Kecia R. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Sociology. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on issues related to the collateral consequences of incarceration, prisoner reentry, women’s imprisonment and racial disparities and crime. Since her arrival to Mississippi State University (MSU), Dr. Johnson has worked with an interdisciplinary research team that examines food insecurity across the state. These researchers are also interested in working with communities to address issues pertaining to food insecurity and food access. As a result of this work, Dr. Johnson has developed an interest in how food insecurity affects formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Currently, Dr. Johnson has expanded her research to examine the impact of parental incarceration on the mental health of their children.  Her research has appeared in publications such as the American Journal of Sociology, Youth & Society, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, and Social Science & Medicine.  Dr. Johnson teaches courses on deviant behavior, race and crime, gender and crime, policing and criminological theory.

Since 2018, Dr. Johnson has served as a faculty mentor and program coordinator for the Delta Scholars Program, which is housed at the MSU Shackouls Honor College. This is an academic and community engagement program for students that are socially conscious and interested in learning about the Mississippi Delta. During their tour of the MS Delta, students learn about the challenges faced by Delta residents. However, they also meet and interact with community members to learn about the resiliency of these residents and the positive aspects of living in the Delta.

As a faculty mentor, Dr. Johnson has supported students as they developed their projects that produce positive social change in their communities and for several students this mentoring relationship continues for months or even years after they participated in the program. In 2023, Dr. Johnson was named the Director of the Delta Scholars program.