Dr. Johnson came to Texas State to initiate and be a major contributor to the new online M.S. in Dementia and Aging Studies, See: http://mycatalog.txstate.edu/graduate/liberal-arts/sociology/dementia-aging-studies-dementiaandlongtermcare-ms/ . Its the first dementia studies MS program in America and there are seventeen globally. His online Masters in Gerontology at his former university was awarded as a top academic program in the state. He was recognized among the top five teachers at his former University (The University of Louisiana at Monroe or ULM). Now at Texas State, Dr. Johnson teaches Introduction to Dementia Studies, Caregiving and Dementia, The Social Psychology of Dementia, End of Life and Clinical Sociology: Counseling Elderly. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology with a major in Aging and Family and minor in Social Psychology from Iowa State University, Sociology with major in Aging and Family. Dr. Johnson retired as Director of Gerontology and Professor of Gerontology and Sociology at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. There he developed an award winning online M.A. in Gerontology Program and Directed an Institute of Gerontology (NIA grant funded). He taught in the Dementia Studies graduate program at the University of Stirling, Scotland and worked for the Dementia Services Centre there. Dr. Johnson’s exemplary teaching and research skills were recognized by being awarded a Distinguished Fellow in Gerontology by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.
In research, besides procuring over 3 million dollars in grant and private funding, his interests are in dementia and marriage, design for dementia, suicide, thanatology and religiosity and aging. At his previous university, he was twice awarded “Researcher of the Year” in the School of Arts and Sciences. He has conducted a state-wide needs assessment of elderly in Iowa but specializes in oral histories. He was awarded an, Endowed Professorship in Gerontology based upon his outstanding teaching and research skills. His current research interest is in his paradigm of Alzheimer's as time travel and end of life dementia care partnering. Recently the MSDA faculty are collaborating on a new CCRC with a research base in Memory Care technology., a dementia adult day service project, and collaborating with Texas State's new School of Engineering on technology for dementia care. Dr. Johnson designed and developed as a gerontological consultant the first dementia wing ("neighborhood") in a nursing home in Louisiana and roughly 80 plus Memory Care homes in the Ark-La-Miss over 25 years. His wife Dr. Roxann Johnson, a gerontological consultant, won first place in Design magazine for design for dementia Adult Day Service in creating a geriatric mall out of a vacant Wal Mart building. Her three country comparative study of nurse aides was featured in a YouTube TED TALK, Guess who is taking care of your mother? They co-authored their world recognized paradigm of Alzheimer's Disease as time travel in two journal publications and an article in the UK Alzheimer's Society electronic newsletter. This Alzheimer's as Time Travel Paradigm is a non-linear paradigm of the 7 Stage Model of Barry Reisberg that care partners all over the world find as a useful explanation of how Alzheimer's disease actually works.
Articles, Books, Chapters in Recent years:
GRANTS
Johnson, C. (Spring, 2014). Texas State University, Round Rock Campus for the Faculty Speaker Series $500.
Sutton, J., Johnson, C. et al. 2009. Garrett Lee Smith Foundation, Campus Suicide Prevention Grant for $100,000,000.
Bulot, J., Johnson, C. et al. 2006. A Comprehensive Gerontology Faculty Development and Program Accreditation Grant, sponsored by the Louisiana Board Regents $48,000.
Johnson, C. 2006. Advertisement for the ULM, M.A. online program in Gerontology from the Saul Mintz Foundation $5,000.
Johnson, C. 2004. Student scholarships for the ULM, M.A. in Gerontology student trip to the Iris Murdoch Dementia Services Development Centre in Scotland from the Saul Mintz Foundation $5,000.
Welch, D., Bulot, J. and Johnson, C. 2003. Students and Seniors Together: Service-Learning and Gerontology through the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education $8,000.
Johnson, C. and Smith, D. 2000. Equipment for Ethnic Elderly Oral History Collection, the University of Louisiana Faculty Grants Program $3,400.
Kerby, D. and Johnson, C. 1995-1996. Personalities as a Predictor of Retirement and Leisure Activities, Department of Psychology, ULM Faculty Grants Program $3,995.
Johnson, C. 1991. Solicited funds from the Joseph E. Biedenharn Foundation, $600,000 (60%) and received matching funds of $400,000 from the State of Louisiana (60/40 Grant Matching Fund) to establish the Joseph E. Biedenharn Endowed Chair in Gerontology $1,000,000.
Johnson, C. and Mikeal, R. 1986-1988. A Statewide Needs Assessment Survey of Frail and Non-Frail Elderly funded by Louisiana State Office of Elderly Affairs for $25,000.
CHAPTERS IN BOOKS
Johnson, Christopher J. and Dietrich, David. 2021. “The McDonalization of Long-Term Care in America” (pages yet to be determined) in The International Handbook on Dementia Care: Concerns and Responses, edited by M. Shankardass, London: Springer Nature Press.
Johnson, Christopher. 2016. “The Design of Long Term Care Environments.” in Dimensions of Long Term Care Management: an introduction, edited by M.H. McSweeney and R. Oetjen, R. DC: Health Administration Press. (totally revised chapter).
