Peter Johnson named interim head of University Relations Peter Johnson has been named interim executive associate vice president for University Relations by President Charles Kupchella. Johnson, who has served as associate director of University Relations since 2005, will continue his duties as media relations coordinator, a job he has held since 1988. The new appointment is effective March 26. Johnson is a former managing editor of the Devils Lake Daily Journal and once co-published and edited a weekly newspaper, The Chronicle, with his brother Sam. He also was an editor at The Pierce County Tribune in Rugby, N.D., and news editor at The Journal in Crosby, N.D. Johnson has taught Reporting and Feature Writing and Advanced Journalism and Principles of Public Relations in the UND School of Communication. Johnson is a member of the North Dakota Newspaper Association Education Foundation Board of Directors and a former northeast district co-director of North Dakota Professional Communicators. He is a former director of the Northern Interscholastic Press Association, which provides educational support for North Dakota high school newspaper and yearbook advisors and students. Johnson has been involved with the Society of Professional Journalists, and also serves as a board member of The Arc, Upper Valley, and the LISTEN Center in Grand Forks. He serves as executive director of the Grand Forks Master Chorale. He holds degrees in English and education from UND. He and his wife, Marsha, have four children.