Richard Parent-Johnson, Ph.D.
Richard Parent-Johnson, Ph.D., retired as a senior research associate in the Center for
Disabilities in the Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, South Dakota. Prior to his
position at Sanford, he was a senior research associate in the Center for Research on
Learning at the University of Kansas and there held a courtesy appointment in the Department
of Special Education. His doctorate is in sociology from the University of Kansas.
Dr. Parent-Johnson has been the principal investigator (PI) , co-PI, or project coordinator
on multiple state and federal grants. His most recent work has focused on health care
transitions for youth/young adults with disabilities as it relates to interprofessional medical
education and clinical practice. He codesigned and then led the University of South
Dakota’s Center for Disabilities Transition InAction Clinic. He continues to do consulting
work in these areas. Dr. Parent-Johnson’s earlier work focused primarily on the iterative
design, development, and dissemination of universal curricular products and processes
that serve the individualized transition needs of persons with mild to moderate disabilities
(e.g., the Soaring to New Heights curriculum and lesson materials for high-school-age
students with disabilities and/or special health care needs( . He also taught and served as
the learning specialist at Seattle University. Dr. Parent-Johnson is knowledgeable in mixed
methods research methodologies with particular expertise in ethnographic research and
qualitative analysis.