Yari Johnson

Experience

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  Global Steel Exchange

  Apr 2001 - May 2002

  Assistant Business Analyst

  Initially hired as a customer support representative for GSX.com website. Supported sales teams in 25 countries by providing real-time assistance and website training. Provided website customer support for more than 1000 steel and trading companies. Assisted in creation of membership application process. Joined special Business Reporting task-force in July, 2001. Promoted to Assistant Business Analyst; in addition to previous customer support duties, new responsibilities included creating daily, weekly, and monthly business reports using BusinessObjects and WebIntelligence for international sales team, senior management, and investors. Created weekly steel trading bulletin for member companies. Developed and ran PowerPoint demonstration to train sales team to utilize available business reports. Joined commercial support team in February 2002; responsible for international marketing campaign. Developed targeted interactive emails enabling members to respond to trades based on their preferences. The campaign successfully increased member logins by 200% and sales transactions by 15%. Show less

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  Best Pals Language School

  Jun 2003 - Aug 2003

  Consultant/Acting Director

  Set up and started new successful language school in 3 months. Managed promotions, curriculum development, hiring new teachers, and development of long-range business plan. Held promotional demonstrations to increase enrollment.

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  Taipei Municipal Wenhua Elementary School

  Aug 2003 - Jul 2004

  Teacher

  Inspired young ESL students in Grades 1, 2, and 6 to improve their English abilities through classes and improvisational shows. Helped run Morning English Theater Show, which became a successful DVD series produced by the Department of Education. Organized an eye-opening winter and summer camp for underprivileged students in the Taipei area which introduced them to the joys of acquiring a new language through exciting games and activities. Developed special level-specific curriculum using simple vocabulary for winter and summer camp activities. Show less

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  Taipei Kuei Shan Private School

  Jul 2004 - Jul 2006

  Teacher

  Teaching, grading, and classroom management at Taipei's premier bilingual school. Subjects taught included Math, Science, and Language Arts. New student testing and screening for approximately 250 students per semester. Assisted with running new teacher orientation and training. Quarterly parent in-service PowerPoint presentations. Teacher Hiring Committee: conducted interviews; answered contract, employment, and policy questions.

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  GRAM Consultants, Ltd.

  Aug 2004 - Jul 2005

  Consultant

  During a one-year contract, coordinated corporate training sessions for HSBC, Taiwan High Speed Railway Corporation, ORIX Corporation, and Inventec Corporation. Focused on increasing workers' confidence in making presentations, presenting reports, and using English to effectively communicate in a business environment.

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  Taipei International Community Ballet

  Jul 2005 - Jul 2006

  Assistant Director

  Helped take Taipei International Community Ballet from a concept to a profitable business in 5 months. Created and managed promotional campaigns. Daily duties included website creation & content management, graphic design for posters & flyers, form creation, database management, and answering phone calls & emails. Oversaw new student registration and receipt of tuition payments. Attended local events to promote school and develop rapport with the community. Successfully planned, promoted, and managed Fall and Spring Recitals. Show less

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  Wake Technical Community College

  Aug 2006 - Aug 2013

  Instructor

  Helped international students and new immigrants adapt to life in the US through English as a Second Language (ESL) and Basic Skills classes covering essential topics such as job hunting, interviews, passing a road test, emergency situations, applying to college, and using government services. Lesson and curriculum development. Handled student paperwork, registration, and specialized placement testing (e.g., Best+). Teaching load ranged from 12 to 26 contact hours per session.Maintained an educational and community blog focused on teaching technology, civic engagement, and English. Show less

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  North Carolina State University

