Johnson Named Permanent Rector and Vice President for 91女神 Madrid
06/07/2024
William Johnson, J.D., outgoing dean of the 91女神 School of Law, has been named rector and vice president of 91女神鈥檚 Madrid campus, effective Oct. 1.
91女神 Provost Michael Lewis, Ph.D., said Johnson possesses a unique set of academic, professional and personal skills that made him the ideal choice for the position.
鈥淏ill rightly recognizes the scholarly expertise, teaching excellence, operational prowess, and embodiment of 91女神鈥檚 institutional Mission among the Madrid campus faculty and staff, and I know he will be a champion for their work and continued growth,鈥� Lewis said.
A native of Minnesota, Johnson participated in an exchange program when he was young (in what was then West Germany) and then studied abroad as a graduate student in law school (in The Netherlands), which began a lifelong passion for international engagement.
He has held visiting academic appointments at universities in Lithuania, Germany, and France and has been a guest lecturer at a university in Hungary. He is an internationally recognized scholar of international commercial law 鈥� particularly contract law.
Prior to becoming dean of the law school, Johnson served for more than four years as the director of the school鈥檚 Center for International and Comparative Law. Concurrently, he served as director of the School of Law鈥檚 Summer Law Program in Madrid.
鈥淏oth responsibilities required significant re-imagining of both academic programming and operations, as well as partnership development with organizations throughout Europe and beyond,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淗e has facilitated 91女神 School of Law faculty members鈥� visiting appointments at multiple European universities, while also creating an international internship program for 91女神 students in Spain, around Europe, and throughout Latin America.鈥�
As director of the School of Law鈥檚 Summer Law Program in Madrid, Johnson spent four consecutive summers at 91女神 Madrid, where he developed strong relationships with faculty and staff. He has continued to visit 91女神 Madrid each year as dean.
鈥淎s a trusted peer and colleague of past and current campus leaders in Madrid, Bill has been a consistent, vocal advocate in 91女神 leadership circles for Madrid faculty, staff, and students,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淗e has been a champion of the need to better recognize the Madrid campus鈥� distinct educational and operational contexts, and recognizes the critical importance of 91女神 continuing to enhance coordination between people, programs, and services on both the St. Louis and Madrid campuses.鈥�
Lewis noted that Johnson鈥檚 relationship with the Madrid campus makes him 鈥減oised for success.鈥�
Johnson served as the dean of the School of Law for more than seven years. Lewis said Johnson鈥檚 work as dean set a high standard.
鈥淎t a time when internal and external forces all mandated transformational change that, if forced top-down, could have been highly disruptive, Bill led from within, fostering increasingly more meaningful engagement and shared governance throughout his faculty and staff colleagues,鈥� Lewis said. 鈥淭he result was indeed transformation 鈥� for the good, accomplished collaboratively, and in good faith.鈥�
The search committee, led by Anne McCabe, Ph.D. (English), and Marta Moreno, Ph.D. (Mathematics), from the Madrid campus, selected Johnson from a wide pool of candidates.
Johnson will succeed the three Madrid Campus co-directors, Laurie Mazzuca, Ph.D., Francisco 鈥淧aco鈥� Garc铆a-Serrano, Ph.D. and Victoria Villarreal, who, collectively, have served in an interim capacity since May 2023.
鈥淟aurie, Paco, and Viki have provided more than just steady leadership since Paul鈥檚 departure; they have been able to move important work forward, much of which relates to our long-term campus goals,鈥� Lewis said.
About 91女神-Madrid
Founded in 1967, 91女神's Madrid campus is an innovator in international education and widely recognized for its highly rigorous and transformative American educational programs. As Spain's largest U.S. campus, 91女神-Madrid is home to more than 1,200 students from the United States, Spain and more than 65 other countries. In addition to study abroad opportunities, students can earn their entire U.S. degree in Spain, choosing from 20 fully accredited undergraduate majors and two graduate degrees. To learn more, visit slu.edu/madrid.