The 2025-26 recipient of the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence is Dr. Kirsten Johnson, Elizabethtown College Professor of Communications. The Professional Development Committee chose Johnson from nominations submitted by faculty peers.
In addition to receiving a monetary award and a supplement to her professional development fund to support ongoing scholarly activity, she will deliver remarks during Scholarship and Creative Arts Day (SCAD) on April 21, 2026. More details to follow.
“I am honored to have been chosen as the winner of the Ranck Prize for Research,” Johnson said. “Credibility and trust in news organizations and journalists is at an all-time low, so I believe it’s important to study ways news organizations can help restore credibility and trust with the audiences they serve. My research agenda has been focused primarily on how journalists and news organizations can improve perceived credibility through the stories they create, the information they disclose online, and the connections they create with the community.
“I became interested in this topic while working as a local television news producer, and it is my hope that my research can be used by newsrooms to help rebuild this lost credibility and trust. I have truly enjoyed studying media credibility and trust over the past 20 years, and I’m excited to share my research with the campus community at SCAD in April.”
Congratulatory Statement from the 2025-26 Ranck Prize Selection Committee:
Dr. Johnson’s portfolio demonstrates a truly exceptional record of scholarly productivity and influence in the field of journalistic credibility. The committee was impressed by the depth and coherence of her research program, which includes three books, multiple book chapters, 10 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 14 peer-reviewed conference papers (four recognized with top paper awards).
Additionally, Johnson’s expertise is recognized well beyond academia, as evidenced by her role as an invited contributor to WGAL-TV News 8 and other professional outlets. Her 17 grant-funded projects and ongoing collaborations with organizations such as the Kettering Foundation demonstrate both the impact and reach of her work across academia, industry, and the public sphere. Together, these accomplishments showcase a distinguished body of scholarship that exemplifies the spirit of the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence.
About the Ranck Prize
Dr. Robert O. ’64, H’23, and Mary Ann Kerr ’64 established the Ranck Prize for Research Excellence as a permanent endowment to award a full-time faculty member of Elizabethtown College and to commend and celebrate excellence in research and commitment to his or her field of study. The prize honors Dr. John P. Ranck ’58, faculty member emeritus and former chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, for “his inspirational service to countless students at Elizabethtown College.”