Kansas State University

K-State community,  

Earlier this week, Dr. Rana Johnson notified me that she is resigning from her role as K-State’s vice president for access and opportunity. It is always tough to see a colleague leave; however, I know her decision to pursue an opportunity that is closer to her family is the right choice. Her last official day will be Feb. 28. 

Dr. Johnson joined K-State in December of 2022. Her responsibilities have included overseeing the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, the Office of the Student Ombudsperson, and the Kansas State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering, or KAWSE. 

I am proud of what Dr. Johnson has accomplished during her tenure at K-State. Her dedication to students was evident from my first conversations with her. Shortly after joining the university, she orchestrated invitations of distinguished speakers such as Dr. Ansley Abraham, founding director of the Southern Regional Educational Board State Doctoral Scholars Program. Dr. Abraham came to K-State and met with graduate students, members of our leadership team, faculty, staff and local community leaders. Through this connection, K-State sent a doctoral student to represent our university as a scholar at the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring for the first time. 

Dr. Johnson’s passion for engaging diverse audiences is the driving force behind her work. She has fostered impactful dialogues and built a sense of community, representing K-State as a speaker to various groups both in Manhattan and outside of Kansas. She served as the keynote speaker at two major local events: The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Prayer Breakfast and the American Association of University Women meeting. Last fall, she received the Frank Abbott Award at the Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in New Orleans. The award is the institute’s most esteemed honor, recognizing significant and sustained contributions, and she is only the 11th recipient in the award’s 31-year history. 

She led the revision of the Access and Opportunity website and developed the proposal for the 75th anniversary celebration of the first Black athlete at Kansas State University. Additionally, she has led efforts for KSUnite and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Weeklong Celebration.  

"As a first-generation university graduate and woman of color, my work is profoundly personal," she said. "Higher education is transformative, capable of altering the trajectories of students’ lives, families and future generations."

Her values and unwavering belief in the transformative power of higher education has fueled her success in her role at K-State. 

I want to thank Dr. Johnson for her work in making K-State a more welcoming, inclusive community for all.  

In the coming weeks and months, we will share our transition plans for the Office of Access and Opportunity with the K-State community. Our work creating a welcoming community for all to learn and thrive, the work Dr. Johnson contributed to, will continue strengthening our community. 

Go 'Cats!

Richard Linton 
President