Malynnda Johnson, PhD, BCPA
Vice Chair
Dr. Malynnda Johnson is an associate professor in the Department of communication, teaching mainly in the areas of health communication and media studies. She completed her PhD in 2012 at the University of WI – Milwaukee. For four years, she also served as the associate program director for the genetic counseling program. Teaching in the areas of interviewing and counseling as well as cross-cultural communication. For 15 years, most of Dr. Johnson’s research centered on how media shapes our perceptions and understanding of health topics such as HIV and STIs. She has written two books on media representations of health topics, including one on HIV and the other on neurodiversity and mental health. Currently, Dr. Johnson has shifted slightly to examining the role humor plays in our health. Additionally, she is actively working within the medical field, training patient advocates and providers on ways to improve their communication when working with minority groups (specifically, neurodiversity and transgender populations). When she is not writing, teaching, or serving her community, she is often found with her two dogs hiking or camping in the woods of Indiana.