  Jan 2007 - May 2012

  Lab assistant for Principles of Wildlife Science (FW 453/553) [Spring 2012]. Helped teach modeling and data analysis (e.g., distance sampling, capture-recapture) in R. Co-taught Forest Ecology (FOR 260) [Spring 2009 & 2011]. Taught lessons on setting up permanent research plots, community classification, tree-identification, root distribution, self-thinning curves, down woody debris assessment, estimating wildlife habitat suitability, assessing edge affects, measuring microtopography, simple data analysis, greenhouse seedbank studies, and professional report creation. Taught lab section for Environmental Impact Assessment (NR 484) [Fall 2008]. Conducted outdoor training sessions on how to do environmental assessment before preparing Environmental Impact Statements. Graded quizzes and exams.Co-taught Environmental Regulation (ET 450) to undergraduate students [Fall 2007]. Presented lessons on Federal environmental regulations (e.g., NEPA, CERCLA, CWA) and state regulations. Proctored exams and graded homework, quizzes, and exams. Show less Developed ground-breaking techniques for improving and assessing wetland hydrology across the coastal plain of North Carolina through an EPA Region 4 grant. Research provided novel ways to distinguish water table levels across different forested wetland communities. Applied methods to assess whether restored hydrology matched targeted communities. As the Alpha Student of the Shear Lab, I mentored other graduate students by providing course recommendations, assisting with data analysis, reviewing manuscripts & resumes, and conducting thesis defense dry-runs. Other projects included mapping invasive species and testing different control techniques at the Guildford Courthouse National Military Park, assessing regeneration of Atlantic white-cedar at the Dismal Swamp State Park, assessing stream structure failure and invasive species across Piedmont stream restoration sites, restoring native prairie at the North Carolina Museum of Art (restoration ecology as an art form), and assisting with a physiological/competition study of Federally-endangered pondberry.Trained field-assistants to install groundwater monitoring wells, take soil samples, delineate wetlands, collect plant species data, and identify plants.Publications:Johnson, Y.B., T.H. Shear, and A.L. James. 2011. Identifying ecohydrological patterns in natural forested wetlands useful to restoration design. Ecohydrology. DOI: 10.1002/eco.227 Show less

  • Teaching Assistant

    Aug 2007 - May 2012

  • Research Assistant

    Jan 2007 - Dec 2011
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  North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

  Jul 2012 - Aug 2013

  Research Specialist

  Developed management plans for plant conservation preserves and conducted land management, stewardship, and monitoring activities statewide. Protected, monitored and restored habitat for threatened/endangered plants. Regular duties included: assisting with prescribed burning; conducting exotic species removal; coordinating volunteers; modeling hydrology; and creating management plans. Researched and evaluated restoration success and techniques.

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  University of Wisconsin-Platteville

  Aug 2013 - Aug 2019

  Oversaw the Reclamation, Environment and Conservation degree program. Provided administrative leadership in all areas of program operation, development, planning, assessment, evaluation and implementation; external partnership development; financial resources; and budgetary administration. Oversaw course rotations, curriculum planning, student recruitment, and strategic development. Networked with private, non-profit, local, state, and federal organizations to secure internships and permanent positions for students and graduates. Gathered regular feedback from students, alumni, and industry partners through surveys, one-on-one meetings, and workshops. Provided outreach to local K-12 schools, conservation organizations, and the general public.Advised 45 majors each year. Handled paperwork for academic progress and graduation requirements. Show less Supported both the Reclamation, Environment & Conservation major and the Soil & Crop Science major by developing and delivering introductory through advanced courses. Courses Taught:Introduction to Reclamation and Restoration Wetland Ecology, Restoration & ManagementReclamation RevegetationCurrent Topics in Reclamation and RestorationProject Management in Reclamation and RestorationReclamation and Restoration Field Trip (summer field course)SoilsSoil & Water ConservationGIS/GPS & Mapping Environmental LawResearched prescribed fire as a management and restoration tool, and its effects on community composition and invasive species; industrial ("frac") sand mining reclamation in Wisconsin; imperiled plant conservation in the US Southeast (e.g., Dionaea muscipula, Lysimachia asperulifolia, & Lindera melissifolia); relationship between Blanchard’s cricket frog abundance and environmental factors across wetlands in SW Wisconsin; and oak savanna/wetland restoration success in the Driftless Area.Advised Reclamation Club, which included teaching prescribed fire, invasive species management, and basic chainsaw safety. Oversaw land management activities conducted by the student organization across campus and off campus for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, land trusts, and private landowners. Show less

  • Associate Professor

    Jun 2019 - Aug 2019

  • Director

    Aug 2013 - Aug 2019

  • Assistant Professor

    Aug 2013 - Jun 2019
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  US Army Corps of Engineers

  Feb 2021 - now

  Environmental technical lead for several major civil works projects (largest project >$100 million), including ecosystem restoration. Oversee all environmental compliance (NEPA, ESA, CWA, etc) by creating environmental documents (EA, EIS, BA, etc...); conducting field surveys; handling Section 7 consultation; purchasing mitigation credits; ensuring designs and specifications reduce environmental impacts and comply with rules, regulations, and Biological Opinions; overseeing contractors assisting with environmental compliance; creating restoration plans; and monitoring construction work.Mentor junior staff. Provide technical and district quality control reviews of environmental work across the District. Show less

  • Biological sciences environmental manager

    Aug 2019 - now

  • Acting Section Chief

    Feb 2021 - Jun 2021