Johnson, Christopher. 2012. “The Design of Long Term Care Environments.” Pp. 145-166 in Dimensions of Long Term Care Management: an introduction, edited by M.H. McSweeney and R. Oetjen, R. DC: Health Administration Press.
Johnson, Christopher and Roxanna H. Johnson. 2012. “Innovative Dementia Training in the Deep South in the United States.” Pp 224 - 239 in Key Issues in Evolving Dementia Care: International Theory-based Policy and Practice, edited by A. Innes, F. Kelly and L. McCabe. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Johnson, Christopher. 2009. “Funeral and Funeralization in Major Religious Traditions.” Pp. 499-503 in Encyclopedia of Death & the Human Experience, edited by C.D. Bryant and D.L. Peck. NY: Sage.
Johnson, Christopher and Holly Wilson. 2009. "Eschatology in Major Religious Traditions." Pp. 420-426 in Encyclopedia of Death & the Human Experience, edited by C.D. Bryant and D.L. Peck. NY: Sage.
Johnson, Christopher J. and Roxanna H. Johnson. 2003/2004. “Alzheimer’s Disease as a ‘Trip back in Time.’” Pp. 111-117 in Annual Editions: Aging 03/04, edited by H. Cox. Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
Deaton, Gail, Winn, Peter, Johnson, Roxanna and Christopher J. Johnson. 2002/2003. “The Eden Alternative: An Evolving Paradigm for Long Term Care.” Pp. 195-197 in Annual Editions: Aging 02/03, edited by H. Cox. Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
Dickerson, Ben E. and Christopher J. Johnson. 1999. “Seeking Private Sources of Funding.” Pp. 13 in What Works? A Guide to Successful Gerontology Programs, compiled by Sabrina A. Talley. DC: AGHE.
Johnson, Christopher. 1998/1999. “A Proposal for Minimum Standards for Low Stimulus Alzheimer’s Wings in Nursing Facilities.” Pp. 184-186 in Annual Editions: Aging 98/99, edited by H. Cox. Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
Johnson, Christopher. 1994. “Sociological Intervention through Developing a Low Stimulus Alzheimer’s Wing in Nursing Homes.” Pp. 208-216 in Annual Editions: Aging, edited by H. Cox. Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
Johnson, Christopher. 1990. “The Sociology of Alzheimer’s Wings in Nursing Homes.” Pp. 303-321 in Clinical Sociological Perspectives on Illness and Loss, edited by J. Fritz and E. Clark. Philadelphia: Charles Press.
Johnson, Christopher. 1986. “Outline of Introduction to Sociology Course.” Clinical Sociology Resource Book, edited by J. Fritz and E. Clark. DC: American Sociological Association.
BOOKS
Johnson, Christopher. Fall, 2018. How different religions view death and afterlife. 3rd edition. Ann Arbor, MI: XanEdu Publishers.
Johnson, Christopher and Welch, G. Dale. 1990. Practical Sociology: Applications for the 90's. New York: Harper and Row.
REFEREED JOURNAL ARTICLES (A sample of a few but significant publications of Dr. Johnson)
Johnson, Christopher J. (2018). Dementia Citizenship: The Need for Dementia and Gerontology Education in Hospice and Palliative Care. Hospice & Palliative Medicine International Journal, 2(6), 344–345.
Johnson, Christopher., Kelch, J., & Johnson, R. (July 2017). Dementia at the End of Life and Family Partners: A Symbolic Interactionist Perspective on Communication. Behavioral Sciences, 7(3), 42.
Johnson, Christopher and Roxanna Johnson. April, 2000. Alzheimer’s Disease as a trip back in time. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
Johnson, Christopher and Roxanna Johnson. 2000. Alzheimer’s Disease as a trip back in time. United Kingdom Alzheimer’s Society, Electronic Newsletter, one page synopsis of the trip back in time or time travel paradigm in American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
Rosowsky, Earlene, Dougherty, Lynda, Johnson, Christopher and Ben Gurian. 1997. “Personality as an Indicator of Goodness of Fit Between the Elderly Individual and the Health Service System.” Clinical Gerontology 17(3):41-53.
Johnson, Christopher. 1992. “A Proposal for Minimum Standards for Low Stimulus Alzheimer’s Wings In Nursing Facilities.” Illness, Crises & Loss 2(2):7-12.
Johnson, Christopher. 1989. “Sociological Intervention through Developing a Low Stimulus Alzheimer’s Wing in Nursing Homes.” American Journal of Alzheimer’s Care 4 (2):33-41.ll/Dushkin.
FUNDED EXTERNAL GRANTS (SOME)
Sutton, J., Johnson, C. et al. 2009. Garrett Lee Smith Foundation, Campus Suicide Prevention Grant for $100,000,000 (one million dollars).
Bulot, J., Johnson, C. et al. 2006. A Comprehensive Gerontology Faculty Development and Program Accreditation Grant, sponsored by the Louisiana Board Regents $48,000.
Johnson, C. 1990s-2010. Solicited funds from the Joseph E. Biedenharn Foundation, $600,000 (60%) and received matching funds of $400,000 from the State of Louisiana (60/40 Grant Matching Fund) to establish the Joseph E. Biedenharn Endowed Chair in Gerontology $1,000,000