Renee Johnson-Thornton

Renee Johnson-Thornton is a senior program associate and assistant director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program.

Prior to Mellon, Renee was dean for the classes of 2018 and 2022 at Wesleyan University where she provided academic advising, monitored student progress toward degree completion, and coordinated student engagement and wellbeing activities. Renee served as dean for equity and inclusion, and managed grant funded initiatives designed to encourage and prepare students to enroll in college and then to pursue doctoral degrees. She credits her experiences in college admission, UTCEI, McNair, and MMUF for introducing her to the use of philanthropy as a lever to advance social justice in higher education.

The first member of her family to earn a college degree, she holds a BA in English and African & African American studies from Binghamton University, an MA in liberal studies from Wesleyan University, and a PhD in Education from the University of Rhode Island.