Ralph E. Johnson is a native of Mobile, AL.  After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Alabama, majoring in Speech and Language Pathology.  He was initiated into the Kappa Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in November of 1979.  He graduated from Alabama in May of 1981 and enrolled at the Florida State University, and received his Masters degree in Student Personnel in 1982.

Dr. Johnson with his wife, Jaquelyn and their son Ryan

He took his first professional position at the University of Arkansas in 1982, as Coordinator of Greek Affairs.  In that capacity, he was responsible for advising both the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils  (working with 22 fraternities and 12 sororities) and coordinating Rush for both men and women.  He was also responsible for interacting with Greek alumni, housing corporation chairs, and housemothers.

In 1985, Dr. Johnson left the University of Arkansas and began a nine year tenure at the University of South Carolina as the Assistant Dean of Student Life and Director of Minority Student Affairs.  In that capacity, he worked with over 3,000 African American students enrolled at USC and implemented several model programs that impacted minority student retention.  Additionally Dr. Johnson taught a section of the nationally acclaimed University 101 Freshman seminar for several semesters.

Also, while at USC, he served as advisor to the Theta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha (for which he was twice recognized as Advisor of the Year) from 1986 until he left USC in October of 1994.  He received his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of South Carolina in May of 1993.  His dissertation, titled "Factors in the Academic Success of African American College Males," garnered him the coveted Dissertation of the Year Award, given by the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA).  He is currently employed as the Associate Dean of Students at the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Johnson has always been involved in a myriad of professional and civic activities.  He served as President of the Omicron Iota Lambda Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Columbia, SC from 1990-1993, and has been involved with Leadership Columbia, Project Blueprint (United Way), Boys and Girls Club, the Columbia Urban  League, and church activities.  He has been a member of the Association of Fraternity Advisors, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and has served as President of SACSA, Treasurer of the SACSA Foundation, and as Chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation.  He is a member of the Emmanual Seventh Day Adventist Church, where he is a deacon and a member of the church choir.  Dr. Johnson is Chairman of the Board of Directors for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and a member of the Board of Directors for the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) in Higher Education.

He is the recipient of numerous honors to include his induction into Omicron Delta kappa Leadership Honor Society, the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, the 1991 National Alumni Brother of the Year for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and the H. Howard Davis and Bobby E. Leach Awards, given by SACSA.

Dr. Johnson enjoys literature, writes poetry, and is an avid fan of old movie classics and has an immense passion for leadership and student development, at which he spends the majority of his time.  He also enjoys traveling and was awarded a Fulbright for international educators that took him to Germany and Belgium in April, 2002.   

Brother Johnson is a member of the Emmanuel-Brinklow Seventh Day-Adventist Church where he is a deacon, the Men's Ministry Leader, a member of the Church Board and sings with the Santuary Choir. He is married to Jacquelyn Praylo-Johnson, a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and they have a thirteen year-old  son, Ryan Emile.