss academic issues.
     The purpose of the organization includes the following:

   · recall higher education to its classic function of grounding students in the rich heritage of their civilization

    · encourage intellectual balance and realism in campus debate on contemporary issues

      · preserve academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas on and off the campus

     As an associate professor of mass communication, Johnson came to Campbell in 2003 to lead the advertising sequence for this major, which attracts more than 125 students.
      Earlier this year, Johnson was selected as Professor of the Year by the Triangle Advertising Club for his work of helping students make professional contacts in the field.
     Johnson conducts research on faith and communication and he directs an annual conference on these topics. The event meets each May at Campbell University.
     Before entering the academy, Johnson worked in the advertising field. He has graduate degrees in communication from Wheaton Graduate School (M.A., ’79) and the University of Alabama (Ph.D., ’95). Johnson and his wife Crystal live in Buies Creek.