The director of MTSU’s women’s and gender studies program has been granted a fellowship in one of the most heralded leadership programs in the nation.

The American Council on Education has named Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson as an ACE fellow for the 2013-14 academic year.

Dr. Newtona “Tina” Johnson

The ACE Fellows Program “helps ensure that higher education’s future leaders are ready to take on real-world challenges and serve the capacity-building needs of their institutions,” according to the organization’s website, www.acenet.edu.

Johnson is one of 50 fellows selected for this upcoming academic year. Nearly 2,000 men and women have participated in the program since its inception in 1965.

More than 300 of those fellows have been chief executive officers of colleges or universities. More than 1,300 have been provosts, vice presidents and deans.

“It is a great honor to be selected as an ACE Fellow,” said Dr. Brad Bartel, MTSU provost.

“Tina will represent MTSU with distinction in this role. Her fellowship will allow her to grow as an administrator and present new insights into the rapidly changing landscape of higher education.”

The American Council on Education, a Washington, D.C.-based association of presidents of higher education institutions, advocates at the federal level for higher education and trains future leaders in the field.

“I am very happy to have been selected to participate in this prestigious leadership program,” said Johnson. “The ACE Fellows Program will provide me a unique opportunity to develop an institutional view and enrich my knowledge of higher education leadership and administration.”

As director of women’s and gender studies since 1998, Johnson has established a graduate certificate program and revised the overall program’s mission statement to include international education.

Johnson, who also is an English professor at MTSU, has developed and taught literature courses on racial, ethnic, gender and global cultural diversities. Her research activities focus primarily on issues related to women and gender, particularly in the fields of postcolonial and African diaspora literature and critical theory.

During their tenure as ACE Fellows, participants will take part in retreats, interactive learning opportunities and visits to other campuses as well as special projects and assignments under the mentorship of a team of experienced administrators.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)