Arvid C. Johnson

Dr. Arvid C. Johnson was installed as the ninth president of the University of St. Francis in June 2013. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in physics (Lewis University, Romeoville, Ill.) and a master’s degree in electrical engineering (Northeastern University, Boston, Mass.), Arvid holds an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, N.C.), and a Ph.D. in management science from the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, Ill.).

Prior to joining the University of St. Francis, Arvid served as the Dean of the Brennan School of Business at Dominican University since 2008 – and as a Professor of Management since 2001. He presently serves on several boards including the Illinois Council on Economic Education (Governing Board), Will County Center for Economic Development, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA, Council of Presidents), the Council of Independent Colleges, First Secure Bank & Trust Company, Red Cross of the Illinois River Valley, and the Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center Community Leadership Board.

Prior to entering academia on a full-time basis in 2001, Arvid was a principal in a management consulting firm and worked with companies ranging in size from startups to multi-million-dollar business units of Fortune 500 companies to describe, account for, explain, and exploit the variability present in their manufacturing and service processes. Arvid also has over 15 years of engineering, manufacturing, and senior management experience in a variety of business environments including Northrop Grumman Corporation, Microwave Laboratories and Varian Associates. He founded and served as the chair of Information Resources, Inc.’s Analytics Advisory Board from 2003-2008, and led that company’s efforts to establish a global Research & Development function.

Arvid has published and presented extensively in the areas of quantitative analysis, microwave materials processing, advanced manufacturing practices, and strategic management. He holds 12 U.S. (and dozens of foreign) patents. His extensive list of publications includes 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, more than 19 book chapters and custom textbooks, and more than 42 peer-reviewed conference proceedings. He is the recipient of numerous honors, grants and awards.

Arvid and his family live in Frankfort, Illinois.